People who do a desk job usually complain of neck pain. This is mainly caused due to the improper way of sitting. As per a study published by the National Institute of Health, neck pain is very common, with nearly one in three individuals affected by it once a year. Working with poor alignment on your desktop or laptop can lead to severe neck pain. LatestLY brings you five tips and stretching exercises to perform regularly to avoid neck pain at work. What Should You Do When You Wake Up with a Stiff Neck in The Morning? From Hot Shower to Massage, Genius Ways to Manage the Pain.

Five Tips to Avoid Neck Pain at Work 

1. Sitting Posture - While working always ensure that you work with a straight back, neutral spine and your ears positioned directly above your shoulders. Always remind yourself to not let your shoulder go round or slump forward. Typing with rounded back and shoulder will not only cause neck pain but will also drastically affect your posture while standing or walking.

2. Stand Up Regularly - Sitting continuously for hours on the desktop can lead to gain in belly fat and also cause stiffness in your neck and back muscles. It is recommended to take a very short walk near your desk once every hour or simply get up from your chair and do some basic stretching. Nowadays, activity tracker or smartwatches come along with an idle alert feature which reminds you to move from your desk after every one hour.

3. Proper Adjustment of Monitor Height - This is the most common mistake most of us make while working. We ignore the height adjustment of the monitor. Place your desktop directly in front of you with the centre of the screen level with your nose.

4. Limit Mobile Screen Use - When at work, keep your cellphone away from you and use the desktop to reply to official mails and chat. Many people use the cellphone for answering to emails or messages, during which they bend their neck while typing and that can cause neck pain. Also, avoid the bad habit of pinning the cellphone between your shoulder and your ear as you multitask. Instead, use earphone or speaker to speak if something urgent needs to be discussed at work.

5. Use Proper Chair - Considering the ongoing lockdown period, most people are working from home. While working at home, many people, due to laziness, work on the couch or their bed that leads to bad posture. Also, the chair which you use for work should have a full back that extends from the seat of the chair to your shoulders or above. This will avoid neck pain and also create a feeling of activeness at work.

Stretchings to Avoid Neck Pain at Work

These stretchings can be done multiple times during your working hours to avoid neck pain. It is also necessary to adhere to the above-mentioned tips for warding off neck and back pain at work.

(This article is written for an informative purpose and should not be substituted for medical advice. Kindly consult your doctor before trying any tips.)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 01, 2021 11:25 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).