Relieve Computer Neck & Shoulder Tension

Relieve Computer Neck & Shoulder Tension By Anita BOSER LMP, CHP, RYT

Many of our clients experience headaches and neck and shoulder pain on a regular basis.  Sitting in front of a computer is often to blame.  When I used to work in an office, I discovered a combination of techniques that relieved the tension.  Now that I’ve changed careers, I teach these to my clients.  I hope you can pass these on to your clients and also use them to counteract the forward posture that massage therapists naturally fall into.

Many of our clients experience headaches and neck and shoulder pain on a regular basis.  Sitting in front of a computer is often to blame.  When I used to work in an office, I discovered a combination of techniques that relieved the tension.  Now that I’ve changed careers, I teach these to my clients.  I hope you can pass these on to your clients and also use them to counteract the forward posture that massage therapists naturally fall into.

Many of our clients experience headaches and neck and shoulder pain on a regular basis.  Sitting in front of a computer is often to blame.  When I used to work in an office, I discovered a combination of techniques that relieved the tension.  Now that I’ve changed careers, I teach these to my clients.  I hope you can pass these on to your clients and also use them to counteract the forward posture that massage therapists naturally fall into.

It’s no surprise that over half the people who work with computers experience neck and shoulder pain.  The computer monitor is a magnet that draws your eyeballs and the rest of your body follows into an unconscious slouch; before you know it your chest droops, shoulders hunch, and chin juts forward.  (Sheepishly, I admit to sometimes finding myself in this position when working over my massage table.)

Tension is inevitable when the front of the body shortens like this, and the back of the body gets taut to counterbalance the forward lean.  When you find yourself like this, three things help: 1) take a break, 2) reverse the slouch, and/or 3) return to good posture.

Unlearn the habit developed in grade schooled; don’t be still for long.  The longer you are in one position, the more your body solidifies.  Your muscles actually prefer to move, so reposition yourself every few minutes.  You can even sit on a balance ball to keep from freezing in place.  Get up, stretch, or just wiggle often.

When the spine is stretched in flexion, muscles and joints get damaged gradually unless you spend some time in the opposite position.  Reverse computer posture with stretches or undulations.  An effective stretch is to interlace your fingers behind your head, gently draw the elbows back and lift one elbow toward the ceiling to stretch that side and then lift the other elbow to stretch the other side.   Another option is the Reverse the Slouch undulation:  let your chest drop forward as you roll back on your pelvis, then roll your pelvis forward, lift your chest up and bring your arms back.  As you exhale curl in and as you inhale open the front of your body.  The idea is to move between flexion and extension as well as to stretch the muscles that get shortened.

Your muscles tighten less when you have good posture, so it’s worth the time and money to set up an ergonomic work station.

For your computer station:

Proper chair height has your hips slightly higher than your knees with your feet firm on the floor.  Your arms should relax by your sides.  Put the keyboard at the same height or slightly lower than your elbows so your wrists are not bent.  Keep the mouse as close to the keyboard as possible, so you don’t have to reach far for it.  The best position for the screen is to be directly in front of your face about 20 inches away, so you don’t have to look up, down, or to the right or left.

For your massage table:

Adjust the height of the table, so you can lift your chest when working.  Bend your knees rather than dropping your ribcage.  Flex at the hips rather than through the spine.  If you do massage work when seated at times, choose a chair (or balance ball) that follows the guidelines above.

Being conscious of your body is the first step toward relieving tension.  Whenever you notice strain, reduce the toll exacted by unnatural posture (whether it’s at a computer, construction site or massage office) by moving frequently, stretching to counterbalance common strains, and resuming good posture as often as you can.

Learn more about relieving strain at www.undulationexercise.com.   Anita Boser is a Certified Hellerwork Structural Integration Practitioner, Registered Yoga Teacher and author of Relieve Stiffness and Feel Young Again with Undulation.