Most of the population sits A LOT. Whether due to their job, school, commuting, or methods of relaxing. When a person is stuck in one posture for extended periods of time, it can lead to aches and pains throughout the body. Low back pain, shoulder pain, mid back pain, neck pain, headaches, wrist pain, I could go on forever! Most general aches and pains can have some connection to your sitting posture. Let me give you some pointers to consider and see if this may help some of those nagging aches.
The best posture is the next posture
There is no one perfect posture if you are stuck there all day. It is more important to try and change postures every 30-45 minutes. When taking a sip of water or going to check your emails, try and squeeze your shoulder blades 10 times to encourage you to sit up right a little more and maybe get out of that forward lean. Get up and take a quick stretch break. The most important thing is that 3 hours don’t disappear, and you realize that you have not moved an inch!
Desk Set Up
- Try and keep your monitor at eye level and have your keyboard close to your body.
- You can stack some books under your laptop to help elevate the screen.
- Another option is to buy a laptop or book stand. These can also be portable, which are especially helpful if you are a student going between classes.
- Sit in a chair with back support to avoid slumping.
- One of my favorite suggestions is to put a lumbar pillow in the small arch of your back. You can either buy one of these or create it with a rolled-up beach towel and some tape
- Have your feet on the ground. If you are short, try to use a footstool to bring the floor to you.
- If you have a standing desk, mix it up every hour and transition to standing.
Posture
- Avoid the slump
- Have lumbar support
- Squeeze your shoulder blades periodically
- Have your head in line with your shoulders to help your neck
- Relax your shoulders
- Move every 30-45 minutes
And of course, reach out to us if you have any questions or if your pain doesn’t improve with any of these suggestions. Posture is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to solving aches and pains, but it is an important one! And again, the best advice I have for you is "The best posture is the next posture". Mix things up and don't stay static. Movement is key!
Author
Alana Hamilton
Alana Hamilton is a physical therapist at Advantage Physical Therapy in Falls Church, Virginia. She is a proud Hokie from Virginia Tech with a major in Biology and a minor in psychology and sociology. Following graduation, she immediately got her doctorate in Physical Therapy from Radford University. She is an avid fan of Pilates, running, and hiking. On the weekends, she can be found hanging out with her family and baby as well as doing Spartan races with her old physical therapy classmates and friends. She is a big believer that during rehabilitation, "Motion is the Lotion" and that staying active is key to remaining healthy.
