A pain in the neck?
Neck pain? Poor posture can cause it, but may not be the only reason why, new research suggests.
Lifestyle is a key culprit – particularly long periods of time spent hunched over handheld devices or working on computers. So, a team at Texas A&M University set out to learn just how big a part personal factors play in neck pain.
As expected, the researchers found that work-related factors like posture played an important role in determining neck strength and endurance. But while they found no significant difference between men’s and women’s neck endurance, body mass index (BMI) was a significant predictor.
To their surprise, time of day also affected how well the neck sustained exertion without tiring.
Neck pain is among the fastest-growing causes of disability. It is the fourth-leading cause of disability worldwide, according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.
Researchers might have the data to begin evaluating if patients recovering from neck injuries are ready to return to work based on whether their neck strength and endurance are at normal levels.
