Since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis last year, working from home has become the “new normal” for many people. While a home office comes with some perks, your new setup can also be contributing to poor neck and shoulder health. If you’ve noticed an uptick in neck pain and other discomforts, it may be related to your new work arrangement. But if this is you, it’s not a lost cause- there are ways to improve your home office and habits that not only help to fix any damage done, but can also prevent future damage from occurring. If any of the following scenarios apply to you, read on for some tips.
Scenario 1: Bad Posture When Working
The most common form of bad posture is when a person rounds his or her upper back forward, along with the head and shoulders. This puts a lot of stress on the neck and shoulder muscles, leading to neck and, sometimes, back pain. Looking down at a screen like a phone or laptop is a common cause of this posture- so common it’s been termed “tech neck” by chiropractors. A sustained posture like this can lead to permanent curvature in the cervical spine if not addressed.
Practicing good posture is important in all scenarios, but especially when on a computer. Home offices may not offer standing desks or ergonomic chairs like your office did, contributing to this behavior. Focus on keeping the shoulders in a relaxed and pulled back position, with the chest open and head level with the ears. Some tips to help improve your posture include:
- Sit in a chair with proper lower back support. If your chair doesn’t offer it, roll up a towel behind your tailbone to improvise.
- Keep your upper back against the backrest of your chair
- Set your chair to a height that leaves your wrists level with the keyboard and your elbows at 90 degrees
- Keep your computer screen level with your line of sight
Scenario 2: Looking Down While Typing
Along with tech neck, looking down all day places extreme pressure on your neck, spine, and shoulders. The human head weighs 20-30 pounds, and an extreme angle when looking down is 4 or 5 times more forceful than normal use. This leads to muscles working harder than they should to maintain body shape, leading to not only neck pain, but also injury.
Your computer should be set level with your line of sight. If you don’t have a raised desk, you can use books or other props to raise the level of your computer. It helps to also make sure you are sitting on a hard surface, like a chair, rather than in your bed or on the couch.
Scenario 3: Not Moving During the Day
At the office, we often get up to walk around and chat with coworkers or travel to the breakroom for lunch. In the new home office setting, it can be easy to become consumed by work and sit for hours on end with no break. With home and work boundaries blurred, many people are also working more hours than normal. A prolonged fixed position like this can lead to injury and general inactivity isn’t healthy for the body.
To maintain flexibility and range of motion, incorporate some stretches throughout your day. Look up, look down, turn your head, and bend your ears to your shoulders periodically—set a reminder on your phone if you need to! Reminders to get up and walk around are also helpful.
Preventing Neck Pain
If you are suffering from neck pain, whether from poor posture or from being rear-ended, that isn’t easily relieved with these tricks, you may want to visit a chiropractor to ensure you don’t have any lasting damage. They can realign your spine o return it to a neutral state so that your new habits prevent issues in the future, without worsening existing problems.
Because you are at home, you have some freedom to adjust your office and furniture, trying different configurations until you find one that doesn’t cause you pain. With remote work persisting, it may be worth investing in new equipment like a riser for your laptop or ergonomic chair in order to safely continue your work.
