How to Prevent Neck Pain While Sitting at Your Computer Desk
If you sit at a desk for most of your day, you may have become familiar with neck pain. Neck pain is common among office workers for several reasons, including poor posture, poor work environments, and the consistent use of handheld devices. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to prevent neck pain and options for non-invasive neck pain treatment.
3 Tips for Avoiding Neck Pain While Sitting at Your Computer Desk
Below are a few ways you can prevent neck pain while sitting at a computer desk.
1. Maintain a Good Posture
This will help you prevent excess strain on your muscles, joints, and spine. Good posture helps protect you from neck pain, back pain, and other common ailments. Avoid slouching and keep your chest held high. Relax your shoulders and keep them back and keep your feet flat on the ground without crossing your legs or ankles.
2. Limit Screen Time
If you often use your smartphone, tablet, or other handheld devices, you may be suffering from text neck. Text neck describes neck pain that is related to looking down at handheld devices for too long or too frequently. Limit your screen time to reduce your risk of developing text neck.
3. Adjust Height of Your Monitor or Chair
This will impact your overall posture. You want your chair to be positioned so that your feet sit flat on the ground and your knees remain level with your hips. You should not need to look up or down when viewing your monitor, but rather be able to keep your head level.
Guidellines to Proper Sitting Posture:
- Adjust chair height so knees are at hip level, bent 90 degrees to bottom of the chair, with thighs parallel to floor-leaving 2-4 inches between the seat edge & backs of knees
- Elbows should also be at 90 degrees with hands on the keyboard.
- If chair arms are adjustable, move them to support elbows at this 90 degree angle.
- Position keyboard so wrists stay flat while keying-adjustable keyboard trays may help.
- Allow elbows to hang naturally at sides, & pull keyboard out to reach hands.
- Keep your feet flat on the floor to support legs. If your legs are too short to reach, use a footrest.
- Place mouse directly next to keyboard, so you can get to it without reaching.
- If you are working on a laptop it is best to use an external keyboard/mouse.
- Position your computer monitor with the center at eye level to avoid neck hyperfexion or extension. (same for laptop)
- If bifocals are worn, place monitor directly on desktop to avoid neck strain.
- Sit all the way back in chari so your back is fully supported from shoulder blades down, and both knees & ankles are able to maintain their 90 degree andles-incorporate a lumbar pillow or back cushion to insure porper support, if necessary.
- If you are working from home and do not have an adjustable chair, you may need to use pillows to properly suport your back on a dining room chair.
Finding Chiropractic Neck Pain Treatment in Fort Wayne
Chiropractic neck pain treatment reduces pain, inflammation, and stiffness while restoring your range of motion. Dr. Monique Levesque-Hartle and Dr. Shannon Nierman is a chiropractor and a board Certified Clinical Nutritionist. She provides a holistic approach to each case and uses chiropractic techniques such as Active Release Technique (ART) to treat soft tissue and muscle conditions. Neck pain treatment plans correct the underlying cause of neck pain rather than just treating the symptoms.
Your first visit will include a consultation to discuss your medical history and symptoms as well as a physical exam. Imaging is taken when necessary to rule out more severe conditions. In many cases, same-day neck pain treatment is available to help you find relief right away.
Are you looking for chiropractic neck pain treatment in Fort Wayne? Don’t wait for neck pain to become worse. Contact our office today at (260) 432-7339 to schedule an appointment.
Posted In:
Neck Pain Treatment
Chiropractic
Sitting Posture
