Neck pain at home during coronavirus lockdown
Thanks to our newly quarantined and less active lifestyle, complaints of tightness around the neck and shoulders, pain and headaches are on the rise.
Adjusting to this new work-from-home life is taking a toll on our bodies.
Many families have never had so many people at home and wanting to use devices at one time. The only desk in a quiet place in the house may be grabbed on a first come first servce basis!
Improvised work desks at the kitchen table, or on the couch are becoming the new norm and are not doing our bodies any good. Not having a good workstation set up, increased screen time, cramped spaces and not moving as much is all catching up on us.
Causes of neck pain
A common cause of neck pain and headaches is muscle tension due to poor posture. Our heavy head is often reaching forwards or down as we read our phones, tablets or laptops, which can lead to tight muscles, restricted blow flow leading to neck pain and tension type headaches.
Solutions for neck pain and tightness
Here are a few solutions you can try when you’re not able to get a face to face appointment to ease out the muscle tension:
Try to use your screen on a table and not on the couch. If you are spending long periods doing work, invest in a seperate keyboard (cheap as posh chips – £15 on amazon!) and raise your laptop up on a few books so the top of the screen is at eye level. If you want to invest in a proper laptop set up you can buy a nice laptop stand from Bakker Elkhuizen, the one in the set up below is about £120-130!!
Avoid staying in the same position for too long. A variety of movement is better than static postures. Stand up and move every 30 minutes. Set a timer on your phone, use an app on your laptop to lock the screen at set time periods or to remind you to stand up
Try these exercises from the two most famous physiotherapists on the internet – the slightly comedy duo – Bob and Brad.
Join one of our online pilates classes for a regular 30 minute stretch and workout
If you have any questions about neck pain/ tension/ headaches and would like to speak with a physiotherapist about your issue then you can contact us on 02892661435 or email us on info@advancephysio.biz or txt us on 07957662361.
Patricia@advancephysio