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Neck and Shoulder Pain

Dr. Debra McDonnell treats patients at

Washington University Physical Therapy Clinics
4444 Forest Park Avenue, Suite 11210
St. Louis, MO 63108

Phone: 314-286-1940 Fax: 314-286-1473
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Question: I spend many hours using a computer at work, and have neck pain almost every evening. It is better over the weekend. What strategies can I use to relieve the daily pain?

Answer: Your neck and shoulder pain can be the result of abnormal postural alignment while sitting at work and performing daily tasks on the computer. This poor posture causes adaptive changes in your muscles.

Less than ideal posture may cause you to push your head forward and depress your shoulders for long periods of time. This forward head alignment places your cervical spine in extension, which can cause the muscles on the posterior neck to shorten and the muscles on the anterior side of the neck to lengthen. These changes in muscle length contribute to weakness and fault in normal cervical rotation, and can cause the chronic pain you experience.

Also, the depressed shoulder alignment contributes to adaptive lengthening changes in the upper trapezius muscle, making it difficult to support the shoulder in ideal alignment.

Both types of postural faults and muscle length changes contribute to increasing compressive forces on the neck, which leads to wearing down of the joint surfaces in the cervical spine as well as muscle strain.

Sometimes, it is necessary to make changes directly to the work environment, in order to correct for postural faults that lead to changes in muscle function and alleviate pain.

The physical therapist will assess postural alignment and muscle length and strength as it relates to neck and/or shoulder pain. It may be beneficial to ask about an assessment of your daily work tasks so you can learn how ergonomic changes can relieve some of the pain. A home program that addresses strengthening exercises designed specifically to correct postural faults can provide relief. 
























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Copyright 2013 Washington University School of Medicine