Neck pain: Causes and tips to avoid it
The Neck Pain it is one of the most common ills, especially among the adult population; It is estimated that up to seven out of ten people will suffer at some point in their lives. And it is precisely the neck one of the most sensitive areas of the body, which accumulates all tensions.
In fact, in its appearance influence a wide variety of causes (as we will see below and throughout this note): from nervous and emotional tensions that cause the muscles of the neck and shoulder to tense up to stress situations , going through bad positions when sitting and working, sleeping ... 
Causes of neck pain
Causes of neck pain are many, but we have selected some of the most common.
Weakness in the muscles of the area
It is very common to find people whose neck hurts because the muscles of the area such as the trapezius are weakened. This is a direct consequence of the lack of exercise, which causes the neck muscles not to strengthen.
Bad postures
This is undoubtedly one of the most frequent causes of neck pain in the adult population. It occurs for example between people who for work reasons have to spend many hours in front of the computer in the same position or do not have the right pillow to rest the neck properly at night.
This type of situation causes the muscles of the neck to become stiffer, causing pain. The solution is very simple: Stretching that involves moving the neck in all directions.
Anxiety and stress
Neck pain can also be caused by purely emotional factors. Situations of anxiety and stress heavily burden the neck and shoulders, generating in most cases pain in the area.
Tips to avoid neck pain
There are several tips that should be taken into account to avoid neck pain:
- Mattress: The mattress must be firm; If it is too soft, you run the risk that the neck will hurt the next day because the head is not kept horizontally during the night.
- Pillow: Like the mattress, the pillow is very important to achieve a good rest. The most recommended is the foam pillow that is approximately the width of the shoulders; you can also try the cervical pillows, especially designed for this area
- Position: When you sleep, the worst thing you can do is sleep on your stomach. It is a very damaging posture for the back and for the neck as it forces the head to turn sharply to breathe. The best position is the fetal one; on the side and with the knees towards the chest.
Exercises to avoid neck pain
Avoiding neck pain is not far from complicated. There are several exercises that you can do daily and that will help you to have this area completely relaxed and the muscles strengthened:
- Inclination of the head: Stand upright, in a totally straight position and move your head to one side and then to the other; Repeat the exercise 10 times. Then, move your head back and forth, also 10 times. The movements must be slow to avoid damaging the joints.
- Crossed hands: A very simple exercise but that is very beneficial. You just have to put your hands crossed behind the head and drop the weight of the hands so that the head falls little by little. Hold this position for a few minutes.
- Seated: Sit in a chair with your back straight and bend your head down more and more; The upper half of the back should be flexed more or less, while the lower back is kept in contact with the backrest. Get back up slowly. Repeat 5 times.
As we have mentioned, neck pains are very frequent but, luckily, they are also very easily avoidable. Taking into account the advice we have given you to rest properly and doing the daily exercises to avoid neck pain, surely you do not have to worry about this area again.
