Neck pain affects most of the population at some point in their life, irrespective of age, occupation or health. Neck pain can originate from muscles, nerves, spinal vertebrae and the cushioning disks in between. It can also come from the neck, shoulder, jaw, head or upper arms.

When your neck is sore or stiff, you may have trouble moving it. You may experience headaches. If you have a pinched nerve, you may feel numbness or tingling in your arm or hand.

Common causes of neck pain result from everyday activities. These include working at a desk all day with head extended forward and back rounded;  placing your computer monitor incorrectly - too low or too high; or slouching while watching TV or reading . And these days, more and more young people are using their cell phones and video devices several hours daily. The resulting neck-forward posture can lead to long-term muscle strain, disc herniations and pinched nerves. Whiplash injury is one of the most predominant neck injuries; neck pain is due to the damage that the whipping action has caused to the supporting tissues of the neck, such as the nerves and muscles.

 As we age, the risk of long-term neck pain due to osteoarthritis, degenerative disk disease and spinal stenosis will increase. As well, loss of flexibility and elasticity of the spine are more noticeable as we age.

If you experience neck pain, see your health care professional for help.

After you’ve had your neck pain treated, a supportive pillow is helpful in maintaining proper neck position during sleep. The Mediflow Waterbase Pillow has been shown to relieve neck pain. A clinical study at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore MD concluded that the Mediflow Pillow was associated with increased pain relief, reduced morning pain intensity and improved quality of sleep. (Published in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Vol 78, No 2).

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.