Here is a list of the 10 most common causes of neck pain and how to fix them so you can get rid of your neck pain once and for all:

#1 Misalignments in the Spine – This is #1 because it puts pressure on nerves which can cause muscle strain and more. I recommend seeing a good chiropractor; it can first tell you if this is really your problem, then it can help you fix it. Postural exercises and a good neck pillow will also help correct the problem.

#2 Poor Posture – Posture is a window into your spine and if you have poor posture, this is what your spine looks like and on the inside – misaligned! Look at yourself in the mirror or have someone else look at you from the front and from the side. From the front, your spine should be straight, shoulders and hips even. From the side, your spine should have smooth, flowing curves, ear level with shoulder, and shoulder level with hip socket.

#3 Bad Sleeping Habits – Sleeping on your stomach is the worst because you have to turn your head ninety degrees to the side to breathe. Sleeping with a pillow that is too thick or too thin can also be a big problem. Get a good neck pillow for sleeping. Read #4 for our pillow recommendation.

#4 Not using a good pillow: A proper neck pillow is the best, such as the cervical traction neck pillow – it maintains the correct posture of the neck when you sleep on your back or on your side.

#5 Muscle Sprain and Strain – It makes movement difficult and creates inflammation, putting pressure on nerves and causing pain. Try to do neck stretches from time to time to loosen up the muscles and avoid movements or positions that are painful.

#6 Stress: Most people carry stress on the back of their necks. Stress, in fact, doesn’t exactly cause anything, but it exacerbates anything and everything. Do your best to relax or take a break from work if you’re starting to get stressed. Take a couple of deep breaths and smile, you’ll be surprised how much this helps.

#7 Workstation or Computer Setup – If you are forced to be in an awkward position or have continual poor posture, it leads to misalignment and muscle strain, thus nerve pressure. Nerve pressure causes pain. Move around periodically and do some neck stretches to relieve the tension that starts to build up.

#8 Improper Exercises or Exercises, Maneuvers – Sometimes lifting a lot of weight or not using proper mechanics or posture when exercising can cause a major bout of neck pain. The most common mistake I see is people pulling on their necks when doing crunches. Keep your eyes on the ceiling and focus on doing crunches with your abs, not your neck.

#9 Putting your neck in awkward positions for prolonged periods – This ties into the 2 reasons for neck pain above. Doing this creates tension: things like sleeping in awkward positions, reading with your head down, too many hours in one position in front of the computer, are just a few. Try to remove these things as much as possible.

#10 Lack of stretching before physical activity makes it easier to strain a muscle – Just like before starting gym class or basketball practice, I always stretched first. Most seem to neglect the old stretching routine. It only takes a second and could save many unnecessary days of suffering.