Garden State Parkway Commuters: Why Your Daily Drive Is Hurting Your Neck and What You Can Do About It

You merge onto the Garden State Parkway at 7:30 am. The brake lights stretch endlessly ahead. Your commute to work takes an hour on good days, longer when accidents slow Route 18 to a crawl.

By the time you reach your destination, your neck aches. At first, you dismiss it as temporary stiffness. But weeks turn into months, and that nagging discomfort becomes chronic pain that radiates into your shoulders and causes headaches.

The Hidden Cost of Highway Commuting

East Brunswick’s location makes it perfect for accessing jobs throughout Central Jersey. That convenience comes with a physical price tag most commuters don’t recognize until the damage accumulates.

Your head weighs approximately 10 to 12 pounds. When you sit with proper posture, your cervical spine supports that weight efficiently. But lean your head forward just a few inches to check your phone at a stoplight or crane your neck to see around the SUV blocking your view, and the effective weight on your neck increases dramatically (up to 60 pounds at a 60-degree angle).

Why Commuter’s Neck Develops

Repetitive stress creates the foundation for cervical subluxations. Every sudden brake on the Parkway jolts your head forward and back. Each lane change requires twisting to check blind spots. Gripping the steering wheel in tense traffic keeps your shoulders elevated and neck muscles contracted.

These repetitive movements shift vertebrae out of proper alignment. Once misaligned, those vertebrae compress nerves and create inflammation. The pain you feel is your body signaling that something needs correction.

“Spending 10 or more hours weekly in your car absolutely qualifies as strenuous on your cervical spine. The good news is that we can correct these problems before they become severe,” says Dr. Freedman.

Most people try to manage their pain with over-the-counter medications. These drugs might reduce inflammation temporarily, but they don’t address why your vertebrae shifted out of alignment in the first place.

Practical Solutions for Daily Drivers

Adjust your seat and mirrors to minimize neck strain. Your rearview mirror should require only eye movement to see, not head tilting. Side mirrors should be positioned to eliminate blind spots as much as possible.

Set your seat at a 100-degree recline angle rather than perfectly upright. This slight tilt reduces pressure on your lumbar spine and helps maintain better neck positioning.

Address the Root Cause

Chiropractic care corrects the cervical subluxations that commuting creates. Regular adjustments restore proper alignment, allowing your body to heal naturally without medication dependency. Dr. Freedman’s approach addresses why you developed neck pain rather than simply suppressing your symptoms.

With over 40 years of experience and more than five million adjustments performed, Dr. Freedman understands exactly what commuters need. Morning, afternoon, and evening hours Monday through Thursday make it convenient to get care that fits your schedule.