Ridiculous Back Pain
 

I sit at a desk 10+ hours a day, hunched over my computer at work... and my upper back and neck are beginning to feel the affects. I went for a massage recently, and it didn't help very much! The masseuse even commented that I should come back and asked me if I sat at a computer for long stretches b/c of the way the knots were concentrated.

I'm starting to do some stretching on my balance ball in the evenings to work out the tension, but I was wondering if anyone else is experiencing this? I'm in decent shape, but I really don't have time to exercise and the weather here has been miserable, so it is tough to spend time outside. I quit my gym a few months ago b/c I just wasn't going. I get home late from work and then I feel guilty b/c I have a dog and think I should be spending time with her, too (I do come home during the day at lunch and spend my lunch hour with her).

I'm getting closer to 30... is this old age just creeping up on me? I seriously have a pain in the neck!

Dude. Getting close to 30 isn't "old age" and you shouldn't be having aches and pains all the time. Fix your posture, work out hard and regularly, and get massages on occasion. If possible (and I'm sure this isn't likely) work fewer hours and/or spend less time at the computer.

I used to have something similiar and my doctor told me to be sure I got away from the computer at least once every hour or two. So, I'll take stuff to another office, take a walk around the building quickly or just stand in my office for a few minutes and stretch. I find it helps me think clearer, too.

I have another friend who lays on the floor for a few minutes when she is feeling stressed. Everyone thinks she is crazy but she swears it works.

Don't be a slave to that computer!!!

Where I work, you can request a special chair that supports your lower & upper back. You have to get a physical in the medical department first, but they'll buy one & have it delivered to your office door if you are experiencing lots of back pain. Have you thought about asking your manager/boss for something like that?


Another one of my coworkers will gather a group around lunch time to stretch and just get up & move (since a lot of us eat & work at the same time!) My favorite exercises for making my back feel better look like this:

Start here:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...childspose.png

And then in one fluid motion: lift up into all fours, arch your back, lower to the ground, lift your head up, and the end position looks like this:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...411/locust.png


It always makes me feel better! :) Good luck!

Getting up and away from the desk is key! Your muscles are just getting knotted into the wrong (and painful) alignment. In addition to the chair, check with your benefits department to see if they offer any sort of ergonomic assistance. We have a consultant that comes through and checks your work station. She gave me just a few simple tips that have really helped my lower back pain.

I also reccommed accupuncture - it's helped my husband's neck/shoulder pain a ton. And while it's pricey, too, often it's cheaper than massage. Both may be covered by your insurance, though, check it out.

You're probably carrying a lot of stress in your back too which isn't helping. I'm in a rehab program right now for my lower back because it was just one solid knot, all from stress.
Get back to the gym and start weightlifting. I'm doing that right now at PT and it's helping.
Remember not to sit for long periods of time, get up and walk around and do some stresses. A good one-lie flat on your back and pull your knees up to your chest.
For your neck, turn your neck to the right as far as you can. Now start pulling your opposite arm towards the ground. Hold for five seconds and repeat. Then switch directions.

Do some arm swinging exercises to loosen up your shoulders.

Finally, use thermacare wraps-you put them on your neck (or lower back in my case) and they provide heat that feels amazing. You can wear them for 8 hours. The heat will also loosen up your muscles.
If your chair is bad, it's not helping you-see if you can get a better chair.

You may want to see your physician or physical therapist. I was in physical therapy for 8 months for my back and neck. One of my biggest issues was that I was getting forward head motion from sitting at my computer for so long. I had many exercises I had to do during the day that could be done at my desk. It's helped a great deal with my back pain. I also had massages twice a week as well as e-stim therapy at the physical therapist, which was a last resort. Good luck!