Neck and shoulder pain from desk work: what helps

Neck, shoulder and upper-back ache is one of the most common complaints among people who work at a screen. The usual explanation — bad posture — is only part of the story, and chasing a perfect sitting position tends to disappoint. The stronger predictor is how long you hold any position without moving.

Why stillness is the problem

Muscles that hold a low-level contraction for hours fatigue, restrict their own blood flow, and start to ache. That happens in an ergonomically perfect chair as readily as a bad one. This is why the most reliable advice from occupational health guidance is not a posture but a habit: change position often, and get up regularly.

What actually helps

• Break up sitting. Stand or walk for a couple of minutes at least every half hour. Tie it to something you already do — the kettle, the end of a call.
• Get the screen height right. The top of the screen roughly at eye level, about an arm's length away. Laptop users benefit most from a stand plus a separate keyboard, because a laptop forces a choice between neck and wrists.
• Support your forearms. Shoulders relaxed, elbows near your sides at roughly a right angle. Most desk neck pain is shoulders quietly held up for hours.
• Move in the opposite direction. A few shoulder rolls, gentle neck turns and a doorway chest stretch counteract the forward-folded shape of desk work.
• Build general strength. Meeting the national activity guidelines does more for desk pain than any single piece of equipment.

When to get it looked at

See a physiotherapist, chiropractor or registered massage therapist if the pain has lasted more than a few weeks, keeps returning, or is limiting your work. Hands-on treatment plus a specific exercise plan works better than either alone.

Seek care promptly for numbness, tingling or weakness running down an arm, neck pain following a fall or collision, neck pain with fever or severe headache, or pain that consistently wakes you at night.

A note on expensive chairs

Good equipment helps, but no chair removes the need to move. If the budget is limited, spend it on a screen at the right height and a habit of standing up — not on the chair.

Sources

• Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety — Office ergonomics
• Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety — Working in a sitting position
• Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology — 24-Hour Movement Guidelines