How Do I Stop My Neck From Hurting When I Sit At My Desk?

Here are 5 easy tips that will go a long way in helping your neck and back feel better at work.

1. Practice good posture. When sitting at your desk, place your feet flat on the floor and keep your back flush against the chair.
2. Adjust monitor height and keyboard placement.
3. Stand more.
4. Limit phone screen use.
5. Walk around.

Why does my neck hurt when I sit at my desk?

When you sit with your back straight, you not only put a lot of force on the discs in your lower back, but the muscles in the back of the neck have to contract to hold the head up. So, if you sit straight up for hours, you may end up with both back and neck pain.

What relieves tension in neck?

Neck release
The neck release is a gentle way to loosen tension in both your shoulders and neck. Stand tall with both arms at your sides. Lower your head and bring your chin toward your chest. Gently tilt your head towards the right side and pause for 30 seconds.

How do I support my neck while sitting?

When working at your computer or at a desk, keep your head balanced directly over your spine as much as possible. That means setting your chair height so both your feet can rest on the ground, and sitting with your buttocks far back in your chair, using a small pillow to support your lower back if needed.

Does standing desk help neck pain?

Those who used standing desks during the studies reported an improvement of up to 32% in their lower back and neck pain after using the desk for a period of several weeks.

What helps a stiff neck in 60 seconds?

Here’s how:

1. Step 1: Find the sore spot.
2. Step 2: Push into the knot with your fingers, using firm pressure.
3. Step 3: Turn your head slightly in the direction opposite the cramp, and bend it diagonally, as if you were trying to touch your armpit with your chin.
4. Step 4: Repeat steps 1 through 3 about 20 times in a row.

Is a heat pad good for neck pain?

Heat Therapy
This improves blood circulation in the painful or stiff area. Heat therapy may increase flexibility and reduce muscle tightness by warming up muscles and other soft tissues. For chronic neck pain and stiffness, applying heat therapy can be a relatively inexpensive and convenient way to get some relief.

How can I make my standing desk more comfortable?

Summary of the proper way to use a standing desk

1. Always adjust your standing desk to your elbows’ height.
2. Keep your neck tall and your shoulders relaxed.
3. Don’t lock your knees while standing.
4. Keep your screen at eye-level.
5. Keep your wrists straight and parallel to the desk surface.

Should you use a standing desk all day?

Sitting behind your desk all day is bad for your health and experts have long been advising people to stand at their workstations for about 15 minutes an hour. But a University of Waterloo professor says his research shows that people should be standing for at least 30 minutes per hour to get health benefits.

What is the proper way to use a standing desk?

Stand with your head back, and hips upright with an ‘S’ curve in your spine. Maintain good ergonomic principles: find a good chair, use proper pelvic support, and have your knees at 90 degrees. Raise your monitor height to be level with your eyes. Position your eyes to be 20-28 inches from the monitor screen.

Why won’t my neck pain go away?

The most common causes of chronic neck pain are muscle strain and nerve compression. Depending on the symptoms you’re experiencing, it can be difficult to tell which of these is occurring. Most muscle strain comes from activities that place a lot of uneven strain on one side of your neck.

How do I loosen up my neck muscles?

Side Rotation

1. Keep your head squarely over your shoulders and your back straight.
2. Slowly turn your head to the right until you feel a stretch in the side of your neck and shoulder.
3. Hold the stretch for 15-30 seconds, and then slowly turn your head forward again.
4. Repeat on your left side. Do up to 10 sets.

Can I massage a stiff neck?

Massage. Massaging can help reduce the tension in your muscles that may be making your neck stiff. There are massages you can do on yourself. However, we recommend asking a partner to massage your neck or visiting a professional for help.

Should I ice a stiff neck?

Cold therapy/ice packs help relieve most types of neck stiffness by reducing local inflammation. Applying ice during the first 24 to 48 hours of a painful flare-up usually has the most benefit in terms of reducing inflammation. Applying heat to the neck can spur blood flow, which fosters a better healing environment.

Is heat or ice better for neck pain?

Generally, the recommendation is to use ice for the first 24 to 48 hours after an injury to reduce swelling, followed by heat to loosen muscles and improve stiffness.

Should I ice a sore neck?

Ice and/or heat.
Applying ice can help reduce swelling and pain. Applying heat may help relax muscles and bring more blood flow and healing nutrients to the injured area. For ice or heat therapy, applications are limited to 15 or 20 minutes with at least a 2-hour break in between to give the skin time to recover.

How long does neck pain last?

Acute neck pain usually goes away within about one to two weeks. In some people it comes back again in certain situations, such as after work or intensive sports. If the symptoms last longer than three months, it’s considered to be chronic neck pain.

How long do stiff necks last?

When you have a stiff neck, the soreness and restricted range of motion can make routine activities difficult. Symptoms typically last from just a day or two to a couple of weeks, and may be accompanied by a headache, shoulder pain, and/or pain that radiates down your arm.

Should I stretch a sore neck?

For most cases of simple neck pain, tightness, or discomfort, trying some neck stretches—like in the routine below—can be enough to alleviate the stiffness and help you feel better.

What is the fastest way to relieve neck pain?

Here are five quick fixes that can help if your neck hurts.

1. Stretch Out a Stiff Neck. A few times a day, give your neck a little rest and relaxation.
2. Alternate Ice and Heat for Neck Pain Relief.
3. Get a Relaxing Massage.
4. Use Over-the-Counter Pain Relievers.
5. Try Stress-Reducing Techniques for Neck Pain.

Is standing at your desk better than sitting?

The Pros. Besides less sitting time, standing at work has other benefits: More calories burned: One study showed that standing sheds 88 calories an hour, compared to 80 calories for sitting. Walking burns a lot more — 210 calories an hour.