Neck Hurts When You Sit Down To Work? It's Probably Poor Posture
Whether you work at home or in a brick and mortar office, neck pain can be a problematic experience for you. If your pain becomes worse when you sit for long periods of time, it's important to find pain relief now. Neck pain while sitting can occur from several things, including poor posture. The way you sit in your work chair or hold your hands over your keyboard can cause fatigue in your upper and lower body. Here's how poor posture causes neck pain and what you can do to get rid of it now.
How Can Poor Posture Harm Your Neck?
Having good posture when you sit or stand is critical to keeping neck pain at bay. If you don't hold or position your body correctly when you work at your desk, it can lead to poor posture and a number of health problems, including neck pain. The pain develops when the muscles in your neck become injured, strained, inflamed, or weakened from fatigue from holding your upper body and head the wrong way, such as hunching over your keyboard or slouching in your chair. Eventually, your neck pain will other areas of the body, including your arms.
Some of the nerves in your neck and spine extend down the lengths of your arms, hands and fingers. Suppressing the nerves in these areas triggers pain, spasms and other symptoms in your arms. Injuries to your spinal and neck nerves may also cause pain in your arms. Placing your arms, hands and fingers in the wrong positions when you type, move your mouse, or use your printer and phone can aggravate your symptoms, especially when you overuse the muscles in these tissues.
The best way to stop the issues above is to take action.
What Can You Do to Ease Your Pain?
If you haven't scheduled an appointment with a chiropractor, it's a good idea that you do so now. Your neck pain probably won't go away until you seek treatment, such as heat therapy and muscle conditioning. You may also undergo posturing training, such as wearing special back supports or braces, to improve your posture. Massage therapy can also improve the symptoms you experience.
Sources report that it may benefit you to have longer massage therapy sessions several time a week than shorter sessions. A chiropractor will generally work alongside a massage therapist during your sessions to see if your neck pain improves. As your condition improves, you may require shorter massage therapy sessions. But this is something a chiropractor can discuss with you during your evaluation.
For more information about treating your neck pain, contact a chiropractor today.