Tech Neck
Since the sudden advent of working from home beginning in early 2020, we have seen many more folks experiencing jaw, head, neck, back, and shoulder pain. Often the cause of the imbalance is sitting ergonomics; working on a laptop lounging in bed or sitting at the dining room table isn't the most optimal configuration for the long-term health of your body. Spending all day Zooming doesn't get you up and moving, either.
Your head weighs 10-15 pounds and balances on your neck like a pumpkin on a broomstick. The muscles connecting your head and neck are delicate, designed to control rotation, chew, smile, and support your head. At the other end, the hip bone's connected to the backbone, and when one of"dem bones" is poorly positioned, the others will try to compensate, recruiting additional muscles to prevent the bowling ball with eyeballs from dropping in your lap.
Here are a couple of tricks: pretend you have a tail. Before you sit down, bend forward from your hips, get your butt behind you, rather than under you, and leave your tail on display. Relax your hips and "man-spread." If you can't get your butt behind you, your pants may be too tight. Perhaps you haven't worn pants since March...
Close your eyes, and relax your belly. If your belly muscles need to be tight to hold your position, your bottom is not in the right spot.
Extend your tail, relax your belly, wiggle your upper body arranging that pumpkin comfortably, then open your eyes. This tells you where your head should be. Arrange the desk and screen accordingly.
If you find yourself leaning in to see the screen better, you may benefit from new glasses or dedicated computer glasses with the upper focal length built for the screen, and the lower portion optimized for the desk.
Next time you're in for a dental visit, let Amy know what hurts, and we'll help sort out your pain.
How to sit:
https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/turns-out-manspreading-is-great-for-your-back
Workplace ergonomics:
https://arstechnica.com/features/2020/08/work-from-home-01-ergo/?utm_source=pocket&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pockethits
Neck stretches:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6C-wfV27bzI