Is Working From Home a Pain in Your Neck?

Working from home can come with plenty of perks. It adds some flexibility to your schedule by eliminating your commute. It makes it easier to take care of kids and pets. And it might mean you can take your Zoom calls with more comfortable pants on. 

But working from home can come with one notable drawback. Specifically, if you don’t have an ergonomic desk setup, the way you’re spending your workday could be taxing your body. 

Have you noticed persistent neck pain? If so, Dr. Halina Snowball can help you find out what’s behind that discomfort. Whether it’s your work setup or something else, she partners with you to treat the root cause so you can get relief. Visit us at Integrated Pain Solutions in Stamford, Connecticut, if you’ve been experiencing ongoing pain in your neck. 

In the meantime, we have some tips to help you avoid neck and back pain as you work from home.

Take the laptop out of your lap

Comfort is one of the biggest benefits of working from home. But getting too comfortable could actually cause you pain.

While it might be tempting to take your laptop to the couch or another soft surface, working with it in your lap for extended periods can cause issues. When your laptop is in your lap, you have to crane your neck downward. This can strain your cervical (upper) spine, contributing to neck issues. 

Take your desk setup seriously

Even if you don’t have a dedicated office in your home, you should set up a space from which you can work. Here are some tips to make that area more ergonomic.

• Put your laptop or monitor on something (even a stack of books) so it’s at eye level
• Find a chair with armrests for support
• Use an external mouse and keyboard to minimize wrist strain
• Add lumbar support to your chair (something as simple as a rolled-up towel helps)
• Adjust your chair height so your knees are bent at 90 degrees and your feet are flat 

If you can’t find a chair that allows you to rest your feet flat on the floor, put something like an old shoe box or crate under them. Letting your feet dangle all day can stress your pelvis and spine. 

Take breaks

At the office, it’s common to get up from your desk. Maybe you have a meeting with a colleague in a different room or you’re getting up to grab coffee. 

Try to do the same at home. If you sit at your desk for too long, it can strain your body. As you get fatigued, you’re more likely to slump into a bad posture that misaligns your cervical spine. Aim to get up, even just to get a glass of water, every hour or so. 

These tips should help you improve your work setup to limit further strain on your neck. But if the neck pain doesn’t go away, don’t hesitate to call our team at 203-293-0549 or request an appointment online today. At our office, Dr. Snowball offers a variety of treatments — from massage to extracorporeal pulse activation technology (EPAT®) — to help your neck heal.