How to Avoid Neck Pain at Work?

Desk jobs require sitting for long periods of time which can cause muscular and skeletal problems. Back and neck pains are a common complaint of office employees with these stationary jobs. Nearly one out of three individuals is affected every year, and women are more prone to neck pain than men. Usually the annoying symptoms go away within a few weeks but they can recur. Neck pain becomes chronic in 1 out of 10 people who suffer from recurring neck pain. Medical evaluation may be necessary if these neck symptoms do not improve in about two weeks, with need for a diagnostic test from an imaging center. 

In this world of technology, most jobs require employees to sit in front of a screen for over 8 hours daily. This results in poor alignment of spine and posture, which is the root cause of neck pain. Next, improper position of the head while looking at the screens from computers to phones is another cause of this problem. In fact, it has become so common that a new term “Text neck” is coined by Dr. DL Fishman, a chiropractor, for describing the repeated stress injury in the neck because of excessive texting or watching handheld devices. 

Today, let’s look at some ways you can avoid neck pain at work: 

Adjust Monitor Height and Keyboard Placement: 

Your computer monitor should be right in front of you with your nose at the center level of the screen. If your monitor is too low, then you will look down and strain your neck in doing so. Similarly, if it is too high, then you will stress your neck by looking up at the screen. 

While typing,your elbows should bend approximately 90 degrees, meaning your keyboard shouldn’t be very far from you. It should also be high enough that you don’t need to slump down through your shoulders to type, and the mouse should be at the same level as your keyboard. 

Sit up Straight: 

Perhaps the most important thing you can do to avoid neck pain is to sit up straight, and maintain a good posture. During the day, we tend to slouch so, keep checking how you are sitting. You should also rotate your shoulders back and forth, hold for a few seconds and repeat, to relieve shoulder and neck tension. A bad posture can affect your spine, which is why many imaging center visits are related to neck complaints needing x-rays and MRIs.. 

Take Walking Breaks: 

Sitting at your desk without any break isn’t good for the body. To reduce the risk of developing shoulder, neck or back problems, you should take short breaks to walk around whenever you feel the tightness developing. In fact, you should set up alarms on your phone every hour or so as a reminder to stand up, walk and stretch. Walking helps in keeping your joints active too! This simple act can prevent neck problems thus preventing the need for visit to an imaging center because the pain won’t improve. 

Limit Phone Use: 

When looking at the phones and tablets, people tend to bend their heads even more than when they are using laptops. And bending your head for a long time while looking at your devices for a prolonged period of time can cause your muscles to strain, and may contribute to disc or joint injuries in the long run. 

Conclusion: 

Physical activity is very important. Therefore, regardless of how busy you are, you should get up from your desk every hour or so. If the pain persists for over two weeks, you should consult your doctor. You can talk to doctors online too through WoW Health’s telemedicine program, who might recommend x-rays or MRI at a local imaging center.