Hacks to Make Your Workspace More Neck-Friendly

Neck pain stemming from the workplace is shockingly common. Experts estimate that 42-63% of office workers experience neck pain in a given year. While you might develop neck pain working in nearly any industry, neck pain is most prevalent among people with desk jobs. 

At Pain Management Associates LLC in Greenbelt, Maryland, medical director Haddis Hagos, MD, and his team want to help you avoid neck pain by preparing your workspace to be easier on your neck. 

Making a few easy adjustments to your work area may help you keep your neck in better alignment to prevent strain and neck pain. That way, you miss fewer workdays due to neck pain and reduce your need for professional treatment. 

Here are our top hacks to make your workspace more neck-friendly:

Use an ergonomic chair

Ergonomics focuses on arranging or structuring furniture to ease strain on your body and be more comfortable. An ergonomic office chair is designed to help you sit comfortably with plenty of support for your spine, helping you sit straight and prevent strain. 

A good ergonomic chair has adjustable armrests that you can move up and down or back and forward. It also has lumbar back support to help keep your posture straight. You should adjust the chair so that your feet are flat on the ground with your knees at 90 degree angles while sitting in it. 

Using an ergonomic chair in your workspace helps you keep great posture to reduce strain in your neck and back. 

Adjust the height of your desk

Consider also adjusting the height of your desk. To prevent neck strain, your computer monitor should be at eye level. To make this happen, you might need a riser for your desk or a desk with adjustable height. 

You might also consider working at a standing desk, which can help you change positions more often to prevent pain in your neck and elsewhere. 

Adjust your screen brightness and prevent glare

Tech neck can come at least partially from eyestrain, which happens when you look at a screen all day while working. If your screen is too dim, you can strain your eyes to see it clearly. 

Make sure your screen is at an appropriate brightness level, and avoid glare on the screen from the sun and other light sources. Glares can obstruct your view of the screen and cause you to strain your eyes and neck. 

Get a document holder

If you work with physical documents, avoid laying them on the desk and bending your neck down to view them. Consider equipping your workspace with a document holder that positions the papers at eye height. 

Not only will you avoid hanging your head for long periods of time, but you’ll also avoid constantly moving your neck to look up at your screen and back down again. 

Make your workspace break-friendly

Frequent breaks are key to preventing work-related neck pain and other strains. If possible, make sure your work area has enough space to stretch a little and move around. This can help relieve tension in your neck and boost your energy to get through the day. 

Get in touch

Our team at Pain Management Associates LLC can teach you more about tech neck and how neck pain can come from work. Call Pain Management Associates LLC or book online to explore treatments for neck pain and learn more prevention strategies.