Avoiding Neck Injuries

Neck pain can be caused from anything as small as hunching over a computer screen too long to a rear end collision auto accident. Any activity involving posture or motion has the potential to weigh on your neck, which is one of the reasons why neck pain along with back pain is so ubiquitous. Our spine receives the weight of any impact or posture we choose, so the natural result of odd positions and forceful is spinal damage. Typically the individual joints of the spine–the vertebrae–are misaligned after being subject to a hard impact causing the sections of bone to have friction against each other. Misaligned joints are among the most common form of neck injury and like most injuries involving the neck it can be difficult to avoid.

The most minor neck injury is one most people have experienced: bad posture. Now bad posture while standing is difficult to adapt to, but while sleeping or sitting your neck is the pivot for your body, which puts plenty of weight on the cervical spine (upper spine). This is easily preventable by using a better pillow and distancing yourself with the computer screen. While some people advise against heavy lifting to prevent back pains to prevent neck pains remember to make sure the amount of weight you carry is well proportioned otherwise your neck will compensate for the uneven distribution of weight. As a general rule of thumb for all neck injuries: stay hydrated because water is used to maintain disc height and alignment.

A physical therapist can also instruct certain exercises to strengthen a person’s spine. If you are having trouble finding a qualified physical therapist in New York check out Park Physical Therapy in Massapequa. Among Park Physical Therapy’s services is a specialized treatment for neck and back injuries, so the therapy covers everything from whiplash to constant strain from hunching over.