Surprising Causes of Neck Pain 颈部疼痛的意外原因

海蒂·戈德曼/文　范君武/译

Your daily activities may be triggering pain without you realizing it. 或许日常活动正在引起疼痛，而你却浑然不知。

A sore neck can dog you in every position—lying down， sitting， standing， or walking—and the discomfort can be debilitating. The pain might come from structural neck problems such as arthritis （worn cartilage at the ends of your neck bones） or degenerated discs （worn cushions between your neck bones）.

躺着、坐着、站着或走路，哪种姿势都可能让你遭受颈部酸痛困扰，并且与之而来的不适感可能让你感到虚弱无力。疼痛可能来自颈部结构问题，诸如关节炎（颈部骨端软骨磨损）或椎间盘退行性病变（颈部骨骼间缓冲垫的磨损）。

But often the cause is related to strains in the neck muscles， triggered by something subtle in your daily routine. Here are some surprising culprits behind neck pain and strain， plus quick fixes to feel better.

但是，一般而言，其原因与颈部的肌肉损伤有关。这种肌肉损伤由日常活动的微小事件引发。下文讨论颈部疼痛和损伤问题背后让人意想不到的原因，以及缓解疼痛的快速补救方法。

Binge-watching a TV show

放纵看电视

Like to watch back-to-back episodes of your favorite program？ You might be holding your neck in an awkward position for hours at a time. “A lot of people lean way back while they watch TV， extending the neck backward. Or they lean to the side， forcing the neck too far sideways. Both positions can strain neck muscles，” says David Evangelista， a physical therapist at Harvard-affiliated Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital.

有愛看的电视节目，你喜欢下集接上集看个不停吗？或许你一连数小时让颈部处于不自然的姿势。哈佛大学附属斯波尔丁康复医院理疗师戴维·伊万杰利斯塔说：“许多人看电视时身体后仰，脖颈后伸，或者身体侧倾，迫使颈部侧移太多。这两种姿势都会拉伤颈部肌肉。”

Quick fixes： “Use a horseshoe-shaped travel pillow that goes around your neck when you lean back to watch TV. If you lean to the side， use more pillows to fill the gap between your head and shoulders. And change your position every 15 or 20 minutes to give your neck a break， so it doesnt get stiff，” Evangelista says.

快速补救方法：“身体后仰看电视时，把一个U形旅行颈枕套在脖子上。假如头伸向一侧，用更多的枕头来填充头与肩膀之间的空隙。”伊万杰利斯塔说，“每隔15或20分钟，变换姿势，以让颈部休息一下，这样颈部就不会感觉僵硬。”

Leaning forward

身体前倾

You might lean forward throughout the day， whether thats toward a computer monitor thats hard to see or toward another person during a conversation. If you extend your neck each time， that can strain the muscles and cause pain.

你或许整天身体前倾，无论是朝着不易看清的电脑屏幕，还是交谈中向另一个人靠近。如果你每次都伸长脖子，就会损伤肌肉导致疼痛。

Quick fixes： If youre going to lean， keep your back straight and tilt forward at your hips. If you cant see your computer monitor well， pull it closer to you or increase the font size. If you have eyeglasses for reading or distance vision， see if they help. If they dont help enough， you can get glasses just for using a computer. If you dont use eyeglasses， get an eye exam： you may need a pair. Similarly， if you lean forward a lot to hear people in conversation， consider getting a hearing test.

快速补救方法：如果身体需要前倾，要挺直后背，腰部前倾。如果看不清电脑显示器上的字，拉进距离或者放大字体。如果阅读或看远处需要眼镜帮忙，检查眼镜是否还管用。如果眼镜不管用，可以配副专门的电脑眼镜。如果你不戴眼镜，可以去检查一下视力，可能需要配一副。同样道理，如果身体前倾许多才能听清谈话，那么考虑一下进行听力检查。

Wearing a flimsy bra

穿戴轻薄的文胸

Wearing a bra with little support makes your muscles and ligaments do all the heavy lifting. For someone with heavy breasts， the extra weight can pull the neck forward and stress the neck and shoulder muscles， leading to neck and back pain.

穿戴的胸罩几乎没有支撑力，你身体的肌肉与韧带会负担所有重量。乳房大的人，额外的重量会将其颈部向前拉，从而压迫颈部和肩部肌肉，导致颈部与后背疼痛。

Quick fixes： Get a better bra. Make sure both the underwire and middle section of the bra lie flat against your body， the cups arent too tight or too loose， and the band is level across your back and doesnt ride up. Or try a sports bra or posture bra that brings the weight of the breasts closer to your ribcage and distributes it across your torso.

快速補救方法：购买更好的胸罩。确保胸罩的钢圈和中间部分平贴身体，罩杯不要太紧，也不要太松。束带水平地横跨背部，不要向上移动。或者尝试运动胸罩或塑形胸罩，让乳房的重量更靠近胸腔，并均衡分布于整个躯干。

Sleeping in risky positions

睡眠姿势危险

Sleeping seems harmless， but some sleep positions pose big risks for the neck. When you sleep on your stomach， for example， you rotate your head to the side. Sleeping on your side without the right support pushes your neck toward your shoulder. Staying in these positions for hours can cause neck muscle strain and pain.

睡眠看似无害，但有些睡姿给颈部带来很大危险。例如，俯卧姿势睡觉时，头要转向一边。如果没有合适的支撑物，侧睡会迫使颈靠近肩。数个小时保持这样的体位，会引起颈部肌肉劳损和疼痛。

Quick fixes. Avoid sleeping on your stomach. And if youre a side sleeper， check the support under your neck. “Lie on your side with your head on your pillow. If you can easily slide your hand in the space between your head and shoulders， youre not getting enough support at night. Get a new pillow to fill the gap. Any material will do，” Evangelista says.

快速补救方法：避免俯卧睡眠。假如你喜欢侧睡，查看脖颈下是否有支撑物。“侧卧时，头平放在枕头上。如果手可以轻松地在头和肩膀之间的空隙里自由移动的话，那么夜里睡眠中你的头未得到足够的支撑。再拿个枕头来填补这个空隙，或其他可以起到支撑的物件都可以。”伊万杰利斯塔说。

Sitting “comfortably”

“舒服地”坐着

For many people， sitting comfortably means slouching， which is bad for your neck and back. “Poor posture puts abnormal strain on the spine， including the neck and the ligaments holding it together， and that can cause pain，” Evangelista says.

对许多人来说，舒服地坐着意味着低头垂肩，这会对脖颈和背部有害。伊万杰利斯塔说：“不良的姿势会对脊柱产生不正常的劳损，包括拉伤颈部和连接颈部的韧带，这种压力会导致疼痛。”

Quick fixes： Sit up straight， pull your chin back， lower your shoulders， and arch your back. If thats challenging at first， sit on the edge of your chair for a few minutes， which makes sitting up straight a little easier， and then sit farther back on the seat. If your budget allows， get an ergonomic desk chair with low-back support， adjustable height， and a thick seat cushion.

快速补救方法：坐直，收紧下巴，不要耸肩，并拱起背部。假如这样做起初有点困难，那么就在椅子边先坐几分钟，这样让你更容易坐直，然后再后移坐好。如果预算允许，买一把带有下背靠，高度可调，且带有厚坐垫的人体工程学办公座椅。

Looking at electronic screens

看电子屏幕

We all spend a lot of time looking at electronic devices. For example， you might be looking up at a TV mounted on a wall， or down at a smartphone or laptop. The trouble is that your head is heavy; angling it up or down for a long time leads to muscle strain and pain.

我们都花许多时间看电子设备。例如，仰头看壁挂式电视机，或低头看智能手机，抑或笔记本电脑。问题在于头部重量很大，长时间抬头或低头都会导致肌肉劳损与疼痛。

Quick fixes： Keep TVs， smartphones， and computer screens at eye level. Consider lowering the height of your TV， elevating your computer screen by putting it on a small stand， or raising your smartphone screen by putting it on a stand or a pillow on your lap. “Wearing a travel pillow around your neck can add neck support，” Evangelista says.

快速補救方法：保持电视机、智能手机、电脑屏幕与眼睛处于同一水平。考虑降低电视机的高度，或通过把电脑显示器放置在小托架上，从而抬高电脑显示器，或通过手机支架或大腿上放置枕头的方式，提升智能手机屏幕高度。“脖子上套一个旅行颈枕，可以增加对脖子的支撑。”伊万杰利斯塔说。

Lifting heavy dumbbells

提拉重哑铃

Evangelista says many people lift dumbbells that are too heavy. “That throws off your body mechanics. Your trapezius muscles in the back overcompensate. Theyre connected to the neck， and the overuse can cause neck pain，” he says.

伊万杰利斯塔提到很多人用的哑铃太重。“这就导致人体力学失衡，背部斜方肌过度补偿。因为斜方肌与颈部相连，所以过度使用斜方肌会引起颈部疼痛。”

Quick fixes： If youre struggling to lift a dumbbell， use a lighter weight. Make sure youre using proper form; a physical therapist or certified personal trainer can guide you.

快速补救方法：如果提拉哑铃吃力，可以选用重量轻的哑铃。确保锻炼时，身体姿势合理；理疗师或注册私人健身教练可以给你提供指导。

Getting stressed

压力大

“We carry a lot of stress in our necks. We raise our shoulders and tense our muscles. If you have any underlying neck problems， it irritates them，” Evangelista says.

“我们用颈部负担巨大压力。我们耸肩并绷紧肌肉，假如你的颈部有潜在问题，就会产生疼痛。”伊万杰利斯塔说。

Quick fixes： Practice stress management. Try some deep breathing exercises， go for a quiet walk in nature， or learn how to meditate. “Ive seen people whose neck problems go away when they get stress under control，” Evangelista says. “Its an important part of any plan to reduce neck pain.”

快速补救方法：练习处理压力。尝试一些深呼吸锻炼，去大自然中静静地散步，或学会冥想。伊万杰利斯塔说：“我曾见过那些压力一处理好，颈部问题就消失的人。任何减轻颈部疼痛问题的计划中，压力处理都很重要。”