Desk neck: four things that actually help
Back, neck and shoulders is our most-booked treatment, and it is nearly always the same story. Here is what to do between appointments.
Sitting at a screen is not, in itself, the problem. Sitting at a screen in one position is. Muscles that never change length get stiff and sore, and the ones holding your head forward get overloaded.
A massage will release that. What keeps it released is what you do in the weeks between.
1. Move more often, not more intensely
The most effective change is also the least impressive: get up roughly every 30–45 minutes, even for sixty seconds. Walk to the kettle, take a call standing. Frequency beats duration — an hour at the gym does not undo eight hours of stillness.
2. Fix the two things that matter about your setup
Ignore most ergonomic advice and get these right:
- Screen height. The top of your monitor at roughly eye level, so your head is not tipped forward. A laptop on a desk guarantees a bent neck — put it on a stand and use a separate keyboard, or a stack of books.
- Elbow height. Elbows at about 90°, forearms supported. If your chair is too low, your shoulders creep up towards your ears all day and stay there.
3. Four stretches, twice a day
Slow and gentle. You should feel a stretch, never a sharp pain, and never force a neck movement.
- Upper trapezius. Sitting tall, let your right ear drop towards your right shoulder. Rest your right hand lightly on your head — its weight is enough, don't pull. Hold 30 seconds. Swap.
- Levator scapulae. Turn your head about 45° to the right, then look down towards your armpit. Hold 30 seconds. This one usually finds the exact spot people complain about.
- Chin tucks. Sitting tall, draw your chin straight back, making a double chin. Hold 5 seconds, release. Ten times. This retrains the deep neck muscles that hold your head over your shoulders.
- Doorway chest stretch. Forearm on a door frame, elbow at shoulder height, step gently forward. 30 seconds each side. Tight chest muscles are half the reason shoulders round forward.
4. Heat, not ice
For ordinary muscular stiffness — no injury, no swelling — heat is more useful. A wheat bag or a hot shower on the area for ten minutes before you stretch makes the stretch work considerably better.
When to get it looked at
Massage is for muscular tension. See a GP or physiotherapist instead if you have pain, pins and needles or weakness travelling down your arm, neck pain after an impact, headaches that are new or changing in pattern, or stiffness that has not shifted in weeks. We would rather send you to the right person than work around something that needs proper assessment.
A note on all of this: everything here is general guidance based on standard practice, not medical advice. If something is painful, spreading, or simply not settling, please see a GP or pharmacist rather than waiting for your next appointment.
