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.

Your neck both supports your head and provides it with the mechanics to move. Your neck is the main link between your head and your body. Your neck is composed of seven specialized bones, called vertebrae, which support the neck. Your neck is somewhat less protected than the rest of of your spin, and therefore more prone to being injured, or to having conditions which create pain and restrict motion. Neck pain is the common term to describe strain of the neck muscles or inflammation of the neck.

Neck pain can be chronic or acute. Acute neck pain is caused by a rapid, severe injury like whiplash, a blow to the head or neck or strangulation. Chronic neck pain is usually caused by longer term disorders, such as cervical disk degeneration, a pinched nerve, meningitis, influenza, or a heart attack. Pain in the neck can also be caused by poor posture, poor sitting or sleeping position.