June 2007

When I sit at my desk for long periods, I often experience pain in my neck and shoulders. How can sitting all day cause these problems?

In the modern age of technology, neck and shoulder discomfort can be a common and recurring problem. The majority of jobs today don’t require nearly as much movement as in the past. How much time did your parents or grandparents spend seated at a computer or workstation?

Envision yourself at your desk. For proper posture, the lower back is slightly arched, shoulder blades are down and back so the chest protrudes, the head is back so the ears are in line with the shoulders, and the jaw is parallel to the floor. Even if you start the morning with great posture, as the day progresses your muscles tire and gravity takes over. The back loses its arch, shoulders hunch forward, and the head and jaw protrude. Picture your head as a bowling ball and your neck as a spring, and you can imagine the stress on the soft tissues of your neck as it stretches and tries to support all that weight! Proper posture dramatically decreases the stress on those tissues.

To assist you in maintaining posture, find a chair with a firm back and seat support. Check the height of your work area and the angle of your monitor. Most importantly, get out of your chair at regular intervals. Compression forces on the spine change with different positions, so standing or walking will decrease pressure and enhance muscle tone. Consider moving the printer to another room in order to walk for hard copies. Stand up when making phone calls. Spend part of your lunch or break time walking. Remember, sit up, stand up, and move!

Vern Myers