Most of us have been dutifully wearing our face masks for months, and while lots of folks don’t like them, it turns out, for some they are a literal pain in the neck.
According to the American Chiropractic Association, side effects of wearing masks for a prolonged period of time could include neck stiffness, as well as upper back pain, jaw pain, headaches and more. The ACA says the neck pain is a result of masks limiting “the lower field of vision,” causing folks, especially those wearing al ill-fitting mask, to “tuck in their chins, shift their body position and hold their necks and posture stiffly to maintain a line of sight.”
Ninia Agustin, a clinical director at Spear Physical Therapy in New York, tells the "New York Post" that such neck pain is probably not just from the mask, but it certainly isn’t helping. “Impediment of the peripheral vision [when wearing masks] is a real thing,” she says, noting, “I can’t just look down with my eyes; I have to look down with my head and neck.”
She does say that quick looks down won’t likely cause you pain, but prolonged periods of doing so could trigger it. She doesn’t suggest not wearing a mask to solve the problem, rather making sure you’re wearing one that fits correctly and doesn't block your line of sight.
Source: New York Post