6 Ways Your Home Is Your Pain In The Neck

I was compensated for this post.  This post may contain affiliate links, and I may receive a small commission at no cost to you if you click-through on a link and make a purchase. Please read my full disclosure here.

[ctt template=”4″ link=”hYcQU” via=”yes” ]Those headaches, neck aches and backaches can all become chronic, if the environment that you are in isn’t adjusted correctly. Maybe your home is your pain?[/ctt]

Headache, backache, neckache. If the word ‘ache’ is a feature, it’s not going to be good news. None of these aches are in any way wanted by anyone, and yet at some point this week you have a 50/50 chance of being floored by them. If you are pretty stagnant in your life and you’re not taking up regular exercise, you’re more likely to develop headaches, backaches and general pains just from staying still. Back pain is one of the biggest issues for people in adult life, given that we spend a lot of time sitting at desks, driving and practicing bad posture. Those headaches, neck aches and backaches can all become chronic, if the environment that you are in isn’t adjusted correctly.

Did you know that one of the causes of your pain could be your home? It may come as a shock to you, there are culprits right in the house that you are living in that are causing your pain. Don’t worry though, we’ve got some fixes for you that are friendly on the purse strings, last long-term and will keep you away from popping pain pills. Check out our list below.

Image Source

Poor Placement Of Fixtures

Toilet roll holders, towel racks and flushers all should be placed in areas where you don’t need to be a professional contortionist to reach them. You need to keep your spine happy, and reaching behind you and twisting to get toilet roll is not the way to manage on the porcelain throne! You can fix this one cheaply until you can replace the fixtures in the bathroom, by making sure you are supplied before you sit down and get comfortable on the seat. If you forget, keep your spine as straight as possible! Replacing the fixtures may not be easy if you are in rented accommodation, but you could buy freestanding racks and toilet roll holders for easy use.

Too Much Housework

The obvious solution here is to pay a cleaner to come in and sort your home once a week. It’s not that you can’t keep your home clean and tidy, it’s the effort that you are putting in scrubbing the floors. Strenuous cleaning of high windows, deep bathtubs and the corners of the kitchen ceiling can all put an amazing amount of strain on the spine and the muscles in your neck. Why herniate a disk when you can pay a professional with the right equipment to clean for you? It’s important to bend the knees properly when you clean and keep your core strong, and if you have the cash check out these cleaning gadgets that can really take the strain off you.

Image Source

Unsupportive Pillows & Mattress

We spend a third of our lives sleeping, so it makes sense that you want to be as comfortable as possible. A stack of pillows that is far too high, or not high enough, can put pressure on your neck – making your pillows a literal pain in the neck to deal with. Check out MattressLife.com for information on how to choose the right mattress for you. One of the worst pains you can wake up with is hip and back pain from sleeping awkwardly, so make sure you spend the money on your pillows and bedding and don’t skimp on it.

Hard Flooring

If your home is mostly hardwood, stone or ceramic flooring, it’s very likely you’re dealing with stress put on your lower back with each step that you take. Having thick carpets, rugs or rubber mats in high traffic areas of the home is a good way to take the edge off the pain. Add the rubber mats in front of sinks where washing up is done, or bathtubs you lean over to sort out the children, and you can absorb some of the shock and reduce stress off your lower back.

Image Source

Sagging Sofas

When you come home from work, the one thing you want to do is slump into your sofa to watch TV. If your sofa is old, it’s very likely the springs are broken, and you are literally sinking into pure sofa sag. You need more support than broken springs and flattened cushion filler. You can temporarily fix the issue by stacking cushions behind you and underneath you while you sit, but for a longer term fix you need to replace the sofa entirely and choose one with much better support. You need to have good sitting posture, which means shoulders back, feet flat on the floor and thighs paralleled to the ground. There’s nothing wrong with having extra support cushions, but make sure that the ones that you choose are good for lumbar support like these ones here.

Lap Typing

Grabbing the laptop and working on it on your lap is an easy fix when you can’t be bothered to move to the table or to a desk, but without the right space to work you are forced into bad posture, which leads to repetitive strain injuries in the neck, back and wrists. You can fix the issue by buying a laptop tray to work on, which will raise the computer slightly and provide much better ergonomics for your comfort. It’s far better to take the extra minute to move to the desk or the table and be comfortable while you surf the net.

While you are sorting out the issues at home that are hurting your joints, you should be sure that you are buying the right furniture in the first place. Furniture does wear out over time, though, so keep an emergency pot of cash ready to make replacements whenever you need to. Don’t sit or sleep in pain if you don’t have to, and always consult a doctor if the pain becomes too much. Getting the right physio in place if the issues become too much can only serve you well. Furnish your home so that it’s not hurting you, rather than live with a house that causes you pain.

This is a contributed post.

• Diamond Painting Wall Decor

• DIY Diamond Painting Kits

Subscribe so you never miss a post.