Frequent Laptop Use And Poor Posture Can Cause Neck Pain & Headaches

Protect your necks and backs!

With COVID-19 forcing majority of the workforce to conduct their work from a home office, it is unsurprising that 90% of my consultations this month have been for neck pain, headaches and lower back injuries as a result of patients having to set up laptops at their dining table to continue their work. And this is likely to partly become the norm in future.

Poor posture, change in devices (from desktop to laptop) and office design (or lack thereof) has contributed to a significant rise in the number of patients seeking treatment for neck & back pain and headaches. What's worse is there are likely many more sufferers out there trying to cope with these stressors whilst continuing work without seeking any treatment.

Headaches can originate from a variety of structures within the head and neck, so it is important to see your Osteopath, Physiotherapist or Myotherapist to find out the cause of your headache.
Long periods of time with the neck bent forwards (laptop use, texting on your phone) are notorious for putting increased stress and strain on muscles, ligaments and joints in the neck and upper back. To make things worse, the introduction of smart phones and gadgets such as Apple watches, iPads and tablets has made postures of prolonged neck bending even more common.

A couple of tips for those who are working from home on their laptops;
1 ) Invest in a good laptop riser, which you can purchase from stores like Officeworks. It will help to raise the height of your laptop so your neck isn't in a terrible position. Alternatively, place a couple textbooks under your laptop to raise the height of it
2) You will also need to invest in an external mouse and keyboard to go with the laptop riser. This will allow you to have your shoulders in a more comfortable position when using the laptop.
3) Try taking a break from your workdesk every hour or two to walk around the office, or switch your focus from the laptop screen. Some gentle neck and shoulder rolls can help keep the muscles active and moving, to reduce your chance of developing a headache.

For advice and set up of your laptop in your home office, click the link to see a demonstration by Osteopath Nick 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Y4MRv4uUw4&t=65s