Member-only story
Desk Stretches: How to Prevent Injuries Even if You Work a Desk Job
Is poor posture why your neck and shoulders hurt? You can fix bad habits and relieve pain without even leaving your chair.
About two years ago, I pulled my neck. I couldn’t move for three days. Excruciating pain shot down both sides of my body with every inhale.
After the muscle relaxants kicked in, I could wriggle my fingers. I used them to call work and say I wasn’t coming in.
“What happened??” asked my boss, after my gasped tale of paralysis.
Here’s the embarrassing thing: I didn’t know.
“I was sleeping” I gasped, “ now my neck hurts and I can’t move.”
How can anything bad happen when you’re surrounded by pillows? Or sitting at your desk innocently reading an article on Medium? Or simply turning around to reach for something?
How, indeed.
Apparently this is a thing. Even my boss was nonplussed. “It happens,” she said. “Let me know when you can move again.”
“Typically, incidence of neck pain increases with age. But today we’re seeing and treating more patients — younger patients…