One of the things that has been the biggest impact to our health in recent years is the amount of time we spend sitting in front of a computer.
No one really agrees on the amount of time that most Americans are in that position, but it can go up to several hours per day of just “play” time – this doesn’t even count all the time that people spend there for work.
There is a whole host of problems that result from this, including getting in the habit of having some really bad posture resulting in shoulders rounding forward and neck jutting forward.
Think about what that does do your muscles for a minute. Deliberately move your head forward away from your neck and hold it there a minute. How is it that gravity doesn’t suck it down to rest on your chest?
The muscles in the back of your neck must contract to hold it there, and if you do that for several hours a day….
It is not surprising that you can end up with a case of “computer neck.” Long term, this can lead to loss of the natural curvature in your neck – which is difficult to recover from.
One suggestion to aleviate this problem is to be sure your monitor is at the right height. In most cases, the monitor is too low which forces people to lean forward to see it. When sitting upright with your neck in a neutral position the middle of your monitor should be a straight line to your nose.
You should also get up frequently and walk around – it will take pressure off your neck. Research shows that sitting for long periods of time is bad for your health in other ways than just neck pain, including a higher risk of dying sooner from any and all causes (yep, that’s what they say), and a variety of health disorders including obesity, diabetes, and heart disease..
Exercises and manual therapies can help too. Here is a great video with some exercises that you can do at home to help relieve stiff neck muscles.
Image by Aidan Jones on Flickr
