The average office worker sits at their desk 8 hours each day. It doesn’t matter how much money we spend on an ergonomic chair and desk. Repetitive strain and overuse injuries can happen any time we sit for long periods of time.
That’s why I implement as many small, ergonomic improvements as possible. Because anytime we physically place our hands on something, and hold them there, our shoulders activate and our torso tends to slouch forward naturally.
This is why it’s not uncommon to experience neck and shoulder pain from sitting at a desk.
Creating an ergonomic desk setup can help relieve the pain. But getting started with the setup can be overwhelming. This article will help you learn from my experience, how to improve posture while sitting at computer, by turning your desk into an asset that promotes good posture.
This article will also share the best ergonomic desk setup I use to help relieve neck and shoulder pain effectively.
Best Ergonomic Desk Setup for Neck and Shoulder Pain Relief
Poor sitting posture, for long periods of time, causes my body to naturally slouch forward. This can also cause forward head posture, which can put excessive strain on your neck.
Having an ergonomic desk setup is very important to me. It can stack the odds in my favor, leading to:
- Improved posture
- Decreased computer-related pain
- More energy
- Better mental clarity
- Increased work productivity
- Decreased muscle tension
- Better joint function
Not having an ergonomic desk is a liability that used to break me down, both physically and mentally. It caused me:
- Excessive muscle tension
- Chronic pain
- Joint dysfunction
- Fatigue
- Poor work productivity
What Causes Neck And Shoulder Pain From Sitting At Desk
Placing my hands on something in front of me for long periods of time
Sitting, by itself, didn’t necessarily cause my neck and shoulder pain. When I place my hands on something like a steering wheel, or keyboard and mouse, I immediately activate shoulder muscles to support my arms. Holding my arms in that position, for long periods of time, that’s what caused my shoulder pain.
Incorrect elbow and desk height
I used to sit with my elbows too low. They were below my desk height. In order to lift my hands up over the desk and onto my keyboard and mouse, I had to activate my bicep muscles. My biceps would stay activated all day. It was like holding a 1 pound bicep curl for 8 hours straight.
Bicep muscles are connected to tendons. Some of those tendons are connected to bone in the shoulder area. When my biceps got overused, they shortened. This pulled more on the tendons connected to my shoulder. As time went on, this load caused pain and inflammation. The pain was in my shoulder. But the cause of the pain was my shortened, overused biceps. The trigger that set these events in motion was having my elbow height too low (below my desk height).
Keyboard and mouse too far away from my body
Stress used to cause me to push my keyboard and mouse further away from my body as the day went on. The further away it got, the more I had to extend my arms, which put an excessive load onto my shoulder muscles.
Forward head posture
I used to slouch forward with my torso. That was painful enough for my back. But when my slouching got extreme, my head would go further in front of my body. This is called forward head posture. And it puts a lot of repetitive strain on your neck. Because the neutral position for a head is directly over the torso. Supporting forward head posture for 8 hours a day used to cause me chronic neck pain.
What Is an Ergonomic Desk
I use my ergonomic desk as an asset to improve posture at computer as soon as I sit down. And I don’t want to adjust my body to get into correct posture. I want to already be in a neutral position that comes easily and naturally.
What Are The Benefits Of Ergonomic Desk
Improved Computer Posture
Poor computer posture would cause me neck pain at an exponential rate. But having improved posture, with my head in a neutral position, that stacks the good posture odds in my favor.
Decreased Computer-Related Pain
An ergonomic desk allows me to have correct elbow height, desk height, eye level, and feet flat on the floor. All of these are directly related to preventing neck and shoulder pain from sitting at a computer.
Increased Energy
The more computer-related pain I have, the less energy I have. The better my computer posture is, the more energy I have.
Better Mental Clarity
I’m only allotted a certain amount of energy per day. And it has to be divided between physical and mental energy. When I have less physical pain, I have more mental energy available for my workday.
Increased Work Productivity
After stacking all these benefits of an ergonomic desk in my favor, they force multiply. The end result is improved work productivity.
What Is The Best Ergonomic Desk Setup for Neck and Shoulder Pain Relief
I keep my elbow height a couple inches higher than keyboard and mouse level
Keeping my elbow height above desk height allows me to relax my biceps. That way I don’t have to lift my hands up onto my keyboard and mouse. This is a great way to reduce computer-related shoulder pain.
I keep my keyboard and mouse close to my body
I never want to overextend my arms to reach for my keyboard and mouse. Doing so would cause more and more shoulder activation. Which over time, causes more shoulder pain.
Instead, I want to keep my keyboard as close to my body as I can. This helps me keep my shoulders in a relaxed, neutral position.
I keep the top of my monitor screen at eye level
This is a non-negotiable posture rule for me. I don’t care if I have to use a monitor stand or a monitor arm. I’m raising my external monitor until the top of the screen is even with my eye level (when I’m not slouching forward). I’ve even put my monitor on top of a 12 pack of can drinks before to get the monitor height correct. Whatever gets the job done.
Because function is a lot more important than form for me, when it comes to good computer posture. And looking down at a monitor that is too low is a posture mistake I used to make. It caused a lot of neck pain and dysfunction.
I keep the monitor position at a comfortable viewing distance away from my face
I don’t want my monitor too far away that I need to squint my eyes to see it. That would naturally cause me to slouch forward, which would also cause forward head posture and neck pain.
Keeping the monitor position at a comfortable distance allows me to keep my head over my torso naturally, in a neutral position.
I use a height-adjustable desk
This allows me to get the correct desk height quickly and easily. It doesn’t matter what position I’m working in. I could be sitting on an office chair, using it as a standing desk, or sitting on a stool.
It makes it easy to keep my elbows at a minimum 90-degree angle. Slightly more than that is actually the most comfortable for me. Where my elbows are a couple inches above desk height.
That’s the way I determine how high should a standing desk be. It’s a great way to prevent shoulder pain that is computer-related.
I use a lumbar support when sitting in an office chair
This doesn’t only prevent back pain. Because when my lumbar curve flattens out, it sets off a chain reaction of misalignment throughout my entire spine. This causes me to slouch forward, lower my elbows, and lean my head forward. All of which cause shoulder and neck pain.
My lumbar support provides stability at the base of my spine. This allows me to maintain an upright torso, with a spine in a neutral position, and its natural curves intact. This sets me up for success when it comes to preventing shoulder and neck pain.
Snag your copy of my book, 45 Ways to Improve Computer Posture, whenever you’re ready.
Thanks for your interest in computer posture.
Todd Bowen – Computer Posture Correction and Pain-Free Ergonomics: For Office Workers Who Want to Increase Work Productivity