Neck and Shoulder Protection Principles


Sitting Keep your chin tucked (not up) and your neck pulled back. Good neck health is possible with good posture. Use a firm chair with armrests. Don't relax; keep your entire spine straight, resting on the back of the chair. Using the chair arms as support for your arms will help prevent unnecessary strain on your neck from leaning forward. Don't look too intently at something with your chin extended forward.

 

Standing Keep your chin tucked (not up) and your neck pulled back. Also try to keep your back straight. Don't lean forward without bending your knees; this will make it easier for you to keep your neck and shoulders pulled back and upright.

 

Lying Do not lie face down. It is better to sleep on your side. Keep your head and neck in a normal position with the help of a pillow, and keep your arms down. If you want to lie on your back, put your pillow under your head and neck. The pillow should support your head and neck in a neutral position. Avoid straining your neck.

 

It is more appropriate to put a board under the bed or use a hard orthopedic bed. Instead of trying to fit a soft pillow under your neck, you can also use a normal pillow. Sleeping in a sitting position is quite harmful for the neck.

 

Watching TV and reading a book while lying down strains your neck muscles. It is harmful to put your arms under your head or keep your arms at head level while lying down. Do not put your arms under your partner's head.

 

Do not lie down on a sofa to watch TV while resting. Use a hard armchair or chair. Do not use a soft feather pillow to support your head while reading.

 

While driving, sit high in the car. Your seat (preferably hard) should not be too low or too far back so that you do not have to stretch and bend over to look over the steering wheel. A polyurethane back pillow can be useful for support; the pillow should be 1-2 cm thick, your back should be wide and at the level of your shoulders. Adjust the mirrors well. Those with neck pain should turn with their waists, not their necks, when reversing. Do not open the windows unnecessarily, the wind you will get can cause stiff neck.

 

It is very useful to use a neck brace on long journeys. Stretch your neck, back and waist muscles by taking breaks every 3-4 hours on long journeys.

 

When lifting or reaching for something, bend your knees and use your leg muscles for lifting. Avoid sudden movements. Keep the weight close to your body and do not try to lift anything above your head level. If you need to reach for a shelf higher than your head level, get on a chair. Avoid lying down or looking up for long periods of time.

 

Do not overwork while working. If you work at a desk all day; get up and walk around when you have the chance. It may be useful to do your exercises once or twice during breaks between work. Being too close to the work material strains the neck muscles. Neck pain is more common in those who use keyboard devices for long periods. If you have to do this, pay more attention to your exercises and make sure your posture in front of the device is in a position that will least strain your neck.

 

Other points to consider

 

Inappropriate bras can cause neck, back and shoulder pain, especially in women with large breasts.

 

Sleeping with teeth clenched (teeth grinding) causes spasm in the neck muscles, resulting in neck pain and pain in the chewing muscles.

 

Squeezing the phone between the neck and shoulder while talking on the phone can damage the neck muscles.

 

Low back pain and neck pain are diseases that affect each other a lot. Therefore, those with neck pain should also pay attention to their waists, and those with back pain should pay attention to their necks.

 

Do not lean on your desk while working.

 

Working in poorly lit environments can strain your neck and back muscles.