The human body is amazing at adapting to the environment it is put in. If you teach it to do something, it listens! While amazing when used in a positive way, it can oppositely learn bad habits.
Posture is an example of a learned pattern and it is one of the most important factors in risk for developing neck and back pain. Posture habits are learned from the position you hold your body in most frequently. Most patients we see have decent standing posture, however most run into trouble when they sit for long periods; which is why having simple stretches to do at your desk is so important.
Examine your habits
To understand where you might be going wrong, take a look at the postures you hold most frequently:
What is your typical workday like? Sitting, standing, driving, etc.
When you’re not working, what is your hobby and what postures does it necessitate?
Do you have a long commute? What is your posture like in the car?
It is crucial to have optimal posture while doing the things you do most frequently. If you sit at your desk for 8+ hours a day teaching your body poor habits, it will likely lead to neck or back pain. If you drive 20-30 mins to and from work with poor posture habits, the hours will eventually stack against you and cause pain.
If you are interested in learning more about how to set up your desk for optimal posturein addition to learning about stretches to do at your desk, read our blog specifically dedicated to workstation ergonomics.
We’ve compiled a list of 6 of our most commonly prescribed exercises to relieve neck and back pain in desk workers. Each of these are designed to relieve tension in muscles most commonly involved. If the tension builds up in the muscles due to poor posture, we frequently see headaches, entrapped or pinched nerves, lower back pain, disc bulges, and sciatica.
Each of these stretches should be used a few times throughout the day to help decrease stiffness or discomfort in the neck and back.
#1 - Seated neck stretch
This stretch should be used a few times throughout the day to help decrease stiffness or discomfort in the neck and upper back. This stretch targets your upper trapezius, levator scapulae, scalene (anterior, middle, and posterior), and cervical paraspinal muscle groups.
#2 -Seated Chin Tuck with External Rotation
This is a combination of a desk stretch and an activation exercise that can be used to correct posture and decrease neck pain. The stretch targets the muscles of the back of the neck (cervical paraspinal muscles) and the headache muscles (the suboccipitals). You're also activating the muscles of the back to help hold your shoulders back.
#3 - Seated External rotation and Y exercise
This exercise is activating the rhomboids, middle and lower trapezius muscles to keep your shoulders back. This exercise helps to fix your posture and take pressure off of your neck.
#4 - Seated Glute Stretch
This stretch to do at your desk targets the Gluteus medius, minimus, and Maximus, the piriformis muscle and the deep hip rotator muscles. These muscles squeeze on your sciatic nerve and can change the biomechanics of the lower back and sacroiliac joint. Keeping these muscles loose can help to decrease lower back and hip pain as well as increase hip mobility.
#5 - Hip Flexor Stretch
This stretch targets the hip flexor muscle group. The primary hip flexor, the psoas muscle, as well as iliacus, quadriceps, and rectus femoris muscles are all involved in creating lower back and hip pain if they become too tight from prolonged sitting.
#6 - Mid Back Extension Stretch
This desk stretch targets the middle and upper back, your thoracic spine. This stretch, show two ways, helps to mobilize your spine backwards, or into extension. When we sit too long, we tend to round in the thoracic spine which puts excessive tension on the neck and shoulders. Use this mobility exercise to decrease neck and shoulder tension or headaches.
If you are suffering from neck pain or back pain and want relief now, call us for an appointment in Boulder. We offer a number of treatment options, in addition to tailored information such as stretches to do at your desk, to decrease muscle tension such as: Active Release Technique Boulder helps to relieve muscle adhesions, Graston Technique relieves scar tissue and tightness in the fascia and soft tissue , Dry Needling Boulder helps to release trigger points in the muscles, Chiropractic adjustments help to remove joint dysfunction that can cause pinched nerves, and Physical Therapy helps to restore normal strength helping to support joints and restore proper posture.