You sit down at your computer, ready to put in a full day's work
and make some serious headway on your projects. You know you'll easily
be spending 8 to 10 hours sitting in front of the computer.
You've
set up your computer workstation as effectively as you can figure. Your
keyboard is appropriately placed in front of you and your monitor is
directly in front of you at eye level. So why will your neck start to
hurt? Why will your effectiveness be destroyed by the nagging,
aggravating neck pain that seems to show up more and more frequently?
If
you are regularly spending a lot of time in front of a computer, you
have to realize that your body is going to begin to change and adapt to
take on this frequent activity. Your front neck muscles are slowly
growing shorter and tighter, while the muscles in the back of your neck
are growing longer and weaker.
The back muscles are also growing
full of spasm and knots while they are forced to hold up your ten pound
head for hours at a time. You would think they would grow stronger from
having to hold your head up all the time, but it just never seems to
work that way. As they get longer, they are growing weaker, and the job
of holding up your head becomes increasingly difficult.
The best
options are to do exercises and activities that will counteract the
extended computer usage. The rule of thumb is to spend time stretching
the front of your neck and strengthening the muscles in the back. This
same rule applies to anyone looking to improve posture.
To stretch
the front of the neck, turn your head slightly to one side, about
forty-five degrees. If you turn your head to the right, you are
stretching the left and vice versa. Place your right hand on left side
of your chest and pull down gently as you tilt your head back. Stop
immediately if you feel sharp pain or any dizziness.
To strengthen
the back of the neck, the easiest route would be with a neck exercise
machine. Some health clubs have them, but they are more of a specialized
device. You can also fold up a towel and place it against a wall. Put
the back of your head against the towel and push into it. Hold for a few
seconds and release. This is an isometric contraction.
If you are
unable to complete some of these movements, or you find that you can't
painlessly move your head backwards, it may be time to visit a
chiropractor. The chiropractor will perform a spinal adjustment and
restore the normal movement of your spine.
Your neck shouldn't
hurt just because your sitting in front of your computer. You've got to
work and pain can be a nuisance, but it doesn't have to be there with a
little effort.
