Do you suffer from neck pain? If you work from home, your job may be partly to blame. According to research performed by Bupa and reported on by an online resource for small businesses in the UK, more than half of people who work from home sustained injuries due to their work environment with back and neck pain being the top two complaints. How may working from home result in health problems and what can you do to protect yourself?

Why Many Who Work from Home Suffer Neck Pain

The research noted above reveals that about 1 in 4 people who work from home don’t have a workspace set up. Half admit that they work in a hunched over position at times. 2 in 5 said that they often work while on the couch or in bed. It’s no wonder that 24% of survey responders suffered from back pain and 20% from neck pain.

If you work from home, what can you do to protect the health of your spine?

Safety Checklist for Working from Home

Here are a few ways to keep your neck and back safe while working at home.

• Set up a comfortable office – This will stop you from working from your couch or bed and provide a better work environment. Plus, you can write off your home office expenses.
• Keep monitors at eye level – Keep your head inclined all day exponentially increases the amount of stress on the neck. Eye level screens mean your neck has only to support the normal weight of your head (which is already about 10-14 pounds).
• Don’t hold a phone with your shoulder – Either use the hands-free option on your mobile phone, get a headset, or acquire a speaker phone.
• Exercise every day – The advantage of working from home is setting your own schedule. Schedule time for exercise.
• Take breaks – This is another advantage of being your own boss. Instead of sitting at a desk for hours at a time, get up every half hour or so to stretch and walk around a little.

Neck Pain and Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care

If neck pain persists, see an upper cervical chiropractor. We specialize in precise adjustments of the C1 and C2, the two bones at the base of the skull. A misalignment can affect the surrounding soft tissue, resulting in pain. Be sure to apply the recommendations noted above as these can help you hold your adjustment longer, thereby giving your body more time to heal. Before long, you may find that your neck pain resolves and you can be more productive at work.

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