Neck Pain at Your Desk?It May Not Be Just About Your Posture
Neck pain, shoulder tension and stiffness are very common, particularly if you spend much of your working day sitting at a desk.
Many people who come to see me say something like:
“I know my posture is bad.”
But posture is not quite as simple as good or bad.
There is no single perfect position that we should try to maintain all day. Our bodies are designed to move, and sometimes the problem is not the position itself, but how long we stay in it.
Think movement, not perfect posture
If you spend several hours concentrating on a screen, it is easy to stay in one position without even noticing.
By the end of the day you may experience:
neck stiffness or aching
tension across the shoulders
discomfort between the shoulder blades
headaches
a feeling that you constantly need to stretch or move your neck
Your workstation may be part of the picture, but it is rarely the only thing I consider.
I also look at how you move, your strength, your daily activity, exercise, stress, sleep and recovery.
Sometimes a busy working week simply doesn't give the body enough opportunity to move.
A simple change you can try today
Instead of constantly correcting yourself and thinking “I need to sit straight”, try asking:
“How long have I been in this position?”
Then change it.
Stand up while taking a phone call. Walk to get some water. Move your shoulders. Gently turn your neck. Take a short walk at lunchtime if you can.
It doesn't need to be complicated.
Little and often is usually much more realistic than trying to maintain perfect posture for eight hours.
What if the problem keeps coming back?
If your neck or shoulder pain repeatedly returns, it can be helpful to understand why.
When I assess someone with desk-related neck pain, I don't just look at the painful area.
I look at how the neck, shoulders and upper back move, strength and control, working habits and other factors that may be contributing to the problem.
Depending on what I find, treatment may include:
hands-on physiotherapy
specific mobility or strengthening exercises
advice about your workstation
changes to movement and working habits
an individual exercise programme
I prefer to keep exercises practical. A programme only really helps if it can become part of your normal life.
Looking beyond posture
I think this is particularly important.
Pain is rarely about one muscle, one joint or one “bad” posture.
Our bodies are influenced by movement, workload, physical activity, stress, sleep and many other things.
For some people, treatment may initially help settle the symptoms. For others, improving strength, movement or daily habits becomes more important.
Usually, it is a combination.
The aim is not to create a perfect posture.
It is to help your body move well, become stronger and cope better with the demands of your day.
Neck Pain & Posture Physiotherapy in Monument
If you work in Monument, Bank or the City of London and are experiencing neck pain, shoulder tension or stiffness related to desk-based work, I offer individual physiotherapy assessment and treatment at my Monument clinic.
We can look at what may be contributing to your symptoms and find a practical approach that works for you.
Feel better. Move better.