Staying in one position for too long starts to cause pain. The longer people sit or stand without a change in position or varying movement, the more likely they will be to develop a postural backache according to a report in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. Whether sitting on a bus, in a movie theater, on the road, or at a computer for hours, we may be “training” our body’s muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, etc., to tighten or overstretch and become weak and unbalanced. When we do it every day, structures adapt and chronic problems can develop. Repetitive motions build patterns and habits, which can be unhealthy without regular breaks and using the correct muscles and postures.

Any type of desk work over time can lead to poor posture. Prolonged sitting can cause weakness and a loss of muscle strength in key stabilizers. This imbalance is often described as tightness, stiffness, back pain, headaches, or general achy, deep pains. The imbalance can start in one spot and slowly move to a different location as the body attempts to protect already inflamed areas. For example, often years of desk work often correlates with rotator cuff and frozen shoulder problems!

When posture is poor it also can have several secondary effects on our body. It can affect organs, such as less expansion of the lungs resulting in up to 30% less oxygen capacity, thus reducing availability to all tissues including our brains. Sitting can compress the abdomen which can decrease peristalsis, a critical part of digestion and bowel function, which involves the movement of digesting matter through our intestinal tract. Over time these imbalances restrict normal body functions beyond achy muscles or limited range motion due to tightness.

As computers and electronics are used for more hours on a daily basis, generally we tend to begin slouching forward, head down or jutting out, shoulders rounded--perhaps even with jaw clenched--resulting in hours and hours of strain on the body. This postural decay can lead to a repetitive stress injury. If not corrected, this can eventually transition into serious degeneration, arthritis, and permanent changes.

Although we cannot ditch the desk and repetitive daily routines, we can change our habits and daily impact on our bodies. Maintaining correct posture is an essential component to working at a desk. Dr. Quint of Active Motion Chiropractic in Bend, Oregon will help you improve your posture with simple exercises and retraining advice. She will help you add simple, healthy habits in your daily routine that guide your body naturally to be more stabilized and supported.

Just like training for a marathon, it takes time to condition your body for your persistent activities. Poor postural habits do not develop overnight and they don’t change immediately either.  However, with a little energy and effort focused in right direction, the human body is remarkably adaptable and can be retrained to return to a healthy posture naturally without having to think about it. And best of all, without using pharmaceutical drugs to mask the chronic pain!

Have you had your work station evaluated?

How you sit is very important. Like trying on shoes, how you fit your computer workstation and how your computer fits you is a key to resolving desk issues.  

Make sure your wrists are not being bent up or down or straining to reach the keyboard.

Forearms should be on equal height with your fingers on your keyboard to avoid reaching up or downwards. Keep elbows at a 90 degree angle for proper desk ergonomics.

Your shoulders should be relaxed down and back while sitting. If the desk is too high the tendency is to shrug your shoulders up to adjust.

Avoid compressing the chest and rounding your shoulders forward. Not only does this add strain on your back, it adds additional pressure to rotator cuff musculature, setting you up for shoulder dysfunction or injury.

Have the monitor straight forward, the top at eye level without having to turn your head. Having the computer at a slight angle can lead to chronic neck pain, stiffness, and headaches.

Avoid crossing your legs while sitting. It puts more pressure on one side of the low back, pelvis and hips. This causes tightening in some low back, pelvic and leg muscles and weakening of others. Results can be decreased circulation in your legs and feet and can lead to piriformis syndrome and sciatic nerve pain.