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Prevention 

 

Prevention of work-related upper back and neck pain can start with simply being aware of your work environment and responsibilities. Look to avoid:

  • Static postures for extended periods of time without breaks, especially sitting with a slouched posture (Selby & Triano, 2006)

  • Heavy lifting without the assistance of any devices or tools, especially with weights over 23kg (Al-Otaibi, 2015)

  • Awkwardly angled positions or movements (twisting, rotating, etc) (Selby & Triano, 2006)

  • Frequently using your neck and shoulder to hold the phone (Walsh, 2015)

 

If it is difficult to avoid some of these tasks, active steps, and adjustments can be taken to prevent the onset of upper back and neck pain, such as:

  • If you need to stay in static positions for long periods of time, for example working at a computer for hours, take frequent breaks to stretch and exercise your back and neck (Selby & Triano, 2006)

  • If using a computer, try to keep the monitor at eye-level, as having the monitor in a lower position can encourage bad posture (Walsh, 2015)

  • Sit with proper posture by not slouching and having feet flat on the floor. Try to keep shoulders relaxed (Neck Pain-Prevention, 2014)

  • Increasing the amount of daily walking you do, it has been found that increasing daily walking steps by 1,000 reduced the incidence of neck pain by as much as 14% (Sitthipornvorakul, Janwantanakul, & Lohsoonthorn, 2015)

  • For office workers, a exercise programme that had a focus on stretches and increasing endurance can also decrease the onset of neck pain by 14% (Sihawong, Janwantanakul, & Jiamjarasrangsi, 2013)

  • Try to sleep on your back and with an orthopedic pillow, which can better support the neck (Walsh, 2015)

 

References 

 

Al-Otaibi, S. T. (2015). Prevention of occupational Back Pain. Journal of family & community medicine, 22(2), 73.

 

Selby, N. C., & Triano, J. J. (2006, September 26). Work Ergonomics: Minimize Back Injuries. Retrieved February 16,  

2016, from http://www.spine-health.com/wellness/ergonomics/work-ergonomics-minimize-back-injuries

 

Walsh, A. (2015, August 17). 10 Tips to Prevent Neck Pain. Retrieved February 16, 2016, from http://www.spine-health.com/blog/10-tips-prevent-neck-pain

 

Neck Pain-Prevention. (2014, November 14). Retrieved February 16, 2016, from http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/neck-pain-prevention

 

Sihawong, R., Janwantanakul, P., & Jiamjarasrangsi, W. (2014). Effects of an exercise programme on preventing neck pain among office workers: a 12-month cluster-randomised controlled trial. Occupational and environmental medicine, 71(1), 63-70.


Sitthipornvorakul, E., Janwantanakul, P., & Lohsoonthorn, V. (2015). The effect of daily walking steps on preventing neck and low back pain in sedentary workers: a 1-year prospective cohort study. European Spine Journal, 24(3), 417-424.

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