Pain from a desk job?

Are you a woman? Do you have a job which requires you to work at a desk most of the day? If so then this blog should resonate with you and possibly give you ideas on how to relieve some of the aches and pains that come along with a desk job.

Some of the most commonly mentioned pains associated with a desk job include neck and back pain. I know some who even complain of headaches. Interestingly, strength training has been associated with decreases in pain in those with a desk job. It is thought at when one becomes stronger, the relative workload on the muscles while sitting is less strenuous leading to less pain. I am not by any means saying that strength training is the only way to get rid of pain, nor is it the best. It is important to note, especially in those who are required to sit at a desk during the day that good posture and breaks for movement throughout the day are the most important and effective means for decreasing pain that results from a desk job.

Back to the subject at hand. I came across an interesting article which was just released in 2013 from the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. Pedersen, Andersen, Jorgensen, Sogaard, and Sjogaard (2013) examined the effect of specific resistance training on musculoskeletal pain symptoms in women with desk jobs. In the specific resistance training group, certain shoulder and neck exercises were completed for an average of 1.69 days per week with a goal of 3 days per week. The individuals who were able to progress to a greater volume of training which means heavier weight (something they could do for 10-15 repetitions but no more) showed greater decreases in pain as compared to the group which was unable to lift as much weight. When compared to the group that did not train at all, the weight training group as a whole reported significantly greater reductions in pain than did the group which did not exercise at all. Also, in a third group, which completed mostly aerobic exercise and did not do specific shoulder exercises, there was a significant decrease reported in pain. It was not however as great as the group that performed the shoulder and neck specific exercises.

So, what is our take away from this? What is the practical application? Including exercises specifically targeting the shoulders and neck at a resistance level in which only 10-15 repetitions can completed per set may lead to greater decreases in pain than not exercising at all. It may also be more effective in reducing desk job related pain than simply having a program consisting of walking or jogging.

My advice: No matter what, some exercise is better than none! Participating in any type of regular exercise if completed in a safe manner should help with pain. From the above mentioned study we learned that targeting exercises at specific areas of pain may work better.

Take Home Tips:
1: Take at least a break every hour just to get up and move around.
2: Maintain neutral alignment of the spine with the shoulder blades slightly pulled back while sitting or standing.
3: Add specific postural exercises to your exercise regimen to help ward off some of those annoying pains.
4: Perform postural exercises throughout the work day such as chin tucks, shoulder rolls backwards, and shoulder blade pinching (pretend to squeeze a can between them).
5: Drink plenty of water!

Pedersen, M., T., Andersen, L., L., Jorgensen, M., B., Sogaard, K., & Sjogaard, G. (2013). Effect of specific resistance training on musculoskeletal pain symptoms: Dose-response relationship. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 27(1), 229-235.