How to Prevent Neck Pain While Sitting at Your Computer Desk
More and more individuals are spending longer hours at their desk and on their computers, whether at home or at the office. Thanks to recent events, most people are stuck at home, and their screen time has increased substantially. According to a recent survey,
- 57% of Americans stated that their screen time has increased by an hour or more.
- 30% of Americans admit to spending most of their downtime streaming movies/TV shows.
- 70% of Americans have recently downloaded a new app to stay entertained while home.
The increased screen time has also led to more people experiencing new aches and pains and seeking neck pain treatment from their chiropractor or their primary care physician.
Tips to Prevent Neck Pain While Sitting at Your Computer or Looking at Your Other Screens
On average, nearly 10% of Americans will suffer from neck pain at any given point in time. The reason behind most people’s neck pain is that they do not maintain proper posture while sitting at their computer desk or while using their other devices, including tablets, smartphones, laptops, and more.
When sitting at a computer desk or while using handheld devices, many people slouch with their shoulders up toward their ears and with their head angled down. This causes unnecessary tension in your upper back, shoulders, and neck. How? By increasing the weight that your neck is having to support. The average human head weighs around 10 lbs. However, slouching can cause that weight to increase to anywhere between 25 and 60 pounds!
Proper posture and workplace ergonomics are vital to preventing this sort of neck pain. Here are a few tips to get you started:
- Taking frequent breaks from your screen
- Adjusting your monitor to the right height and distance to help keep your head up and shoulders back
- Sitting with your feet flat on the ground instead of crossed on your chair/seat
- Adjust chair armrests to allow your shoulders to remain relaxed
There are many other tips and tricks to help you prevent neck pain while sitting at a computer or using a device. However, simply getting up and moving around can help significantly. So, don’t forget to put your devices down and maintain regular physical activities.
Neck Pain Treatment Options in Fairfax, VA
The good news is that there are many neck pain treatment options to help you find relief from your pain. At Taschler Spine & Rehab, we not only help treat your neck pain through chiropractic adjustments and massage therapy, but we also help teach you proper workplace ergonomics and other methods to help you maintain proper posture and address your pain at its source.
If you are suffering from neck pain, then contact us today or call our office at (703) 293-2939.
Posted In:
Neck Pain
Chiropractic
Ergonomics
