Usually a neck problem like this is minor; however, injuries do take some time to heal. For example, excessive head movement can slow the healing process and may even cause re-injury. Watch out for situations that may aggravate the pain, and try to avoid them.  This includes reading – if necessary, wear glasses while reading so you can be farther away from your book.  Sit back farther from your work – computers keyboards and office chairs are more ergonomic than ever to accommodate a variety of body shapes. If you don’t have ergonomic office furniture, consider getting some. If you already have it, experiment with different sitting and working positions until you find the one that’s right for you.

Keep the use of painkillers to a minimum or don’t use them at all.

Sleep on a firm mattress. Don’t sleep on your stomach. If you sleep on your side, place a pillow so that your neck is in a neutral position; not pointing up towards the ceiling and not pointing down towards the mattress. An excellent pillow to use is the Mediflow Waterbase Pillow. The water envelope sewn into the base of the pillow can be infinitely adjusted to provide the exact amount of support required, simply by adding water. A soft layer of polyester fiber fill floats over top of the waterbase to provide a comfortable night’s sleep.

These are a few recommendations that may help alleviate your neck pain.

Whiplash injury is an injury to the neck that’s usually associated with car accidents in which your car is rear-ended or struck from behind by another vehicle. It can happen even from low speed crashes.

The symptoms of whiplash may vary. For example;

You may notice reduced range of movement of your neck.

You may experience neck, shoulder or back pain.

You may be dizzy or giddy.

You may have headaches.

Although you may notice some of these symptoms immediately after an accident occurs, sometimes it may take several days or more before any symptoms appear.

If you think you have a whiplash injury, it’s wise to see your health care practitioner immediately, no matter how minor the symptoms appear to be. The longer you delay, the more damage can be done to your neck.

 And once your injury has been attended to, it’s good idea to select a supportive pillow to minimize the return of the symptoms. One of the most recommended pillows for people who suffer from neck pain and associated discomfort is the Mediflow Waterbase Pillow.  It’s especially effective for whiplash injuries, with a unique Waterbase design that continuously adapts to support your head as you change position on your pillow through the night.  

“ Computer neck”  is a common side effect of our modern sedentary lifestyle. Conditions like computer neck are frequently seen by health care practitioners. The resulting forward head position can lead to neck, head and shoulder pain. If left untreated it can further develop into strained muscles and more.

Specific exercises and therapies can help. Start by sitting in the correct position at your computer station. A health care professional can advise you on the proper posture. For example, you should be relaxed, not hunched over the keyboard. You should also get up from your chair every hour or two and move around. This will help relieve any neck and head strain.

Whiplash injuries resulting from car accidents are another common cause of neck pain. Whiplash can be serious and quite painful. See your health care practitioner immediately.

Sometimes people will wake up in the morning with a stiff neck for no apparent reason. The problem may be their pillow. Your pillow should be tailored to match your sleeping position. For example, if you sleep on your side you will need more support than if you sleep on your back. It’s important to maintain the natural curve of your neck while sleeping. One pillow that does this well is the Mediflow Waterbase Pillow. It consists of a super soft layer of polyester fiber fill that floats over a thin water envelope. The soft fiber layer provides the comfort that people expect from a premium quality pillow, and the thin water envelope can be tailored to give ongoing support to your head and neck throughout the night by adjusting the amount of water in it. See www.mediflow.com for more information.

A supportive pillow such as the Mediflow Waterbase Pillow can also help to maintain your natural spinal curve between adjustments from your health care provider for whiplash or computer neck injuries.

Common causes of neck injury leading to neck pain include bad posture, car accidents, especially whiplash injuries, sports accidents and sleeping without adequate neck support.

Here are suggestions for alleviating the pain:

Avoid over the counter medication. These only disguise the pain by preventing the brain from receiving the signal that something is wrong. They’re good for short term situations but nothing more.

If your neck pain lasts more than a few days it’s wise to seek help from a chiropractor. Chiropractors have the knowledge and skills to assess and correct neck and spine problems. They can realign the spine and muscles back into their correct positions, thus taking the strain off the neck. This relieves the pain and reduces its chance of returning.

Examine the pillow you’re using. If you have chronic neck pain, your pillow could be part of the problem.  Your pillow should be keeping your spine in a neutral position, neither pushing your head up towards the ceiling nor dropping it down towards the bed. Your best choice is an adjustable pillow. The Mediflow Waterbase pillow is a good choice. It’s infinitely adjustable to provide exactly the right amount of support and comfort for each individual; just adjust the amount of water in the water bladder.

It is interesting to note that the Mediflow Waterbase pillow was invented by the founder of our company when he suffered a painful whiplash injury in a car accident. The symptoms of whiplash injuries often include neck pain, stiffness, headaches, pain in the shoulder, lower back pain, and so on. Some victims also suffer with irritability, sleep disturbances, and fatigue.

While experimenting with a way to ease pain and improve sleep quality after his injury, the inventor of our pillow experienced a reduction of neck pain and improved sleep quality by placing a hot water bottle under his existing pillow.  This led to the idea of creating a pillow with a water bag sewn directly into the base of the pillow.  The new pillow design performed even better as the fixed base stayed in place and provided a responsive support level for proper cervical alignment and actually responded to head movement as he slept at night.  Eventually, a clinical trial at Johns Hopkins University Hospital confirmed what our founder already knew.  The Mediflow Waterbase pillow ranked best in all 5 categories tested in the cilinical trial including reduced neck pain intensity and imporved quality of sleep. 

If you have suffered a neck injury or experience periodic neck pain a waterbase pillow could make a difference for you as well.  By also improving the quality of sleep after a neck injury or when you are suffering from neck pain you may avoid the secondary symptoms of irritability and fatigue.