Pain in the neck

I've been sitting at my computer most of the day today. Yeah, I got up several times to go to the bathroom, get food, do some laundry, but I've spent most of the day working at the computer. It's 3pm now and I am starting to realize that I am getting a bit of a headache starting right at the base of my neck telling me its time to quit this and go do some other work. But it got me to thinking....As a massage therapist I see a number of clients with specific pain issues from tension headaches, to low back pain, chronically tight neck and shoulder muscles. These folks come, get massage, feel better, go home feel good for a period of time and then the same issue returns. At this point I start to discuss with them what their activities are like that might be perpetuating the problem.

For folks who spend a large amount of time working on a computer you might want to take a minute to do an ergonomic evaluation of your set up (there are actually entire jobs and businesses dedicated to this one thing!). Is your screen right in front of you or do you have to look to the left or right (even just slightly to the side)? Do you have to scrunch down in your chair to look at it straight on? Is your chair at a comfortable height? Enough low back support? How is your posture? Are your shoulders hunched over? How is the height of your monitor? Mine was too low and I found myself slumping down to look at it. I put a small box under it to raise it up and I began noticing quite a difference within just a few minutes. Ok, I can go on, but you get the idea. You want to make sure that your workspace is set up to create the least amount of strain possible. I know you're thinking that having your screen just a little bit to the left isn't going to make a huge difference, but over time you'll start to feel it.
Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!