How is your sitting posture?

 Does this remind you of the way you sit at your desk?
 

 Can you see the forward head and the collapsed chest,?

Most of us spend a good deal of time sitting at our desk or work
table. Are you comfortable after you have been sitting for a long
period of time? Do your shoulders and neck feel "tight" and "strained" when you get up?

What causes these problems and what can you do to avoid them? 

In order to sit properly, first if all, your hips need to be all the way back in the chair.
Your lower back needs to be supported and your head and neck will then balance on the top of your spine.
Many of us sit in what feels like a "relaxed" posture, but is really slouching. This
allows your head to be forward of mid - line, requiring your neck and
shoulder muscles to do all the work of holding your head up.
An average head can weigh up to fourteen pounds!
That's a lot of weight to support.
 

When you do not sit upright, the balance aspect is gone. Over time,
your muscles can become tight and overused.  One small movement in the
wrong direction will cause a spasm and, suddenly, you have a stiff
neck or intense pain in one shoulder.

 In summary, here are some specific tips to avoid these problems:

1.  First, check to see that you are sitting properly, hips all the
way back in your chair with your neck and head upright and your feet
touching the floor. You want to make sure that your lower back is
supported (use of a lumbar cushion is good - see below for link to  McKenzie Lumbar Support Cusihon) and that your elbows are
resting on the arms of the chair. Sitting in the right position is the
key to everything else in terms of maintaining comfort and ease of
movement.

 
2.  When talking on the phone, avoid holding the phone between your
head and shoulder. This is one of the worst things you can do because
it causes a tightening of your neck and shoulder, resulting in
possible long standing pain. Instead, use a headset, speakerphone or
just hold the receiver in your hand!

3.  At the computer, remember that the monitor should be at eye level
so that your neck is not tilted down or up, but is straight.
When using a mouse or touch pad, ideally your elbows should be supported to
relieve strain on your shoulders. To avoid carpal tunnel pain when
typing, you should have your wrists supported and ideally, your fingers lower
than your wrist. Use of a wrist rest pad can be beneficial.


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