If you’re like a lot of people, you probably spend a lot of your day sitting at a desk. Barefoot Physiotherapy Brisbane says this sedentary behaviour puts you at an increased risk of spending longer periods in poor posture, which is a leading cause of back and neck pain and discomfort.
Here are five easy tips that could go a long way towards making your neck and back feel better at work.
Practice good posture.
While you’re sitting at your desk, place your legs flat on the floor and hold your back against the chair. Your head should be in a neutral position with your ears directly above your shoulders.
To help prevent the lower back from rounding, which, in turn, can cause your head and shoulders to slump forward, adjust the height of your chair to allow your thighs to angle slightly. This position ensures that your weight is ideally distributed through your sitting bones, which are located on the lower portions of your hips.
Adjust the monitor height and keyboard placement.
Place your computer monitor directly in front of you with your nose at the center of the screen. If the monitor is too low, your head will be angled downwards and the stress on your neck will increase. If you are working primarily on a laptop, use a secondary monitor if possible.
Position the keyboard close enough to you to bend your elbows around 90 degrees when you type. Set the keyboard high enough to prevent you from being forced to slump your shoulders to touch the keys. Place the mouse at the same level as the keyboard. Buying a keyboard xray is a good option.
Stand more
It seems simple to sit in an office chair, but it can be tiring. The longer you sit, the harder it’s to hold good posture. Try to spend at least an hour or two on your feet every day that you would otherwise. Spend it in the best kneeling chair.
One of the most popular options is to use a multi monitor stand. If a multi monitor stand is not an option for you, there are low-cost desktop converters that allow you to keep your desk and temporarily convert it to a stand-up desk.
Limit phone screen use.
People tend to bend their heads even further when looking at phones and tablets, especially when using a text or email touchscreen. Holding your head forward to look at your device for longer periods of time can cause painful muscle strains in the short term and can contribute to long-term disk or joint injuries.
Any time you can, answer emails from a desktop computer rather than a phone, as this gives you the best chance of a good posture.
Walk around
Walk across the office each half hour to minimize the risk of back, neck, and/or shoulder pain from sitting. It can also help you get up and move around if you start to feel some achiness or tightness developing.
