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).
