There are a number of causes of upper back pain, one of the most common being working at a desk on a computer. Fortunately, a few changes in posture can help. If you are lucky enough to change to Electric Height Adjustable Standing Desk, Manual Standing Desk, or L Shaped Standing Desk, that lets you spend some of your time at work standing, it gets even better, especially if you spring for an electric standing desk to make the adjustment easier.
One of the many causes of upper back and shoulder pain is the posture of your upper body when you sit at a desk with poor ergonomics. Your elbows probably don’t have enough elbow support from your chair, which puts undue strain on your upper back. You may slouch or hunch over your computer screen for several reasons, which puts strain on your upper back. And your time spent leaning back in your chair typing tires and tightens the muscles under your shoulder blades. This is due to repetitive motion strain, among other things. Your own body and the way you work can increase or decrease the effects of these factors, as does the amount of physical tension you carry in your upper body.
Stretching, exercise, and better posture are the primary solutions to this problem. And you should work on all of those. But if you’re struggling to achieve better posture and ergonomics while you work, a sit-to stand height adjustable desk can help. Standing for more time at work has a number of health benefits, but most importantly it makes proper ergonomics and posture easier.
Ideal posture for your upper back is easier to achieve when you’re standing. You are more likely to be upright instead of slouching in your chair, and it’s easier to focus on posture when you change positions more frequently. You do have to pay attention to getting the desk height right to support your wrists and thus elbows, but this is fairly easy. You can make it even more effective if you use a stand on the desk to elevate your monitor to the right height so you aren’t looking down at your screen while standing.
The other benefit is that it changes up the nature of your motion while you work. Even if you continue typing, standing for part of the time breaks things up and thus reduces the painful strain on your upper back.
Lastly, standing encourages you to take the regular breaks you need anyway. Walking around the room and letting your eyes relax for a minute twice per hour does wonders for a number of common, office-work-related ailments; upper back pain is one of them.
Height adjustable desks can be a powerful tool in your arsenal if you struggle with upper back pain from work and want to make yourself more comfortable.
