How you typically position your body when going through your day defines your posture. Posture is a key, but sometimes overlooked, aspect of general good health and chronic pain management. Our bodies are designed to move. Our muscles tense and stiffen if we don’t move them enough. Similarly, we can get caught in the grip of poor posture, which can create problems throughout our whole body.

Poor posture can lead to back or shoulder pain, as well as tightness in the hips, and it can strain the muscles and the nerves of the spinal cord. Ultimately, tension on any part of the spinal system can result in neck pain.

Neck pain is, well, painful. When we experience physical pain in our neck, we feel uncomfortable, irritated, and can’t seem to stop thinking about it.

The biggest cause of neck pain is poor posture. One of the best ways to avoid this ailment is to have good posture as you move through the activities of your day.

When sleeping, try to sleep on your back or side. Avoid sleeping on your stomach, because turning your head to the side creates a twisting pressure on your vertebral joints. Do not use overly large pillows or multiple pillows. If you do, you will extend the neck out of its optimal neutral position. Try to use feather pillows as they form more easily to the shape of your head and can help you avoid neck stress.

Neck pain in women is often induced by muscle strain, tendonitis, arthritis or a condition called frozen shoulder. In frozen shoulder, the shoulder gets stiff and can not move freely. Fibromylagia can also be another cause of neck pain.

To understand why neck pain occurs, it’s useful to think of the neck as a type of “ball and socket” construction that is held together by muscles, tendons and ligaments. These structures allow the neck a wide range of motion but also keep it stable.