Kansas City Chiropractors: Can They Help Neck Pain due to Poor Posture?

Most causes of neck pain are not the result of an injury, but result from poor posture. In today's society, a large portion of the population sits at a computer desk for work. This leads to sitting with your head and neck forward to look at the screen and your shoulders up and forward to type. This position puts a lot of extra stress on the neck and upper back. 

The average weight of the human head is 11 pounds. Imagine yourself holding a bowling ball. You can start by holding the ball close to your body and gradually move it away from you. The further the ball gets from your body, the harder it is to hold. The same thing happens with your head and neck. Ideally, you want your head to be right over your chest and shoulders. As you lean your head forward, to look at a computer/phone/book, your neck struggles to hold your head in that position. It recruits the muscles of the upper back to help out, increasing the strain in that area too. Overtime, this leads to misalignment of the neck, chronic tightness in the area, and pain.

The biggest concern is the neck losing its shape. The neck should be a "c" shape. Poor posture leads to the neck losing its curve and becoming more of a straight line. This can lead to degeneration in the spine, arthritis, numbness/tingling in the arms and hands, and increased pain. 

To decrease the chances of neck pain due to poor posture you should:

• Do an ergonomic evaluation of your desk - make sure the chair is placed at the right height that you don't have to raise your arms up to type, computer monitor is at the right height so you don't have to look down or up. 

• Get adjusted - chiropractors do gentle adjustments to realign the spine, allowing your body to function correctly and restore proper motion in the joints. This will help maintain the curvature of the neck and back. Many of our patients tell us their neck feels much better even after the first visit.

• Check your posture - make sure you have good posture frequently throughout the day

• Take breaks - get up and walk about once an hour so your body has a chance to reset itself

• Stretch - stretch the neck and shoulders to keep the muscles loose