The average human head weighs on average over 8 pounds (yes, even the empty ones). Now while that may not seem like much weight to carry or hold, try holding out your outstretched arms for 90 seconds and see how easy it is. I’ll wait… Do you feel the burn? That’s without even holding a weight, now imagine just how strong your neck and shoulder muscles must be to continually support that 8-12 pound head. It’s easy to understand why so many of us experience neck pain through the course of a day. Whether you are merely sitting in front of a computer or are continually active throughout the day, the neck can become fatigued easily and the pain can become a problem.

In order to help reduce and prevent neck pain, there are many exceptional devices on the market that are highly reviewed and well designed. From simple supports and wraps to full home exercise equipment, neck pain doesn’t stand a chance when using these exceptional devices.

Cervical traction is by far one of the best forms of pain relief for aching and tired necks. As the day goes on, the weight of the head puts pressure on the small spongy discs between each vertebra in the neck. These discs can become compressed and cause extreme pain and soreness. In order to help alleviate this pain, and prevent herniated discs, cervical traction devices are recommended. Simple home-use devices like the Overdoor Traction Kit and NeckPro Cervical Traction Device provide measured upward pressure to the spine, allowing the cervical vertebrae to decompress and realign.

For more intense chronic neck and back pain, inversion tables are recommended by doctors to provide complete spinal decompression. As opposed to just the cervical vertebrae, these inversion tables decompress the thoracic, lumbar, and cervical sections of the spine at once, using gravity to naturally align the spine. One such highly popular and cost effective machine is the Teeter Hang Ups Inversion Table. Advertised on late night infomercials, this is a complete inversion table set-up that generally runs at a third of the price of many other more intensive and complicated designs. Not that this detracts from the results though, the Teeter Hang Ups brand has been a big name in inversion therapy for years.

For more passive, and much more portable neck pain relief, there are many different devices that are lightweight and compact, but still highly beneficial. The Releaf Neck Rest is a remarkable device that uses flex tension to give uplifting traction support without needing a door-mounted contraption or full body inversion machine to provide it. Simply wrap the device around the neck and adjust the comfortable padded inserts to fit and you’ll be feeling relief from the Releaf in no time flat. Another handy neck alignment tool is the Dr. Riter’s REAL-EaSE Neck and Shoulder Relaxer. The unique design cradles the head and gently adjusts the neck into a comfortable and natural position. Both these devices are extremely lightweight and portable and make for ideal gifts.

Whenever you are suffering from neck pain, be it minor or severe, it is always recommended that you speak with your doctor about treatment options and different therapies that you may find are beneficial. The traction and support provided by these devices are made to alleviate pain, and help prevent further injury, and by following the directions included with each device it is possible to live a full and healthy life, completely free of neck pain.