Nagging neck & back pain? It may be overnight sleep strain

It often begins as a stiff neck in the morning that you keep ignoring till it turns into a daily discomfort. A 40-year-old MNC professional used to wake up repeatedly with neck pain. Initially, she thought it was screen time and work stress. But as pain worsened, spreading to her shoulders and triggering headaches, she sought medical help.
It wasn’t, she was told, her routine but her high, firm pillow that kept her neck unnaturally bent through the night, putting continuous strain on the cervical spine. Once she switched to a medium-height pillow that supported her neck’s natural curve, the pain eased within weeks.