As the days continue to go by and my wife, Shannon, occupies the only desk we have in the house and I have found myself without a desk. So, for the time being, I've resorted to the kitchen countertop and sit on a barstool. I have tried to sit properly. I preach sitting posture ALL DAY at work. But I haven't been very successful. It's just almost impossible to completely protect your body when you are sitting on a laptop working for a long duration of time.
These few weeks, my hips were constantly aching, so I wrote my first COVID blog about how to alleviate some of that tension. Now this week, my neck is starting to bother me so I thought it was time to share some neck pain tips.
Most of my neck pain is largely due to the fact that my neck has not been properly supported.
The neck (as pictured from my Essential Anatomy app) has many components. As you can see (apologies for my poor handwriting) the red is the gravity and load line. The green line indicates the important muscles that line the spine called Multifidus muscles which are used to stabilize the spine. Last, the yellow lines are where the nerve roots are located.
The neck features both free movement and dynamic stability. It's the platform our eyes and heads will follow and a necessary entity for support.
Good things for your neck happen only when you're in the most optimal position possible. That being said, I quickly have fallen prey to the constant load of gravity. So first things first, make sure you are in a good posture!
Whether you are in a good posture or not, try this new neck exercise every 30-45 minutes and let me know if you get some relief!
Keep social distancing and we hope you are hanging in here while working from home. To all of you essential workers, thank you for sacrificing your health and safety so the rest of us can get groceries and go to the doctor! Stay healthy and we look forward to seeing you all when this crazy time has passed.
Remember, we will get better together,
Dr. Justin Lin
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