Preventing Neck Strain

Imagine holding a bowling ball at eye level for 20 minutes. Now imagine holding that bowling ball -- the size of your head -- all day every day. It's no wonder that neck pain is so common. Luckily, it's a condition you often can control.

The September issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource offers tips to prevent neck pain.

• Adopt good posture. It's the most important thing you can do. Keep your shoulders back and hold your head high.
• Avoid sitting in the same position for long periods. When you sit, use arm rests.
• At the computer, keep your monitor at eye level and keep your knees slightly lower than your hips.
• Avoid heavy backpacks and purses.
• Don't carry children on your shoulders.
• Don't cradle the phone between your ear and shoulder.
• When you sleep, align your neck with the rest of your spine. Avoid pillows that raise your head too high or let it sink too low.

If you have neck pain, self-care measures can help. Rest, but avoid prolonged inactivity. Alternate cold and heat therapies. Try nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) or naproxen (Aleve, others).

Most people don't need to seek medical attention for neck pain. With self-care measures, pain commonly subsides on its own. Seek care if pain lasts more than two weeks, is severe or follows an injury.

Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource is published monthly to help women enjoy healthier, more productive lives. Revenue from subscriptions is used to support medical research at Mayo Clinic. To subscribe, please call 800-876-8633, extension 9PK1.

Did you know?
Imagine holding a bowling ball at eye level for 20 minutes. Now imagine holding that bowling ball -- the size of your head -- all day every day. It's no wonder that neck pain is so common. Luckily, it's a condition you often can control.