by Natalie I. Kelly

Created on: April 28, 2008   Last Updated: July 26, 2009

Have you ever woken up with that nagging knot or sharp pain in your neck making it impossible to turn your head? Or maybe after hours at the computer you have a headache and pain that radiates to your shoulders.

Poor posture and prolonged slouching will reverse the spines natural curve creating harmful stress on muscles, ligaments, discs, nerve tissue and the bone. Eventually these years of habits will cause you to wake up one morning with that annoying crick in the neck.

Here are some useful tips to support your neck.

Sitting Posture

Companies and individuals invest thousands of dollars every year in expensive ergonomic chairs so use them and use them properly!

* Adjust the height of the chair so you are at the proper height for viewing your computer screen or workstation (eye level; not looking up or down).

* Make sure your feet are on the ground. Smaller people may need a footstool while taller people may need to adjust the level of the screen or workstation.

* Stay close to your work. Bring your workstation close to you so you can sit back in that expensive chair, lean against the backrest and use the lumbar support.

* Use the armrests on the chair. Raising the armrests will support your upper body in an upright posture and prevent you from slouching.

Try to keep the same tips in mind to support your posture at home. So when sitting in the recliner or slouching in the couch think about your posture and support it with pillows or a towel roll.

Protect your spine during sleep and avoid the tossing and turning of a sleepless night. A poor mattress or pillow can cause stress on the spine leading to a restless night and a painful morning.

* Mattress - medium support is best. Too soft creates a hammock effect and reverses the bodies natural spinal curve. But a firm mattress doesn't cushion the body. So spend some worthwhile time testing different mattresses.

* Pillow - whether you choose a buckwheat pillow, orthopedic pillow or no pillow at all, you need to consider your posture. With so many choices the best rule to keep in mind is you want to support the natural curve in your neck.

* Lying on your back the pillow supports your head and is up to not under your shoulders. If you are using an orthopedic pillow it has an indentation in the middle that supports the curve of your neck. Everybody is different so try the pillow out and make sure the indentation doesn't cause you to arch your neck (too large) or cause forward bend

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