Do your knees constantly hurt? What about your back, shoulders and neck? If your answer is yes, the culprit of your chronic pain might just be normal objects that you use at home or in the office. The great news is that you can retrain your body to break these terrible, pain-inducing habits to help make your pain go away.
The Mattress
If you sleep on a mattress that’s too hard or soft, you could wake up feeling pain in your neck, shoulders and back. To help manage pain when sleeping, sleep on your back or your side, and make sure to rest your knees on a pillow when lying on your back for extra support.
When replacing your mattress, before dropping cash in your local mattress store in Salt Lake City, test it out, preferably with your sleeping partner first. Lie on the mattress for a good 15 minutes or so to figure out if it can support your body properly as you sleep.
The Phone
Speaking on your mobile phone or telephone could lead to neck pain if you talk on it while cradling it between your neck and shoulder. To break this bad habit, use a wireless device or Bluetooth earpiece when talking on your mobile phone and use a speakerphone or headset when talking on your landline. When texting or browsing on your smartphone or other similar devices, lift it to eye level instead of hunching over it and looking down.
The Computer Screen
Aside from tired eyes and the occasional headache, spending excessive amounts of time looking at a computer screen can also lead to shoulder, neck and back pain. To manage pain when looking at computer screens is unavoidable, adjust the screen to below or right at eye level to get rid of awkward body positioning and straining.
It’s also very important to take lots of short breaks. You can do some gentle stretching or simply walk around the room to promote proper oxygen and blood circulation. At the very least, try to change your position as often as you can at times when you really can’t take breaks.
The Car Seat
Driving your car, or even just sitting in a car, for an extended period can lead to chronic pain. To avoid this, don’t slouch when you drive. Sit down with your spine erect and in full contact with the seat. You should also make sure that your elbows are slightly bent when gripping the steering wheel and that there’s a 2½-inch to 3-inch gap between the seat and the back of your knees.
What you do, don’t do, and how you use these seemingly harmless things could make a massive difference in how your body functions and feels. But if after retraining yourself to be more mindful of how you position your body and use these things, you find that you’re still experiencing pain, don’t hesitate to consult your doctor. Your pain could indicate an underlying health condition that requires specialized pain treatment.
