Many of us have poor posture in our workday environment, which can lead to pain in the neck and shoulders, and even headaches. A constant rounded shoulder position and forward head position can cause this pain. Most of the time we don't pay attention to our posture, as long as we feel comfortable and it is not causing us pain. However, what we don't know is that when we are sitting for a long period of time with the wrong position, it can put too much pressure on our muscles, which can then cause the muscles to tighten. This can then cause neck pain, shoulder pain, and headaches. We can also feel numbness and tingling in our arms and hands. There are some things that you can do to prevent these injuries from occurring.
Check your posture
Stop slouching! Your shoulders should be down and well rested. They should not be rounded forward because this results in a curved chest and rounded back form. Your head should be at the center of your spine and neck. Do not put your chin down and forward as this may result in a major curve in your cervical spine. Try using a mirror at your desk so that you can observe or check your posture. If you want to see how your posture is while actually working, an option would be to have an office co-worker take a picture of you using a digital camera while working at your desk. This will enable you to see if you are using correct posture.
If you know that you are already using the wrong posture, be conscious and try to work on using proper posture. This will really help to prevent putting stress on your muscles. Also doing proper positioning will avoid placing pressure on your spine, which can lead to headaches and neck pain. If you practice proper posture consciously, it will eventually become second nature. Here are some exercises you can do to decrease the discomfort in the neck and shoulders:
Guidelines:
Three neck work outs 3 times a day in the morning, lunch, and afternoon breaks. Maintain every posture for ten to fifteen seconds
Make 3 sets of the following:
Steps 1.Rotate neck right and left 2.Bend neck to the left and right sides, as to try to touch ear to shoulder; maintain each side for ten to fifteen seconds 3.Move your shoulders slowly up, and back, then down
Do these exercises regularly to decrease the risk of developing tight muscles, which can lead to neck and shoulder pain, and headaches. They may seem easy but it is your perseverance, patience, and discipline that will enable you to achieve these and prevent further injuries.
The most important thing to remember: Do not abuse yourself. If you know that you need some time to rest, then don't deprive yourself to relax. Just like a computer, if it is used almost 24 hours a day or if you store too many software or files in it, it could get overloaded and eventually shuts down. Just like this, if you work too much and don't allow yourself time to relax or take care of yourself, you too can be injured. It is up to you to prevent these injuries, so that you don't have to experience pain, and spend your time and money being treated.
