Asked by Fran Larson ^(20,012)
Fran Larson 31 days 4 hours ago. (More question by this person)

How can I keep my back and neck from hurting (because I am on the computer so much)? Owch! It really hurts today?

What do you recommend? I can't just stay off the computer, as I am trying to hone my writing skills. Please help me. Fran

Answer from Darvin J. Hooey ⁽⁸²⁾ 31 days 3 hours ago. More questions answered by this person)
   Selected as Best Answer!   
The human body doesn't like to stay in the same position too long! Here are a few simple suggestions that should eliminate your pain:

1) Get up and mover around from time to time (stand, stretch, go to the restroom:-)

2) Get a chair with lumbar support, and sit back in it, not at the front of the chair!

3) Adjust your workstation, so your keyboard is at elbow height and the computer screen should be as close to eye level as possible to avoid having to keep your neck bent in a downward position. The screen suggestion is difficult with a laptop though.

4) Exercise. This is an all around "fix all". The regular stretching and strengthening of your muscles help protect you from injury and pain!

Hope this helps!

Comment from Fran Larson ^(20,012) 31 days 3 hours ago.
Thank you. I will try all of the suggestions. It doesn't help that I haven't been to the gym in about 1 week, due to a sinus infection. Thank!

Answer from James Tan ⁽⁰⁾ 31 days 3 hours ago. More questions answered by this person)
Hi Fran, i got the same problem as you. Basically what i did is that, i went out and bought a back and shoulder massager. Whenever the pain or cramp start, just put the massager on and you will feel so much better. Hope this helps.

James

Comment from Fran Larson ^(20,012) 31 days 3 hours ago.
That sounds heavenly...I may even have one hidden somewhere here. Thanks! Fran

Answer from Nenita Wells ^(1,977)
Nenita Wells 31 days 2 hours ago. More questions answered by this person)
Fran, I am having the same problem. I will follow Darvin's suggestions. I am sure it helps...a lot. ~Nenita~

Comment from Fran Larson ^(20,012) 31 days 2 hours ago.
As a matter of fact, I think I will take a computer break right now...maybe that is what we both need. Fran

Answer from Steven Rogers ^(5,562)
Steven Rogers 31 days ago. More questions answered by this person)
there are lots of sites that will help you set up your work station try looking up the word Ergonomics for help

Comment from Fran Larson ^(20,012) 31 days ago.
Great idea. Fran

Answer from Dianne Lehmann ^(5,838)
Dianne Lehmann 30 days 2 hours ago. More questions answered by this person)
Take breaks. Get up and walk around. Lie on the floor for a bit and relax your back, neck, and shoulders. Check out your chair. Can you sit comfortably in it with your back straight and your feet flat on the floor? Is your monitor at the right height so that you can hold your head level? Are the armrests at the proper height to support your arms as you type? Do you even have armrests on your chair? Pay attention to how you feel as you sit at your computer. Do your shoulders start to go up as you get a great idea and become frantic to get it down before it disappears? Do you clench your jaw when the words just won't come out the way you want them? Hope this helps.

Comment from Fran Larson ^(20,012) 26 days 8 hours ago.
This does help. Thanks, Dianne....Fran

Answer from Kenny St.pierre ⁽⁶⁷⁹⁾ 25 days 6 hours ago. More questions answered by this person)
Like you, I can not and will not give up the computer totally! The computer is just too much of a useful tool for my personal education.

What I have done to help relieve some of my aches is to stop using the computer for unnecessary or foolish reasons. I now limit myself to research, writing, and reading things that provide me with some amount of truth and intelligence.

For starters I no longer IM or write long emails to family and friends. The phone allows more mobility, so I find it's better to use it in place of IM's and emails. I have a history of blood-clotting in my legs, so it's better for me to talk and move about the house while on the phone; thus the added advantage is less back pain too.

The computer is much like a drug for me. It's addictive, and therefore I try to remain vigilant if I wish not to suffer physically, emotionally, or mentally with it's abuses. Pain's good if it's for the right reasons, but often times I experience pain with no real gain or satisfaction for my efforts and that's when I need to pay closer attention to what I'm doing and why.

Of course this sounds easier than it is. There still are times when I am physically uncomfortable and in pain, yet my brain turns off those signals and continues on it's senseless computer journey's.

Comment from Fran Larson ^(20,012) 25 days 4 hours ago.
Great information - setting priorities. I just did something kind of stupid..joined facebook..I already regret it because like you, I should put all my computer time into writing or research...think I will try to quietly slip out of facebook in a couple of weeks. Thanks so much for your input!

Comment from Kenny St.pierre ⁽⁶⁷⁹⁾ 24 days 4 hours ago.
Hey Fran, we're only human! I always have the right intentions, but I don't always follow my intentions or what I should be doing. I see it's the same with you.

I'll see you at the 2010 Internet Hunchback Awards banquet! :) Kenny

Answer from Ian Gill ⁽⁸¹⁾
Ian Gill 24 days 20 hours ago. More questions answered by this person)
Hi Fran, I suggest making sure that your chair is the right heigth relative to your keyboard and screen. If it's off, you could be looking up or looking down and thereby causing neck pain. Also, your mouse, as mentioned before, should be at elbow level to avoid arm and hand strain. Hope this helps.

Answer from Peggy Ellingson ⁽⁴⁵⁾ 22 days 14 hours ago. More questions answered by this person)
A friend of mine had back surgery and still was having problems working on the computer even though she was going to the physical therapist. What finally got the pain under control was using a large exercise ball to sit on. They have a wheeled base to put the ball on, so that it will roll but you won't roll off of it, and then, as you sit on the ball, you must use all of your core muscles to keep you stable. It also forces you to use correct posture because your center of gravity changes with poor posture and you can roll off the ball.

Answer from Duncan Wherrett ⁽³⁾ 21 days 5 hours ago. More questions answered by this person)
Years ago, most back trouble was suffered by those doing manual work. These days people working on computers can be the biggest sufferers.

Between the vertebrae in the spine are the discs. These discs don't have their own blood supply but rely on movement to work them a bit like a sponge and keep the blood flowing around them. If we sit still for long periods, the discs dry out and the back starts to hurt. If this gets more serious, then the discs can start to deteriorate, which is more serious and more painful.

Certainly movement is the key, but it's easy to forget and time at the computer can easily pass by and the need to stand up and move around can be overlooked.

The best solution is to work on a computer standing up. It requires a different sort of table so that the screen is at eye level. The keyboard and mouse must also be at the right ergonomic height, preferably on a shelf which slides in and out. Such a unit is not too difficult to make and with the modern lighter flat screens is quite safe.

Standing all day will be tiring at first but one soon gets use to it. Proper shoes should be worn as standing for long periods in bare feet or slippers is not good for the foot arches.

When standing at a computer, one is not static all the time but there will be constant movement in the body and back.

Duncan

Answer from Marijo Phelps ^(2,828)
Marijo Phelps 19 days 21 hours ago. More questions answered by this person)
Stretching exercises and a massage therapist would help too.