5 Ways to Avoid Pain at Your Desk
We’ve all been there- it’s 4pm on a Thursday and suddenly your chair feels like it’s made of bricks, your back starts to ache, and you just can’t get comfy. Yep, it’s that end-of-day, end-of-week moment when your body starts to give up on you. Whether you’re working from home, in the office, or in a co-working space, it’s hard to stay active when you’re glued to your computer. Moreover, this type of pain, called “tech neck,” can be lasting and distracting.
So how can you reduce pain and still get the work done? Here are five things we like to do to give our body a break:
Photo by Amel Majanovic
1) Stretch
This might seem obvious, but a committed stretching routine throughout the day will make all the difference (not just arms over head when you’re feeling tight!). Here are a few great stretches to mix into your routine from Hulst Jepsen Physical Therapy (that won’t look too embarrassing in the office):
-Thoracic rotation stretch: place your hand behind your head. Keeping your hips forward and feet on the ground, rotate your upper body towards the right as far as you can go. Perform on opposite side. Perform 20x, 2 times per day or as needed.
-Upper trapezius stretch: tip right ear towards your right shoulder. Cross left arm to right hip and gently pull left wrist down with right arm. You should feel a nice stretch along the top of your right shoulder and neck. Switch sides. Perform 2x, holding 20-30 seconds each, 2x/day or as needed.
-Thoracic extension stretch: purchase a lumbar roll or roll up a towel (when seated, place this in the curve of your low back to decrease stress on the spine). For this stretch, place your lumbar roll at low back, slowly arch upper body over your chair to create extension in your upper back. Be sure to extend only from your upper back and not just hinge at the lower portion of your spine. Perform 20x, 2 times per day or as needed.
2) Change up your desk space
Oftentimes changing up your desk space or the kind of chair you sit on can make all the difference. Start by adjusting the height of your monitor and keyboard placement. If you work with a computer monitor, the center of the screen should be level with your nose. Position the keyboard close enough that your elbows are bent approximately 90 degrees while typing and be sure to set the keyboard (or your desk) high enough that you don’t need to slump to touch the keys.
If you’re working on a laptop, try to find a desk space where the screen is high enough that you don’t need to bend your neck down. If you really experience desk pain, it might be a good idea to invest in either a separate keyboard for your laptop or a laptop stand that will make your laptop more ergonomically sound. If you really want to get funky with it, consider replacing your desk chair with a yoga ball or a standing desk!
The ideal laptop setup: Make your laptop function like a desktop with a raised screen, separate keyboard and mouse.
Photo by Nathan Riley
3) 90-Degree Sitting Rule
We all know good posture can help with the pain that comes from slouching, but once we get in the zone it’s often hard to remember to sit upright. One easy way to train yourself is to commit to the 90-degree sitting rule. That means that there is a 90-degree angle from your ear to your shoulder, your hip to trunk, at your knees, and from your ankle to foot. Another way to manage posture is by seeking feedback from your body when you’re out of alignment. Nylon recommends pressing your skull, shoulder blades, and sacrum (above the tailbone) to a wall simultaneously to see what an ideal upright position feels like. Once you’re upright, walk away from the wall and try to maintain that position. This, of course, is easier to do when you’re not in the office, but your body will thank you for it!
4) Get Up
When you get pain from sitting, it’s not necessarily about the sitting itself but about a lack of movement. That’s why every hour it’s important to stand up and move around. Walk to the bathroom, refill your water, take a lap around the office, or take the pup for a walk outside - just get up and move! However you want to get the blood flowing, you’ll have more energy, feel more awake, and ready to tackle the next hour.
Eating anti-inflammatory foods doesn’t mean limiting yourself- dark chocolate counts!
Photo by Irene Kredenet
5) Eat Consciously
The best way to avoid inflammation and irritation? Avoiding inflammatory foods. Instead of munching away on high sugar, oily foods, opt for anti-inflammatory foods like green tea, veggies, and even dark chocolate. This is an underestimated way to manage your aches and pains, but it quietly makes a big difference.
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It can often be hard to implement new behaviors into our normal routine, so don’t try all of these at once. Rather, pick the easiest one for you and start there, mixing a new habit in each week. Trust us, you’ll start feeling differences in your body in no time.
Photo by Alyssa Strohma
