Neck Pain and What You Can Do About It

Pam, Team Copper Fit

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Ever wonder where the saying “Pain in the Neck” came from?

Well, if you've ever had neck pain, you get it.

It’s unrelenting and hard to ignore- just like a “pain in the neck” kind of person!

Neck pain interferes with daily activities and can make even the most basic things we do- like exercising and sleeping- uncomfortable. It can be pretty irritating or downright miserable. But let’s get to the bottom of it because there is help!

The thing is, neck pain is very common for many people- but a lot of the time, the origin of the pain is just not very clear.

The source of your neck pain could be bad posture, that funky move you did in your exercise class, the result of a car accident, carrying around a heavy purse, even gritting your teeth can often end up affecting how your neck feels.

If you know it’s not the result of some trauma to your body (like whiplash for example) or a health issue like arthritis or disk degeneration; it’s time to start investigating and looking for a solution.

Neck Pain Solution #1: Try a New Pillow

You would think that a major reason for neck pain is maybe a sports injury or car accident, but it’s something we all do every night, which is supposed to be the most nurturing thing we do for our bodies- sleeping.

Often times, what leads to a stiff neck is sleeping in the wrong position with inadequate pillow support.

Raise your hand if you have woken up in the morning with a SEARING pain in the neck. The “I can’t even turn my head” kind of pain.

Chances are it’s happened once or twice.

It’s super unsettling, and a little bit scary, something me and my middle-aged friends now call “a sleeping injury.” Funny, but true! And painful.

The likely culprit: your pillow.

The proper placement of a pillow is this: it should keep your cervical spine and neck in neutral alignment. Whether laying on your back or your side, the natural curve of your neck is maintained.

So, if your pillow is too low or too high, it can cause pressure to build up. Your pillow should hold your neck at just the right height to reduce stress. Otherwise, the neck tries to compensate for the lack of support.

A great option for this is a memory foam pillow. It allows you to sleep in the best position for your spine- supporting the natural curve of your cervical spine. The Copper Fit Standard Angel Ultimate Memory Foam Pillow does just this. The adaptive memory foam contours for proper spine and neck alignment, specifically for side or back sleepers. Another great feature of this pillow is it's copper infused and odor reducing. Plus, the unique cut-out rests your arm in its natural, comfortable position. It could just be the solution you need for your neck problems.

Neck Pain Solution #2: Posture makes Perfect!

Posture is one of the most common causes of neck pain. It’s as simple as this: if your head is often bent forward for long periods of time, it puts strain on the neck muscles. Are you looking at your phone now to read this? Or sitting at your desk? Check-in with your posture. Are you hunching? Thought so!

Bad posture can lead to a whole laundry list of problems in your body. Believe it or not, it can contribute to poor circulation, digestive issues, heartburn, and incontinence. And, of course, neck pain.

So many of us sit at our desks in front of computers most of the day, probably not in the most ergonomically correct position.

But it’s oh-so important to focus on sitting the right way:

Your feet should rest on the floor or a footrest.
The backrest of your chair should support your low and mid-back.
Ankles should be in front of the knees (don’t cross your legs!)
Keep a small gap between the front of the chair and the back of the knees.
Keep knees at or below the level of your hips.
Forearms should be parallel to the ground.
Keep your shoulders relaxed.

This all sounds easy enough, but if you’ve had bad posture for a long time, it’s a LOT of work for your body to line up the right way. Your muscles and joints need to be retrained, or they will just fall back into bad habits.

According to orthopedic specialist Christina Rodriguez, PT, DPT, OCS, cert. MDT, “Your body will find the path of least resistance, which ends up being that rounded shoulder, hunched back, head drifted forward look.”

What will help? Posture Support.

You can discreetly wear a posture support soft brace like Copper Fit’s Posture Support under your clothes to support your back and neck. It reminds you to adjust your neck, shoulder, and back position for proper alignment. The Posture Support helps to alleviate poor posture and slouching-related pains. Not uncomfortably forcing your body, it's more of a subtle reminder, training your body out of that easy all-day-long “hunch” it wants to fall into.

Copper Fit’s Posture Support does just that. It’s light and comfortable with moisture-wicking and made with copper-infused fabric to help reduce odors. It’s the perfect reminder to adjust and get your body back on track!

If you are struggling with nagging neck pain- try Copper Fit’s neck pain solutions. Both The Copper Fit Standard Angel Ultimate Memory Foam Pillow and the Copper Fit’s Posture Support can help get you feeling good again!