healthy neck

If your desk lighting is insufficient, your head will have the tendency to crane forward to read off the computer screen. A forward position of the head places undo stress on the upper vertebrae of the neck and the sub occipital muscles at the base of the head. Headaches are often the result.

Uncorrected near or far sightedness can cause craning of the head similar to that mentioned with poor lighting.Occasionally I will also see a patient who turns his or her head slightly to the side in order to see directly ahead. These people have learned to rely more on their peripheral vision to focus on objects due to a condition known as strabismus.

The only way to breathe effectively in this position is to turn your head to one side. Hopefully it is becoming clear to you that sustained neck rotation is a bad thing.

This bad habit is particularly devastating to necks. It usually results in both a forward and a rotated position of the neck, a double whammy. Some patients

During your break, breathe deeply from your abdomen. Relax your arms in your lap, and then stand up and stretch your neck and shoulders. You can set a recurring reminder in your e mail or scheduling program to help you remember to take a break. Try these workstation stretches recommended by the National Institute of Health.

First, adjust your chair height so your feet are firmly supported by the floor (or a foot rest) and your thighs are parallel to the ground. Next, adjust the backrest so that it supports your lower back. The backrest (not your arms) should support your torso weight.

Set your work surface to elbow height. A desk thats too high can give you shoulder fatigue. If you use a fixed height work surface, try installing a keyboard and mouse tray that you can adjust.

Place your monitor at arms length and make sure the top of your screen is eye level when sitting up straight. (Bifocal users might need a lower monitor.) Center your monitor and keyboard in front of you so you dont twist your neck while typing. If you refer to documents while typing, consider using a document stand to position documents near eye level.

Throughout the day, try moving the mouse to alternate sides of the keyboard. Switching hands will help balance the load between your arms. This can be particularly helpful if your shoulder or neck hurts on one side only. You can use a symmetrical mouse to make left and right hand pointing more comfortable. Check out the ergonomic symmetrical mouse devices designed by Microsoft.

Never hold the phone between your head and shoulder. If you use the phone frequently, use a headset to reduce the strain on your neck.