What Are the Most Common Causes of Neck Pain?
Most of us must deal with neck pain at some point in our lives. In fact, according to the National Library of Medicine, around 20% to 70% of adults will experience neck pain that interferes with their daily activities during their lifetime. Ouch! So, what causes neck pain and how do you get rid of it for good? Today, we’re setting you up for success by giving you our ultimate guide to neck pain so you can live a healthy and pain-free life – whether you’re an athlete, parent, or working professional. Let’s get started.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Neck Pain?
To kick us off, let’s look at what actually causes neck pain. There are many reasons as to why your neck hurts, so don’t scare yourself by heading to WebMD and jumping to conclusions (yes, we know you’ve probably already done that).
Here are the most common causes of neck pain that we’ve seen over at MoveU:
- Poor posture
- Sleeping for long periods of time in an uncomfortable position
- Overuse
- Muscle strain
- Sitting at a desk for an extended period
To be honest, the most common cause of neck pain that we’ve seen over the years is poor posture. Poor posture does not set you up for success for any of your daily habits and activities. Sitting at a desk all day can contribute to tight hip flexors, chest muscles, and neck strain. Fortunately, there are plenty of desk stretches you can do from your at-home or in-person office to offset this. And if you’re serious about figuring out how to fix your posture, check out the MoveU membership. We even include posture assessments so you can see your progress over time.
How Long Does It Take for Neck Pain to Go Away?
According to the mental health professionals out there, it takes about 3 months to develop a habit. So, if you’re looking to improve your posture and incorporate more movement into your day to reduce neck stress and pain, we’d say give it about 3 months for that new habit to kick in.
How Do You Know if Your Neck Pain Is Severe?
If your neck pain doesn’t go away, gets worse over time, or is accompanied by a headache, numbness, weakness, or tingling sensations, be sure to head to your health care provider for more support.
Numbness or decreased sensation in the area supplied by the nerve could mean you have a pinched nerve. This might feel like a sharp, aching, or burning pain.
Does Neck Pain Get Worse with Age?
The answer to this question might frustrate you: it depends. You may feel neck pain as you age as your neck joints tend to wear with age; however, this isn’t the case for everyone. If you maintain good posture, learn proper body mechanics, exercise daily, and lead a healthy lifestyle, you may see a reduction in your neck pain as you get older.
Can Strength Training Exercises Improve Neck Pain?
You bet! According to a study conducted by Harvard University, strength training can help reduce neck pain. The study they did found that women with work-related neck pain experienced long-lasting and significant relief by regularly practicing five neck muscle and strengthening exercises. These exercises consisted of dumbbell shrugs, one arm rows, upright rows, and lateral raises.
How Do You Get Rid of Neck Pain Then?
As you read above, you can take things into your own hands and get rid of neck pain by doing strength training exercises, learning good posture and proper body mechanics, and by learning new habits if you spend a lot of time at a desk. You can also say “bye” to neck pain by checking out the Iron Neck as well as some of their free training programs.
Are There Any Tools You Recommend Using to Help Relive Neck Pain?
Now, if you’re looking for long-term relief from neck pain as well as help with posture and mobility, we highly recommend checking out the Iron Neck 3.0 Pro. Here are some of the reasons we use this tool in house to help reduce neck pain, improve recovery, and build neck strength:- Builds rotational strength (not many of us do this!)
- Helps with recovery from whiplash and neck pain
- Improves your posture
