Two Simple Work Friendly Stretches to Prevent Pain

If you have ever sat in a chair for hours, hunched over a computer, neck strained, typing endlessly, you know this can cause some real achiness in the body. A lot of us spend our days doing exactly this and a lot of people don’t realize this can also lead to long term pain if not dealt with properly. By taking a few moments throughout the day to do some simple stretches you can prevent the achiness and long term pain that can be caused by working at a computer all day.

Here we will introduce two exercises that are simple enough to do in your chair at work and when you come home and want to wind down for the night. They target the hands and neck, two areas that often become strained when overused while sitting at a computer for long periods of time.

HANDS

Why do fingers, palms and wrists ache after a long day of writing, typing or using the hands in a repetitive motion in some way? Your hands have a complex structure, they contain a lot of muscles and joints that allow you to move and position your fingers in very precise ways. If they are constantly put under tension through overuse, soreness and pain can occur. To combat hand discomfort, try this simple stretch:

1) Place the hands out in front of the body; arms aligned with the shoulders, palms facing out.

2) With force, expand all five fingers out until you feel a stretching sensation.

3) Release and repeat as needed.

This is a great way to take a break when you are amidst a long typing session.

NECK

Neck pain can come from a variety of issues ranging from straining the neck to a pinched nerve. It can typically feel like a dull ache and greatly impact the quality of your life. Pain specific to the neck may be associated with headaches, throat pain, tenderness and lack of neck support in daily activities such as sleeping. It can also be a result of radiating pain from overusing the upper-back and shoulder muscles and is usually the case when the head is dropping forward to look at something such as a computer screen or phone for an extended period. To combat neck strain, you can use this simple stretch throughout the day:

1) Sit upright in a chair moving slightly forward to create space between the body and chair.
2) Take a deep breath in through the nose and reach your right arm, palm faced up, behind your back in line with your left hip

3) Exhale once you arrive to the position.

4) Begin to wrap your left hand around your wrist of your right hand and gently pull the wrist down and to the side.

5) On the following exhale drop your right ear to your right shoulder intensifying the stretch. Focus on dropping the right shoulder away from the ear as you use your exhale to lower your ear to shoulder.

6) Repeat on the opposite side.

Try these simple stretches throughout the day to combat hand and neck strain. And as always let us know of any questions - you can reach out to us at info@cureve.com or message us using the chat icon at the bottom right hand corner of our web site.

Happy healing!
The Cureve Team