Blog: Neck & Shoulder Pain

I have had numerous patients who experience significant feelings of tightness in their neck and shoulders, often as a result of spending long hours in front of a work desk. While maintaining good posture and setting up your desk ergonomically are important, they won’t fully prevent stiffness or tension in these areas. Holding a static position for prolonged periods can lead to muscle and joint discomfort in many individuals, prompting them to seek treatment. This is often referred to as postural strain. Just as crucial as having good posture is the need to change positions throughout the day, giving different muscles and structures a break from continuous loading.

While sitting up straight at your desk is important, it’s only one piece of the puzzle for keeping your neck and shoulders healthy. A concept known as soft tissue creep describes how body tissues gradually "give in" under sustained stress. Think of a young tree bent out of shape for a long time—the longer it remains in that position, the less likely it is to snap back to its original form. Your body behaves in a similar way. The longer you stay in one position, the more the muscles and ligaments under strain stretch and become sore. This is why taking regular "breaks" for your body—by adjusting your position, rolling your shoulders, or moving your neck—can help you avoid the stiffness and soreness that often builds up by the end of the day.

Sit-stand desks are often recommended to office workers as a way of minimizing musculoskeletal issues, but there is still some debate about how effective they are (1). Even patients who use sit-stand desks have still reported feeling tightness around the neck and shoulders. In these cases, treatments have typically involved soft tissue therapy, stretching, and adjustments to posture. However, this isn’t all that can be focused on; a holistic approach can include advising you on exercises you can do at home and providing ergonomic guidance for your workspace.

A well-established ergonomic setup generally involves having your computer screen at eye level, keeping your elbows, hips, and knees at 90-degree angles, and holding your shoulders back. Desk setup has been found to influence neck and shoulder positioning (2) and can be linked to conditions beyond simple postural strain. One common issue with poor desk posture is rounded shoulders, which increases the likelihood of developing a shoulder impingement (3).

Shoulder impingement is one of the most common shoulder issues I have treated, and many of those affected are desk workers. Exercises designed to strengthen the shoulder and back muscles, along with stretches that open up the chest to counteract rounded shoulders, are key to “resetting” your posture. While it’s helpful to visit your osteopath for around half an hour to receive treatment, significant value also lies in learning what you can do throughout the rest of your week to alleviate pain and tension in your neck and shoulders while working at your desk.

If you have any questions about whether this is an area that you may need help with, please feel free to get in touch!

(1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5580641/

(2) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1050641106001738

(3) https://smjournals.com/orthopedics/fulltext/smjo-v5-1067.pdf