Good Desk Posture…
One of the most common causes of spinal problems (the kind that can cause back pain, neck pain, headaches, sciatica, or affect our health and well-being) is poor desk posture. We tend to spend long hours with little movement when we are doing office work and this can cause the joints of the spine to get jammed or restricted in positions that cause irritation.
The two biggest factors in whether your desk posture will cause issues are: the length of time you remain without moving, and your actual position or posture.
To help with the first, all you need to do it to schedule regular breaks. If you are just thinking, or talking on the phone, get up and move around.
Poor Neck Posture
Posture
When we spend longs periods of time with our head forward, or down, the spinal joints at the base of the neck of tend to get restricted. This can cause neck and shoulder pain, headaches, dizziness and make you feel tense or tired. With prolonged sitting, especially if you are slouching, spinal joints in the low back can get jammed, which can lead to back pain, sciatica, or affect your health and well-being.
To help with the correct desk posture I recommend using the “3 Backs Rule”.
The “3 Backs Rule”:
- Chin BACK. To avoid poor neck posture, keep your chin back and neck tall. Don’t let your chin/head sink forward or down. To assist, use a PC computer screen instead of a laptop, use screen lifters (even a stack of books) to keep the top of your monitor at eye level, and hold your mobile phone higher.
- Elbows BACK. Keep your elbows beside your torso, especially your computer ‘mouse’ hand. When the elbows are forward it rounds the shoulders and promotes back neck posture.
- Pelvis BACK. Every time you sit down, take the time to move your pelvis back as far as you can in the seat so there is no space between your pelvis and the backrest of your chair. This will support your pelvis in a more upright position where the lumbar joints are less likely to become restricted.
THE 3 BACKS
More on common causes of spinal problems here.
Stefan Becker
Sarrià Quiropràctica