HAVE A PAIN IN THE NECK? HERE'S HELPMANHATTAN -- A Kansas State University athletic trainer offers several tips to avoid neck pain.

Take a good look at your house, room or apartment, and make yourself aware of potentially dangerous places or instances that could cause an accident.

Break work into blocks of two hours especially when typing on a computer for several hours. This will stop the muscles from tightening into one position.

Exercise to help reduce the stress. It will help to keep the muscles flexible and strong so that the neck can be supported more effectively.

Always sit with both feet on the floor, shoulders up and a slight curve in the back with ears positioned over the shoulders. This type of posture should be maintained not only when sitting but also when walking, running or picking things up around the house.

Find shoes that fit and support the arches in your feet. Avoid wearing heels because it tips the center of gravity forward, and the muscles in the back have to work extra hard to maintain a good posture.

Try not to sleep directly under fans or open windows when it is cool. The cool air will cause the muscles to become short and tight, resulting in neck pain in the morning.

If you do wake up with a neck ache, the trainer offers these suggestions to help it feel better.

Think about what you did yesterday. If you realize that you have done some heavy lifting or extreme activity, avoid doing it again.

To ease the pain take some sort of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Advil Mediprin, Nuprin and generic ibuprofen are all good pain relievers and will reduce the inflammation in your neck. However, it may be necessary to consult your doctor or pharmacist before using these medications because they may cause stomach irritation or interact with other drugs.

Massage the sore area of the neck while taking a hot shower. This will relax the muscles and allow them to stretch.

Try doing some gentle easy exercise that just barely breaks a sweat. This will heat the muscles enough to make them relax and help alleviate the pain.

If the neck pain radiates down an arm or leg or goes down both arms at once, you should seek medical attention immediately. Symptoms of burning pain, tingling pain, numbing pain and pain that doesn't go away for several days could also be an indication that something is pinching down on a nerve and requires medical attention.

Don't panic. It's not uncommon to wake up with a stiff or sore neck, but typically, 80 percent of neck pains go away in a couple of days to two weeks time.

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May 1997