PREVENTING WORK-RELATED NECK AND BACK PAIN

Giovanni Leone^*

We do not think about it very much but sitting at a desk can cause a lot of trauma to our spine and the surrounding musculature if a proactive approach is not taken to keeping the joints and tissues flexible and mobile. Most people do not sit with the proper posture for their entire workday. It is exhausting for our body to keep up with this task without putting focus on it.

Take a moment to think about how your day sitting in a desk goes. Most people will start off sitting at their desk with posture being an emphasis, but over time, muscles fatigue, our shoulders and head fall forward, and our spine loses stability. This type of posture can cause many symptoms including neck pain, headaches, shoulder pain, back pain, and more. When your head falls forward, think of it as if you are looking up toward the sky for an extended period. If you straightened out your back while keeping your head forward, this is exactly the position your head would be in. Now imagine the strain that would occur if you stared upward all day long. Eventually, your muscles would let you know they have had it. This can lead to spasm, stiffness, and pain.

We all get busy at work, but there are some easy steps we can take to help prevent the onset of mechanical neck and upper back pain. It all starts with movement. Ever heard the saying "motion is lotion?" Well, this speaks to what a little bit of movement can do for you. Exercise gets the joints moving, which increases the circulation of synovial fluid. Synovial fluid lubricates and nourishes our joints, which can prevent the onset of pain and stiffness.