Neck Archive

Better support for your spine is key in avoiding neck ache.

If neck pain is keeping you from doing the things you enjoy, don't worry — there are ways to get you back to your normal routine. The ultimate goals of neck pain treatment are to relieve pain, restore function, and reduce the risk of re-injury.

A physical therapy program that emphasizes strength and stretching exercises, combined as needed with medication and relaxation therapies, often relieves neck pain over the long term. But when neck pain first strikes, here's what you can do:

The cause of most neck pain is strained or sprained muscles, ligaments, and tendons. First-line therapy is rest, ice, heat, pain relievers, and possibly limited use of a neck collar.

This common affliction can limit your daily activities if you don't take steps to prevent it.

Everyday life isn't kind to our necks. You know that crick you get when you cradle the phone between your shoulder and ear? Or the strain you feel when you crane your neck to see your computer monitor?

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In the journals

Most of us are troubled by neck pain at some point in our lives. The most common culprit is overuse or misuse of muscles and ligaments. Today's computer-dominated workplace can be especially tough on necks, because so many of us sit for long periods with shoulders slumped and heads extended toward monitors.

Posture can worsen with age and cause back, neck, and shoulder pain. Adopting corrective lifestyle habits can help you stand up straighter.

Most people are familiar with the telltale look of aging — the slouching posture that makes men look small and feeble. Age can wear down the discs in your spine, which causes them to compress. "This is one reason why men lose height as they get older," says Dr. David Binder of the Orthopaedic Spine Center at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.

Still, most changes in posture are a result of bad habits, such as sitting hunched over and not standing correctly. "Over time, these habits can create muscle weakness and imbalances that trigger spasms and place stress on your neck, low back, and shoulders," says Dr. Binder.