Remote working is gaining traction in the UK as more workers seek to improve their work-life balance. However, about 37.7% of remote workers complained of neck pain in 2020, which is a significant rise from only 1.42% in 2019. The drastic rise in the number of workers complaining of neck pain points to their workstations.
As workers shift their workstations from the office to their home, they are likely to use wrong furniture. If you are currently suffering from neck pain, check the ergonomics of the office desk and chair at your workstation. Otherwise, here are five ways of treating work-related neck pain.
1. Get an Ergonomic Office Chair and Desk
Working from home can tempt you to work from the bed, on the sofa, or use your dining table as your workstation. Although sitting on the bed or the sofa can be comfortable for some time, you are likely to develop neck and back pain, especially when you spend long hours working on your laptop. This type of neck pain can be treated by assuming the right posture when working on your computer or laptop.
An ergonomic office chair can help you maintain the right sitting posture when working. The chair should have an adjustable headrest in addition to other adjustable features. Although you are required to sit upright when working, the headrest allows you to rest your head and ease any tension on your neck muscles.
If occasional use of the headrest does not ease the pain, then check the adjustment of your chair. To give you the right sitting posture, the seat should be high enough to allow your feet to rest on the floor or on the footrest. Adjusting your seat height could help you deal with the neck pain.
2. Adjust the Positioning of your Computer
Neck pain can also result from prolonged strain caused by a poorly positioned computer. When working on a computer, the screen should be set at eye level. It should not be too high or too low that you have to look up or bend to read something on your screen. To make this possible, most computers come with adjustable monitors.
Using a laptop may make adjusting the screen to your eye level a little difficult. However, you can adjust your seat or desk height to get the right view when using your laptop. If adjusting the seat or desk may compromise your sitting posture, you can elevate the laptop using a platform such as a book.
3. Use a Standing Desk
Neck pain can also be caused by long hours of sitting. If you spend long hours at your workstation, you can change to a standing desk. A standing desk helps you to alternate between sitting and standing at your workstation.
You can start your work on a normal seated position since it makes it easier for you to work. After some hours, you can adjust the desk to allow you to continue working from a standing position. You can then adjust back to the normal working position.
4. Include Physical Exercise in Your Daily Routine
Inadequate or absence of physical exercises might be the reason you are experiencing neck and back pain. Including a workout plan in your daily routine may help you treat the pain and improve your productivity.
Getting a workout plan, however, does not mean spending the whole day at the gym. A good plan should help you reduce the risk of neck and back pain but should not interfere with your working schedule.
If you are working from home, you can assign yourself about 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical exercises or 15 minutes of vigorous exercise per day. Since you are trying to treat neck pain, the physical activities should focus on strengthening the muscles around your neck and shoulders.
5. Try Over the Counter Medication or See a Doctor
If simple adjustments to your routine do not help, it might be time to try medication. You can start with a cold press and then move to a hot press to reduce the pain and allow you to complete your assignment.
If the pain does not go away, you can get over the counter painkillers to alleviate the pain. If the pain continues, you should visit a doctor for proper medical examination. Your doctor will identify the cause of the neck pain and recommend the right therapy to ease the pain.
We Can Help
At Flexispot, we understand that neck pain can significantly affect your productivity. Since most neck pains are due to poor sitting postures, we are dedicated to providing you with ergonomic office chairs with a headrest to help you prevent or treat neck pain.
