If you suffer from neck pain, you're not alone. Spinal pain is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide and its occurrence has increased dramatically over the past 25 years.

　　很多人和你一样，都会脖子疼。脊柱疼痛是全球致残的主要原因之一，在过去的25年里它的发生率急剧增加。

　　While most episodes of neck pain are likely to get better within a few months, half to three-quarters of people who have neck pain will experience repeated episodes of pain.

　　虽然大多数颈部疼痛可能会在几个月内好转，但有一半到四分之三的颈部疼痛患者病情会反复。

　　It's often said there are "good and bad postures" and that specific postures can contribute to spinal pain but this belief is not supported by scientific evidence.

　　人们常说“正确和错误的姿势”以及特定的姿势会导致脊柱疼痛，但这一说法并没有科学依据。

　　Indeed, research shows that poor sleep, reduced physical activity and increased stress appear to be more important factors.

　　其实有研究表明睡眠不足、锻炼减少、压力增加似乎是更重要的因素。

　　So despite attempts by health professionals to correct your posture and the use of "ergonomic" chairs, desks, keyboards and other gadgets chances are so-called "lifestyle factors" – such as getting enough sleep, making sure you exercise and keeping stress to a minimum – seem to be more salient in relieving and preventing the pain in your neck.

　　所以即使健康专家尝试帮你矫正姿势，还可以使用“人体工程学”座椅、办公桌、键盘和其他器材，但所谓的“生活方式因素”对缓解和避免颈部疼痛有更加突出的作用，如保证充足的睡眠和锻炼，并把压力降到最低。

　　The flip side of this is that having a stronger neck, enjoying exercise – even simply walking a greater number of steps each day – have all been shown to protect against getting neck pain.

　　另一方面，经证明颈部强健，享受锻炼，甚至只是每天走几步，都可以防止颈部疼痛。

　　This, along with making sure we don't become sleep deprived, less physically active and stressed will hopefully manage and prevent neck pain more successfully.

　　这不仅能保证我们不会睡眠不足、锻炼不足或压力太大，而且一定能更成功地控制并避免颈部疼痛。

　　So feel free to sit how you want to at your desk. If you find yourself sitting for long periods in one position make an effort to switch it up – as one of the key things to avoid getting pain in your neck is to change positions frequently through the day.

　　所以你可以在办公桌边随意坐，如果发现自己保持一个姿势时间过长，就尽力调整一下，因为避免颈部疼痛的一个关键因素就是要在一天中经常变换姿势。

　　And if you do have neck pain, get a few early nights, consider doing something relaxing – and why not go for a walk at lunchtime. Importantly, you also need to stop worrying about how you sit or walk, because science seems to show that there may be no such thing as a "bad" posture after all.

　　如果你脖子疼了，晚上就早点睡觉，做点放松的事，午餐时出去走走也不错。重要的是，你也不需要再担心坐姿或走路姿势了，因为科学似乎表明可能根本就没有“不好的”姿势。