It’s no surprise so many people struggle with back and neck pain. Most Americans spend a majority of their lives sitting, with their necks cocked forward. Aside from the obvious damage of sitting, most Americans also look down all day at their phones, tablets and computer screens which further perpetuates this forward neck and shoulder motion. To further put the nail in the back pain coffin, one’s natural posture is often slouched due to working at desks, lack of exercise and poor posture. According to this source, this positioning causes the trapezius (most superficial muscle at the back of the cervico-thoracic junction) to work overtime, constantly working to keep your head from dropping lower down.
So what do you do to prevent this very uncomfortable phenomenon? You fight it with better habits– that’s what! These 3 are my favorite techniques to use in your arsenal.
1. Sleep on your back
Sleeping position can do a lot for back and neck pain, as you spend a 1/3 of your life in your sleeping position(s). Stomach sleeping is the WORST offender when it comes to putting strain on your back and neck. Not only does sleeping on your stomach round your shoulders forward, but it also forces you to turn your neck to one extreme angle or another. Side sleeping can be a little less stressful if you can get your posture right, but I find sleeping on your back the clear winner. If you need extra support, you’ll want to read this to get some more sleep position tips as well as the best pillow positioning too!
2. Take breaks to stretch or exercise
If you work at home this can be easier to do than in a very corporate work environment. Here are my favorite pain reversal techniques:
- This collection of stretches you probably want to wait and do at home.
- These simple exercises you can probably find a way to do at your desk!
3. Ditch your laptop (and get a good computer set up)!
Laptops are notorious for causing neck and back pain because you have to hunch over them to use them the way they were designed! The way the keyboard and screen are at a similar level is so ergonomically incorrect! Laptops should REALLY come with a warning label about the ramifications prolonged use can have on a person’s neck, back and posture.
If you do have a laptop, make it work for you a little better by buying a computer monitor (I use one like this and LOVE it) and detached keyboard (like this) to better support a posture that won’t kill your back every time you have to work!
I hope these tips can help you combat your neck pain and rounded shoulders, they sure have helped me!
References:
- http://www.simplebackpain.com/sittingatacomputer.html
- http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/04/19/healthiest.sleep.position/index.html