Back pain is a common issue for those of us who spend long periods of time at a computer.
❓But why does our back hurt from sitting?
We aren’t taking any hard impact, like running, or falling on the ground.
We aren’t lifting anything heavy, which is another obvious cause of back pain.
“Sit up straight” isn’t good enough advice anymore. We need to really understand what we’re doing wrong, before we can correct our sitting posture.
I’ve learned that 3 mistakes contributed the most to my (computer-related) back pain. This article will describe those posture mistakes, as well as 3 different solutions to help us maintain a neutral spine while sitting at a computer.
Quick disclaimer: This article is not professional medical advice. It’s based off my personal experience and opinions. For years, my poor computer posture caused muscle tension, inflammation, and chronic pain. Bad posture also decreased my mental clarity, energy level, and work productivity.
All the desk worker health tips I write about are directly related to improving posture at a computer. We are our own primary caretakers. Do your research. Make good decisions. And be the best advocate possible for your own healthcare.
How to Maintain a Neutral Spine at a Computer
❌ Computer Posture Mistakes that Cause Back Pain
⛔️ Slouching forward at a computer
Any time we place our hands on a keyboard and mouse, the natural tendency is to slouch our torso forward.
This mistake gets even more painful, when we hold that keyboard and mouse for 8 hours a day. This is known as a repetitive strain and overuse injury.
But what actually makes us slouch forward? Read the next 2 mistakes to find out…
⛔️ Desk chair too low
Sitting too low was the most common trigger that caused me to slouch forward. I used to sit with my elbow level below the desk level. This meant I had to constantly activate my biceps (8 hours a day) in order to lift my hands up onto the keyboard and mouse.
Everything in our bodies is connected, whether it’s directly or indirectly. The overuse of my biceps caused the next muscle in line to also tighten. Which was my shoulders. This caused excessive internal shoulder rotation for me. And this internal rotation easily leads to slouching forward at a computer.
⛔️ Monitor too low
A low monitor can also cause office workers to slouch their torso forward. Because we’re forced to tilt our heads downward to see our screen.
This disrupts alignment throughout our entire spine. And the lower back is at the end of the line. So, in my experience, the lower back gets the majority of the overextension, pressure, and eventually pain.
By identifying and correcting these 2 habits, my computer-related pain decreased significantly.
Continue below to see how I stopped slouching forward by correcting my elbow height and monitor height.
✅ 3 Ways to Maintain a Neutral Spine at a Computer
1️⃣ Sit with an upright torso 🩻
“Sit up straight” is not great advice. I would describe correct spinal alignment at a computer as…
“Sit with an upright torso, with a neutral, balanced spine. Make sure all the natural curves of the spine stay intact. Especially when sitting at a computer for long periods of time.”
I know this is easier said than done. But the next 2 cues will also help us sit at a computer correctly.
From a front or rear angle, a neutral spine is straight.
But from a side angle, a neutral spine is not straight. It has natural curves.
Maintaining these natural curves is crucial. Especially when working on a computer for long periods of time.
We want to avoid slumping or slouching forward. But we also want to avoid sitting up “too straight.”
All these can overextend the spine, which can cause a chain reaction of muscle tension throughout the rest of the body.
Take a look at the 2 images below. Notice the different, natural curves in the lower, mid, and upper spine.
2️⃣ Raise your chair to get the correct elbow height 👆
I like to keep my elbow height slightly above desk level. That’s one reason I have a height-adjustable desk.
But not all desks are height-adjustable. If yours isn’t, raise your chair up until your elbows are slightly above desk level. This will decrease that constant activation from the biceps (caused by when elbow level was too low).
If your chair doesn’t raise that high, you could get a new chair. But ideally, I’d get a height-adjustable desk instead. They have come way down in price since they were first an ergonomic option. Plus, a height-adjustable desk allows us to switch between sitting and standing multiple times throughout our workday.
Anyway, keeping my elbows slightly above desk level eliminated repetitive strain injuries in my biceps. Which used to be a natural trigger for me to slouch forward at our computer.
Side note: If your desk isn’t height adjustable, raising your chair high to get the correct elbow height might lift your feet off the floor. In this case, I would keep my chair height there, but I’d invest in a footrest. To learn more, check out my article titled How to Position Feet When Sitting at a Computer.
3️⃣ Position the top of the monitor at eye level 🖥️
Once our elbow height is correct, we need to get our monitor height correct.
I keep my monitor height so the top of the screen is at eye level. This encourages an upright torso for me. Which helps me prevent the natural tendency to slouch forward.
I want my computer desk to be an ergonomic asset as soon as I sit down. I don’t want to have to adjust my body to get into good posture. I want my elbows, eye level, hips, knees, and feet to line up as soon as I sit down.
Implementing these adjustments has made maintaining a neutral spine sitting posture at a computer much easier for me.
Remember, small changes in your daily habits can lead to sizeable improvements in comfort, mental clarity, and work productivity. Not to mention a decrease in computer-related back pain.
THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST IN COMPUTER POSTURE.
If you’ve read this far, congratulations! You’re taking valuable steps to reduce computer-related injuries by improving your posture. That’s something to be very proud of!
If you liked this article on how to maintain a neutral spine at a computer, check out my free ebook titled 3 Ways to Improve Computer Posture Immediately!
>>> Click here to download your free copy
This ebook is a great supplement to the article you just read. In this ebook, you’ll learn 3 of the most painful, poor computer posture mistakes. Then, you’ll learn how to fix those mistakes immediately with 3 simple changes to your ergonomic computer desk setup.
Go to SittingPosture.com/ebook to learn more.
Take care,
Todd Bowen
