Neck Pain Relief Overland Park
There are times when you can pinpoint the cause of your neck pain right away. You might have a sports injury or you might have had your head whipped back during a car accident. However, in most cases, your neck pain occurred slowly over time. It usually starts with a stiff neck and then eventually becomes excruciatingly obvious that you need some help. You find yourself seeking neck pain relief, but pinpointing the cause can sometimes be tough.
To get to the bottom of the cause, you’ll need to take a look at your lifestyle.
Are These 5 Strange Factors Causing You to Seek Out Neck Pain Relief?
Flip-Flops
Overland Park residents love their flip-flops. We wear them with jeans, skirts, shorts and even in the winter. My husband always says, “Let my toes be free!” But, have you ever thought about what’s required of your toes to wear flip-flops? With every step, your toes must push down on the top of the flip-flop in order to keep it on your foot. This changes the way you walk and also has a negative impact on your hips and back.
People with an uneven gait, often have hips that are out of alignment. This means that one hip is higher than the other. Uneven hips can cause misalignments all the way up your spine as your body tries to compensate.
Stomach Sleepers
You know who you are. Stomach sleepers enjoy their sleep position so much that most of us think it would be impossible to change it. The problem is that sleeping on your stomach causes your head to turn to the side. This forces your neck into an overextended position for most of the night. It practically guarantees that you’ll have neck pain the the morning.
The good news is that you can train your body to be comfortable in a new sleep position. Start slowly. If you wake up on your stomach, just switch to your side or back each time. Eventually, your body will become more comfortable with the new position, and you’ll adopt a much better sleep position.
Shoulder Rides
We know that the legs of a two-year-old are not as long (or as focused) as an adult’s. Picking him or her up and putting them onto your shoulders is practical and even fun, but it can strain your neck and upper back muscles when you’re lifting them and while they’re up there. If you make a habit of it, the extra weight can strain your muscles and send you seeking neck pain relief.
Your Phone
Most of us don’t hold our phones up so that we can see the screen without putting pressure on our neck. Instead, we hold them down, forcing our neck into a compromised position for long periods of time. Over time, this causes a stiff neck and even neck pain as the weight of your head puts pressure on your neck.
Limit phone use to a few minutes a day. If you’re sitting at work or at home and need to go online, opt for using the computer and keep the screen high enough that viewing it doesn’t force you to look down.
Ties
Yep. You read that right. Your neck pain when you come home from work may not be just due to the stress you’re under, but also to your necktie. Neckties that are tied too tight increase tension in your neck. To make sure your tie is loose enough, check to see if you can fit the width of your finger between your shirt and neck. If not, loosen the tie.
Finally, an excuse to loosen your necktie a bit more!
Overland Park Neck Pain Relief
Neck pain often occurs over a long period of time. This makes it hard to uncover the cause. If you’ve eliminated these possible culprits and still find yourself seeking neck pain relief, a visit to your local chiropractor can help.
Chiropractors specialize in neck pain relief through chiropractic adjustments and physical therapy. The most common cause of neck pain is a mechanics problem in the neck or upper back. Our Overland Park chiropractors work to alleviate neck pain by restoring motion to joints that are locked up or fixated. To learn more contact our clinic at 913-764-6237 or schedule an appointment online.