Neck and back pain are very common complaints from office workers. When using a computer 8 hours a day, repetitive strain and overuse injuries occur. The worse our posture is, the more pain we’ll feel.
But what if I told you that proper posture for computer use can be simplified? Making a couple ergonomic changes to our desk setup may not completely heal our computer-related neck and back pain. But those changes could greatly reduce our pain, as well as decrease the risk of future repetitive strain injuries.
This article will talk about why computer use causes neck and back pain. Then, it’ll cover ergonomic desk setup tips for reducing and preventing neck and back pain from sitting.
This article is not professional medical advice. It’s based off my personal experience and opinions. For years, my poor computer posture caused muscle tension, inflammation, and chronic pain. Bad posture also decreased my mental clarity, energy level, and work productivity.
All the desk worker health tips I write about are directly related to improving posture at a computer. We are our own primary caretakers. Do your research. Make good decisions. And be the best advocate possible for your own healthcare.
Neck and Back Pain Prevention for Computer Use
Why does computer use cause neck pain?
Incorrect monitor height
The most common computer posture mistake that causes neck pain is having the monitor height incorrect. If our monitor is too high or too low, it causes us to tilt our head at an angle to see the screen. Tilting our head isn’t unnatural. We’re made to be able to do it.
However, holding our head tilted for long periods of time is what gets us in trouble. If our monitor is too low, we tilt our head at a downward angle. Over time, muscles on the front of my neck compressed and shortened. While muscles on the back of my neck overextended and lengthened. This muscle imbalance lead to dysfunction, spinal disc degeneration, and chronic pain.
How to prevent neck pain from computer use
Use an external monitor
I very rarely work from a laptop screen. Even if I’m working at a desk, it’s impossible to raise a laptop screen to the correct height. Even if I could raise it high enough, that would cause computer-related injuries to the my shoulders. So, I always use an external monitor instead of a laptop screen.
Correct monitor height
I always keep the top of my monitor screen at eye level. This allows me to keep my head and neck in a neutral, balanced position.
I want my eyes looking straight ahead (or slightly down to see the bottom of my screen).
I also want the natural curves of the cervical spine in my neck to be intact. If those curves flatten out in my neck, it could cause a chain reaction of poor posture throughout other areas of my spine.
Correct monitor height is essential for all office workers to prevent neck pain. But if you’re an athlete who sits at a computer for a living, you might want to take your neck function and strength to the next level. The best neck pain exercises for desk workers I’ve ever done was with a device called an Iron Neck. Check out my article titled Iron Neck Review to learn more about it. It’s one of the most helpful posture correction devices I’ve ever used.
Why does computer use cause back pain?
Slouching forward
The most common computer posture mistake that causes back pain is slouching forward. When we grab a keyboard and mouse, we tend to slouch forward with our torso slightly. As the workday goes on, we get tired, stress builds up, and our posture gets worse. We naturally slouch forward more and more as the day goes on.
Desk chair too low
On top of slouching forward, I used to sit with my chair too low. Which meant my elbow level was too low compared to my desk height. This made me constantly activate my biceps in order to lift my hands onto the keyboard and mouse.
How to prevent back pain from computer use
Correct chair height and elbow level
The most important back pain solution for office workers is to have correct chair height compared to desk level. It’s the best way to prevent back pain while working at a desk.
I like to set my chair height so that my elbow level is slightly above my desk level. This allows me to comfortably place my hands on my keyboard and mouse. Which allows me to minimize activation of my biceps throughout the workday.
Desk setup tips to reduce neck and back pain
I want my ergonomic desk setup to be an asset that promotes good computer posture the minute I sit down. I shouldn’t have to adjust my body to get into good posture. My desk should allow me to fall into good posture naturally. In order to do that, here are my most important ergonomic tips for neck and back pain.
- I raise (or lower) my chair until my elbow level is slightly above my desk level.
- I raise (or lower) my external monitor until the top of the screen is even with my eye level.
These simple ways of posture correction for computer users have helped me reduce, and prevent, neck and back pain.
THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST IN COMPUTER POSTURE.
If you’ve read this far, congratulations! You’re taking valuable steps to reduce computer-related injuries by improving your posture. That’s something to be very proud of!
If you liked this article on neck and back pain prevention for computer use, check out my book titled 45 Ways to Improve Computer Posture.
This book is a great supplement to the article you just read. It covers healthy ergonomic habits like posture, sleep, hydration, and breathing.
I wrote this book to be the resource I wish I had back in 2002, when I first started sitting at a computer for long periods of time.
Go to SittingPosture.com/book to learn more.
Take care,
Todd Bowen