When people think of back or neck pain, they often imagine accidents or heavy lifting. However, many of my chiropractic patients experience pain with no clear cause—often from long hours at a desk or on their feet without taking a movement break. Even though the forces involved are minimal, the prolonged stress on the spine from these sedentary habits can lead to significant discomfort.
These sustained positions cause an increase in stiffness and tension, which ultimately results in pain. This pain is likely a result of the slow accumulation of stress and strain. Often, my patients indicate that their troubles started out innocently; pain at the end of the day every once in a while but better the next day. This pain progresses and starts to occur earlier in the day or doesn’t go away by the next day.
My Recommendations for Movement Breaks
My advice for these patients is to incorporate mini movement breaks movement movement snacks into their daily routines. Our bodies are meant to move. As a general rule, we should not stay in the same position for more than 20-30 minutes. For example, one study found that being in a flexed position (curled forward as in a slouched standing or poor sitting posture) resulted in reduced muscle activity and spasms of the multifidus muscles (deeps muscles of the spine) and inflammation in the ligaments of the spine (less muscle activity likely results in more strain on the ligaments) after only 10 minutes of being in this position. Another study found that even low-intensity muscle contractions from a sustained static sitting posture resulted in fatigue and pain. Another study found that if the body is held immobilized
Examples of Movement Breaks
This is what I recommend to my patients and those who follow my youtube feed: incorporate mini breaks and movement snacks into your day. Get your buttocks out of your chair and move. Go for a short walk to get some water or to go to the washroom. Walk to a colleague’s office rather than calling them on the phone or emailing them. If you can’t leave your station, make frequent changes in your body position.
Mini Breaks or Movement Snacks: Brief sessions of physical activity, typically lasting between 1 to 5 minutes, designed to be easily integrated into your day without the need for special equipment or significant time commitment. These can include:
- Dynamic Stretching: Engaging in stretches that involve movement, such as arm circles or leg swings.
- Bodyweight Exercises: Simple exercises like squats, lunges, push-ups, or planks.
- Walking or Marching in Place: A quick walk around the room or marching in place.
- Jumping Jacks or High Knees: These can quickly elevate the heart rate and engage multiple muscle groups.
- Mobility exercises: General spinal movements like bending forwards, bending backwards and side to side or performing controlled articular rotations like you see in the following youtube playlist.
Spend about 2 minutes performing these movement snacks or mini breaks every twenty minutes. To remember to do this, set a timer or set up a reminder on your computer’s to-do list or scheduler. When the reminder pops up, select to ignore the reminder for 20 minutes. Repeat this throughout the day.
Incorporating these simple practices can help prevent neck and back pain, promoting better spinal health and overall well-being.
I hope this helps in preventing your neck and back pain.
Dr. Notley
Winnipeg’s only dual credentialed Chiropractor and Athletic Therapist
Reference
Liebenson, C. Rehabilitation of the Spine: A Practitioner’s Manual,Second Edition. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. 2007
Originally posted on May 17, 2022 @ 4:40 pm