The following is a guest post from Nick Anderson, Doctor of Chiropractic, and owner of Eagle Creek Wellness Center in Prior Lake, Minnesota.
People are often surprised that the most frequent spinal injury that I see as a Chiropractor is not from trauma, but instead from working at a desk. It is common to see people who have bone degeneration, vertebral disc bulges or herniated discs, numbness or tingling in the hands or arms and headaches. These symptoms can lead to chronic spinal conditions and eventually surgery. We are supposed to have a C-shaped curvature in our necks. But hours of staring at a computer that is not positioned correctly for our individual bodies causes a person to lose this curvature.
We are supposed to have a C-shaped curvature in our necks. But hours of staring at a computer that is not positioned correctly for our individual bodies causes a person to lose this curvature.
-Dr. Nick Anderson
Problems from Forward Head Posture/Anterior Head Carriage
Dr. Nick Anderson of Eagle Creek Wellness Center
Far too often people have their monitor heights positioned so that their eyes are even with the top of the monitor which is not where it should be. This forces people to look down, even if only slightly in order to see the middle of the screen. This positions the head in front of the shoulders and is called forward head posture or anterior head carriage and causes:
- Chronic Neck and upper back pain
- Chronic Headaches and Migraines
- Sleep Apnea
- Excessive snoring
- Disc Disease
- Chronic Dizziness
- Numbness in the skin
- Weakness in muscles of the hands, arms and neck
- Airway restriction
- Arthritis
- Restricted Blood Flow to the Brain
Using Height Adjustable Desks to Avoid Neck & Spinal Problems
Height adjustable desks and monitor stands help to prevent a loss of the curvature in the neck and avoid debilitating spinal problems by keeping the monitor high. X-rays show that when a person is looking straight forward at their monitor their eyes need to be even with the bottom quarter of the monitor to avoid forward head posture. Height-adjustable desks such as the TaskMate Go and others by Health Postures are great because they not only allow the people to sit or stand, they allow for the monitors to stay nice and high decreasing the likelihood of chronic spinal problems.
Indications for a Height-Adjustable Desk Include Working on Computer
Indications that a person needs a height-adjustable desk and they need the monitor height increased is just simply that they do their work on a computer. If you wait for muscle tightness, pain or headaches you’ve waited too long. Being proactive and considering a workstation from Health Postures should be as basic of a necessity as the computer itself.
About Dr. Nick Anderson
Dr. Nick Anderson has been in Chiropractic Medicine since 2010 and has been a Doctor of Chiropractic since 2015. He has owned Eagle Creek Wellness Center in Prior Lake, MN for since 2018. Learn more on their Facebook page here.
Ready to learn more? Give HealthPostures a call at 800-277-1841 or contact us here if you are ready to improve your workday and your health. We have several different options for home offices, corporate settings, and even medical offices. The Stance Angle Chair transforms how we think about sitting and products like the Clever Electric Lift Legs can turn any work surface into an adjustable desktop.
