It's easy to take for granted all of the rotating and stretching the neck does throughout the day - unless you're coping with neck pain. Whether you suffer from chronic neck pain, or you simply slept in an awkward position, a stiff and achy neck can put quite a damper on your day. Fortunately, you can take some steps to reduce the chance that you'll have to put up with a crick in your neck.

Watch Your Posture at Work

Everyone from truck drivers to office cubicle residents can suffer from back pain caused by the positions they sit in at work. Pay attention to your posture throughout a workday, and note if you find yourself slouching over the wheel or desk, then take measures to adjust your spine into the proper position - head back and back straight. Also, you should strive to stop gritting your teeth, no matter how frustrating the workday might get, as this can cause and aggravate neck pain. If you think you won't remember to check your position throughout the day, set a reminder on your phone or calendar to think about it once an hour. Training yourself to maintain excellent posture throughout the workday is an outstanding start to preventing or eliminating neck pain.

Keep Moving

Whether you're at work or home, it can be all too easy to stay in the same position for hours at a time, be it staring at a computer screen as you type up reports or getting caught up in a marathon of your favorite TV show. Don't let yourself just stay put, though. Make sure that you stretch your muscles frequently, especially those in your neck, shoulders, and back, with simple motions like slowly leaning your head from side to side and shrugging your shoulders repeatedly. Not only will you be less likely to suffer from neck pain, but stretching may actually help you stay more alert on the job!

Consider Your Sleeping Position

Many neck pain sufferers have noticed the havoc an unusual sleeping position can wreak on their necks. To be sure that your trip to dreamland isn't making matters worse, pay attention to the way you lay down to go to sleep and the positions you wake up in. If you tend to sleep on your stomach, try to switch to sleeping on your side or back as these positions place much less stress on the neck. Also, the height of your pillow can cause neck pain in the morning if it throws off the natural curve of your neck, so you might want to swap out your ultra-fluffy pillow for a flatter one.

Strengthen Your Body

Although improper posture throughout the day (and night) is one of the leading causes of neck pain, weak muscles can often contribute to the problem, too. If you're already taking the time to stretch your neck and back muscles, make an effort to strengthen them as well. Building up a more solid foundation can help stabilize your neck and improve your posture.