Editor’s note: This article is part of the Health and Fitness page’s weekly series about sports injuries based on information from the physical therapists of Cyclone Sports Medicine. This week, Jim Nespor will spotlight neck pain.

Many injuries are sustained after strenuous exercise and athletic events, but some injuries, such as neck strains, can be caused simply by sitting in one place for a long time while studying.

“Sitting for prolonged periods of time may cause one to develop symptoms in the cervical [neck] area, as well as the areas on top of the shoulders [trapezius muscles],” said Jim Nespor, physical therapist at Cyclone Sports Medicine. “As this problem progresses, students may also develop headaches associated with these two regions.”

One of the main causes of neck pain is poor posture. While studying, sitting correctly is often the last thing to cross a student’s mind, but Nespor said studiers should heed the advice of mothers everywhere.

“Our mother always told us to sit up straight,” he said. “Posture is an important factor in whether or not this condition will start. The muscles in the cervical region and the trapezius muscles are important postural muscles. As people sit for long periods of time, added stress to these areas can develop.”

Nespor said the average person’s head is about 10 percent of their body weight, but the cervical muscles are not as proportionally strong as other muscle groups in the body.

“You can understand why some people may be predisposed to having these injuries occur,” he said. “Imagine how heavy a small bowling ball is. This is approximately the weight of a human head.”

Neck problems occur because the postural muscles are not load-bearing muscles, Nespor said. They are designed to carry smaller weights for shorter periods of time than some of the body’s other muscles.

“These muscles must be trained differently than other muscle groups,” he said. “Muscles such as your quadriceps [thigh muscles] and biceps [arm muscles] are more short acting/strong muscle groups. Postural muscles are more for endurance.”

Nespor said poor posture moves the head forward and rounds the shoulders, putting all the postural muscles at a mechanical disadvantage. Study spaces, such as computer stations, often do not encourage good posture and can lead to irritation of the cervical region.

“Most students, unfortunately, do not have sophisticated computer set-ups,” he said. “The ability for them to adjust the computer to their posture is almost impossible at times.”

There are several things students can do to improve their posture and reduce the risks of neck injury, he said.

“Correcting the posture is paramount,” Nespor said. “A properly seated posture at a computer allows the student to have their feet resting on the floor, the height of the chair such that the thighs are parallel to the floor, the keyboard adjusted to the level of the student’s elbows and the monitor slightly below eye level. This will put the student in a balanced posture and minimize the stress to the cervical region.”

Nespor said the basic guidelines for any workout also apply to studying.

“A good stretching and strengthening program of these muscles will help a person be able to delay the onset of these symptoms,” he said. “If a person must sit for an extended period of time, frequent breaks are advised. Stand up, walk around, stretch your neck and then go back to work again.”

Though it is not as common, Nespor said studying with poor posture can lead to injuries of a nerve or disc in the cervical spine. These injuries are more serious and usually require more extensive measures to treat, such as X-rays or MRI tests.

“So as you get ready for those finals, imagine your mom standing behind you reminding you to sit up straight,” Nespor said. “Take frequent breaks. Stay on your exercise program and try to visit the Lied Recreation Center from time to time.”

For further information, students, faculty and staff may visit Cyclone Sports Medicine, located in the Lied Recreation Center, or call 294-2626.