Postural Tips for the Everyday Office Worker
Each day in the US, millions of people wake up and spend countless hours working in front of a screen. Whether it is in an office-based setting or part of the growing number of people who telecommute, what once was a country that was built on jobs consisting of manual labor is now evolving into a country that is controlled by a keyboard and the internet. You may have heard the phrase “sitting is the new smoking”. If you were to take a look at the amount of issues that come into our office due to sitting at a desk, you’d find that this statement isn’t that farfetched. According to US Bureau of Labor Statistics, work related musculoskeletal disorders accounted for 30% of worker compensation costs in 20181. The good news is that many of these problems that arise from prolonged sitting can be prevented. We thought that we would share to you a few quick tips that can be helpful in the prevention of common areas of pain that we see in our patients.
What is normal sitting posture?
While sitting, your feet should be flat on the floor. Generally, your knees should be somewhat in-line with your hips. The hips and gluteal area should be positioned all of the way back in the chair, and should be sitting up straight, not hunched forward. Your desk should be positioned so that your elbows can naturally sit at your sides. Your keyboard should allow your wrists to sit flat, not in a “cocked up” position. Additionally, your head should sit in neutral position over the spine. Ideally, if someone were to look at you from a side-view, your ear should be sitting in line with your shoulders. Your shoulders should also remain neutral and backward, not hunched forward. As a general rule of thumb, the top of your monitor should be at eye level and slightly tilted back so that you don’t have to look down. A great set-up looks like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8_ME4VwTiw
*Note, this is for reference only, we do not own the copyright to this video.
What stretches/exercises can I do to prevent symptoms?
Prolonged sitting can create an abundance of problems with your muscles, ranging from chronic stiffness to under-activation. We’ve decided to compile a list of important stretches and exercises that you can do to prevent symptoms.
Upper Trapezius Stretch: while sitting sit on one hand, tilt your head to the side away from the hand you are sitting on, so that your ear approximates to your shoulder. Using the hand on the side that your head is tilted, create gentle overpressure until you feel a stretch. Do 3 sets per side for 30 second holds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r0eoFS7_5Q
Levator Scapulae Stretch: sit on your hand, and flex your head forward to look down, and then away from the hand you are sitting on to a 45 degree angle from neutral. Use the other hand to create gentle overpressure. Do 3 sets per side for 30 second holds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSoXPJRnR6E *note, she does not sit on her hand in this video.
Chin tucks: sit upright and look forward with ears directly over shoulders. Put one finger on your chin. Without moving finger, pull chin and head straight back until stretch is felt at base of head and deep in the neck. Hold for 3-5 seconds, do 2-3 sets of 10 per day.
https://www.spine-health.com/wellness/exercise/easy-chin-tucks-neck-pain
Doorway Pec Stretch- Find a doorway, and stand in a one-fencer position (see video). Bend arm to 90 degrees and place arm on door frame. Slightly lunge forward, until you feel a stretch in your chest. Hold for 30 seconds, doing sets of three per side. Next, raise your arm up a little higher in the doorframe, so arm is approximately 120 degrees. Do the same procedure for stretch. This emphasizes stretching the pec minor.
https://www.precisionmovement.coach/doorway-pec-stretch/
Scapular Retractions- keep both arms at side or slightly upward, being sure not to shrug shoulders. Bring both arms backward, so that your shoulder blades approximate together. Squeeze together, and hold for 2-3 seconds. Do sets of 10.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJffqKmfnfA
Psoas stretch- crouch down to floor, so that one knee is forward with foot flat on ground and one knee is on the ground. Lunge forward toward the knee that is upward until you feel a stretch in the opposite hip. Hold for 30 seconds. Do 3 sets per side.
https://www.wikihow.fitness/Stretch-the-Psoas-Muscle
Doing these very simple, yet effective exercises will help prevent common problems associated with prolonged poor posture. The best part about these exercises is that they can be done both at home or in office, and require no equipment!
Additional Considerations:
Eye strain: OSHA typically recommends to sit about 20-40 inches away from the screen. Don’t forget that you can adjust the brightness of the monitor to accommodate for the time of day. Also, don’t be afraid to look away from the screen and focus on something else in the distance every half hour, even if it’s just for 30 seconds.
Altering sit/stand posture: some workplaces are becoming more ergonomically friendly and equipping their workers with sit-stand desks. This is great because you can actively alter your sit and stand postures throughout the day. If you don’t have a sit to stand desk, we recommend setting a reminder on your phone to get up every hour of the day, even if it’s just for a minute, and talking a quick walk around. This will allow muscles to lengthen, and also promote circulation.
Neck pain, back pain, arthritis, tension headaches, Carpal Tunnel and poor circulation are just some of the issues that arise with having poor posture. Fortunately, there are many things that you can start doing today to prevent these from happening. If you have any questions about posture, your work set-up, or how chiropractic care can help in addition to what has been mentioned above, give us a call at (919)342-0900!
References:
*Note, Youtube videos above are for reference only, we do not own the copyright to any of these videos.