Is Your Pocketbook To Blame For Your Neck Pain

If your neck is causing you pain, it could be that the pocketbook that you are carrying is just too heavy. Although there are numerous causes of neck pain, a fully loaded purse carried every day, can press on nerves and stress muscles in your neck and shoulder.

No matter how fashionable your big bag is, an overloaded carry all is not healthy to tiny nerves, muscles, tendons, even the tissue in your shoulder and neck. Some bags have even left bruises on their victims.

But carrying a heavy purse is not the only cause of neck and shoulder pain. Sitting at a computer for hours can also cause a stiff neck with pain that surrounds your shoulders and upper back. If you work at a desk and find yourself spending long days hunched over a computer screen, then you probably have suffered a time or two with the pain that I am speaking about.

The number one way to alleviate some of this pain is to practice good posture. I remember my fourth grade teacher emphasizing good posture and I decided right then and there to always be conscious of how I was sitting and standing.

Practicing the Pilates principle of engaging the core helps to strengthen the lower back and torso, but also works to make the upper muscles stronger too. Because emphasis is put on the stomach muscles, and drawing the navel in towards the spine, this helps to promote good posture and protect the back from injury.

If your pocketbook is giving you a pain in the neck or shoulder, try carrying a smaller purse. Don’t attempt to tote all of your possessions around in your shoulder bag every day. Surely there are some things you can leave at home, in the car or in a locker rather than lugging them around all of the time.

For those of you who spend hours in front of a computer screen, make a habit of getting up every hour or so and taking a walk or at least stretching if this is allowable where you work. If nothing else, go to the restroom and do some light stretching exercises by raising your arms and lowering them to your sides and dropping your head forward to and rotating it from left to right to ease the stiffening of your muscles.

Any repetitive motion can give you trouble over time. If pain persists or wakes you up at night, you should speak to your physician. Don’t just assume that chronic pain is caused by muscle fatigue; you may need an X-ray or other evaluation by a healthcare professional.

Exercise is a good way to strengthen your muscles and ease shoulder pain. Resistance training exercises will increase your range of motion and flexibility to protect you from injury. These exercises also relieve stress, a major cause of the common pain in the neck.