Laptops can be a pain in the neck. Not because they crash unexpectedly, take too long to play YouTube videos or wear the battery down in two hours. We’re talking a literal pain in the neck.

Neck pain is an all-too common side effect of our modern, sedentary lives and an occupational hazard for people who sit in the same position from 8 to 5. Conditions like “computer neck,” “couch neck” and “reader’s neck” are seen more frequently in doctor, chiropractor and physical therapy clinics than ever before.

“We see a ton of neck problems,” says Mark Cairns, athletic trainer at Neu Physical Therapy, who adds that a person’s curvature of the spine can actually change over time from bad posture.

“We call it a forward head position, and people get it from working at a computer or driving all day. You get this forward head posture and you can actually straighten out your neck, which isn’t good. We want a little curvature in the neck for shock absorption.”

Foreward head position is a common cause of neck, head and shoulder pain and can also be the result of injuries like sprains. If left untreated, it can lead to muscle strain, disc herniation, arthritis and pinched nerves.

“Certain exercises and manual therapies can help and the patient can do home programs. We can also change the way they work with an ergonomic evaluation,” Cairns says.

Sitting in the correct position in your work environment is key, starting with the height of your chair and armrests.

“Your arms need to be relaxed. You don’t want them hunched up over the keyboard or steering wheel. You also don’t want to be sitting there for eight hours. You need to get up and move at least every two hours to take relief off your neck and head,” Cairns says.

Car accidents are another common cause of neck pain.

“Whiplash can happen, even if it’s a really slow crash of around 20 mph. It’s serious, and it can take quite awhile to heal,” Cairns says.

Don Holland, 56, of Lawrence, survived an almost-fatal wreck four years ago and is still receiving treatment for his neck.

“When the accident was over, I was pinned underneath the fuel tank of a semi, so my neck seemed like the least of the story,” Holland says. “But, three or four days later, things started going wrong.”

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