SJ responds to a reader’s question in the “Ask Our Experts” section of OHbaby! magazine.

Pain in the neck

Q: I’ve just returned to work (an office job) now that my children are all at school and find I am getting a lot of back and shoulder pain – probably from sitting at a computer for more hours than my body is used to! How can I help my body cope with this change in lifestyle? Thanks!

A: OHbaby! osteopath Sarah-Jane Attias replies: Yes, as a ‘supermum’ you sure are spinning many plates as you re-enter the workforce. This is a new beginning and you are wise to seek advice now before these symptoms escalate.

I often see symptoms like yours in patients at my Living Osteopathy clinic. I like to first explain how the working environment is stressing their neck and shoulders. Your head weighs around 4.5kg, but as your head drops and you gaze down to your laptop or mobile devices, your head combined with gravity places a whopping 27kg weight on the joint where the neck and upper back meet. This isn’t sustainable and may lead to pins and needles, headaches and even reduced lung function.

You may have set up your office work-station with an ergonomically correct chair, desk and screen height. However, many of us also use our ‘mobile-office’ on the run and many corporate spaces now have shared work-stations. You may find you use a tablet or smartphone a lot more. This means that you are not always working in the best ergonomic position. You need to practise postural self-awareness and seek help from a registered specialised treatment provider (such as a physiotherapist, Pilates instructor or osteopath) or another form of treatment that has worked for you in the past.

What else can you do? Get up and GO every 45 minutes! Walk, stretch leg muscles to release your lower back, and use shoulder rotations to release tension. Also, breathe!

I like to share a naughty, yet memorable, postural correction exercise that elicits a smile from my patients: NBT, or Nose Behind Tits. Here’s how to practise NBT step by step: sit up straight at your desk, feet flat on the floor, anchor your bottom, lift up through your spine, drop your shoulders and elbows, tuck in your chin (almost creating a double chin), pull up through the back of your head, breathe and smile. Imagine a long thread from your tailbone up your entire spine to above the crown of your head. This is perfect posture – your nose should be behind your, er, bosom. Now, get back to work!