Everyone is built slightly different so this is a generalization but if you adhere to these points your desk should be set up relatively, ergonomically sound. With that said, an ergonomic evaluation may be warranted if pain persists, gets worse or if your company provides it. If pain increases substantially, seek help; you could contact Psoas or another provider of physical healthcare.

Note that increased pain from an ergonomic change is not uncommon, even if it is helpful. When your desk setup is poor, your body will start to adapt to it (not good). So a change will have your body adapting again which could come along with some discomfort. Again, if its bad seek help.

Class begins:

• Adjust your seat so that your feet are placed firmly on the ground or on a foot rest.

• Both knee angle and hip angle should be 90 degrees to 120 degrees. (Less than 90 degrees will have you shortening and subsequently unnecessarily tightening your hip flexors and upper calves and lower hamstrings)

• Now let your arms fall from your shoulders naturally.

• Place your hands on the keyboard. The angle at your elbow should be 120 degrees. Use a keyboard tray to lower the keyboard if needed - it rarely needs to be raised. (The body does not like it when the arms have to reach up for the keyboard so it adjusts by contracting the upper trapezius muscle on the tops of your shoulders. This will leave your shoulders tight and over used. We find this to be the number one area of complaint in desk workers)

• Your eyes should be level with the top of the monitor.
  

Also note:

• Arm rests tend to raise shoulders upward - keep them low enough to have your shoulders extended down fully or remove them - I take mine off.

• Back rests should be used for rest - continuous use will weaken your core and make your back muscles lazy. Use it if needed but try to practice sitting up straight on your own.

• Sit forward enough that the backs of your knees are not pressing against the chair.

• Try to avoid lurching your neck forward.

• Avoid too much bending at the wrists.

Simple but effective. See if it helps or ask for professional help.

I work at a desk. How often should I stretch? What should I stretch? When should I stretch? Here at Psoas, these are not such straight forward questions. If you were sitting with a Psoas therapist, they would probably ask you ten questions before they gave you very specific answers. So next time you are at Psoas, ask your therapist if these work for you or if they should be modified.

But these stretches address the most common desk worker tight spots and should be pretty good for most.

All uni-lateral stretches below show right side stretches.

As with all stretching programs, be careful, go slow and if anything feels strange, contact us here at Psoas.

Good luck and happy stretching...


Scalenes - more detail

Levator Scapula - more detail

• Start seated in a chair - head facing forward feet firmly on the ground.
  

• Stabilize shoulder down on right side by holding onto a chair or sitting on hand.

• Gently tuck chin towards chest.

• With left hand over head above right ear move head to the left shoulder.
  
  
  
• Gently rotate head to the right.

• Hold for 15 - 60 seconds.
  
   
  

Sub-Occipitals - more detail

• Simply use hands to gently tuck head forward chin to chest.

• Simply use hands to gently tuck head forward chin to chest.

• To help tilt the head, place one hand on neck and one hand on head, thumb side down. Move hands away from each other aiding the tilt of the neck.

• Hold for 15 - 60 seconds.

Rhomboids - more detail

• Clasp hands and face palms away from the body.

• Push hands as far away from the body as possible while you slouch, rounding mid and upper back.

• Breath deeply expanding the back.
  

• Tuck head.

• Hold for 15 - 60 seconds.

Pectoralis - more detail

• These are large strong muscles - go slowly just till you feel a stretch than move deeper as the original stretch fades.
  

• At doorway, exposed beam or wall, place right arm straight out to side and bend elbow to a 90 degree angle.

• Place that hand and elbow just inside wall, body even with wall.

• Move right foot forward and turn torso to the left.

• Repeat the stretch continuing to find the slight stretch, letting it fade and then finding the stretch again. Use your breath.

The Pectoralis Major is a large fan shaped muscle. In order to stretch its entirety, one must use three separate positions. The 90 degree angle is one but also move the elbow slightly upwards and downwards to stretch the entire muscle.


Wrist Flexors - more detail

• Extend right arm in front of you, palm up.

• Extend fingers down towards the ground and reach with your left hand helping to open the palm side of the hand and stretch the flexors of the wrist and forearm.

• Hold for 15 - 60 seconds.

Wrist Extensors - more detail

• Extend right arm in front of you, palm down

• Flex your fingers down towards the ground and reach with your left hand helping to open the back of the hand and stretch the extensors of the wrist and forearm.

• Hold for 15 - 60 seconds.
  
  

And also remember to always Stretch your Psoas - sitting is about the worst thing you can do for it.

Getting a massage or bodywork is no longer just for luxury. Finding a talented, experienced bodyworker that can help eliminate body dysfunction and educate you on stretching, strengthening and other biomechanical habits can have a profound effect on the alleviation of pain and discomfort, the prevention of injury and the ability to increase the longevity of your active life.

The concept of "bodywork for a life" is borne of the combined bodywork experience of Psoas owners, Scott and Jennifer. They have found that maintaining a bodywork plan designed for ones personal activity type and level, stress, posture, work, habits, and individual body health can dramatically increase overall wellness.

This concept can not be over exaggerated in the case of desk workers. When you do certain activities, like sitting in the same position for long periods of time or using a mouse or keyboard all day, every day, for years, your muscles tend to get and stay tight. Keep this in mind when reading these next couple of paragraphs.

Introducing Fascia
Fascia is a truly amazing substance that is pervasive throughout the body. If you have cooked a chicken breast, the shiny substance that holds the fibers of the breast together is fascia. It surrounds muscles and surrounds single muscle fibers. It coats sections of the body and allows single fibers to slide over other fibers. When you have a trauma, the fascia gets very tight - it is said that fascia can have the tensile strength of steel but remember it is thinner than Saran Wrap. When you run, fascia becomes well lubricated so that the muscle fibers can move independently over each other.

When fascia sticks to other fascia or muscle, tendons, ligament etc... it is called an adhesion. Adhesions are not good yet pretty much everyone has a few at least. Sitting in the same position, not stretching after workouts, not enough water intake, repetitive motion, overuse, injury and many other situations increase the occurrence of adhesions.

As we age, we begin to stop creating the enzymes that naturally combat the accumulation of adhesions in the body. This begins in your mid to late twenties. Most people notice that they heal slower, stay sore longer after workouts and just feeling more achy around this age. It is often due to adhesion build-up and the inability to naturally self regulate them through biological means.

Over time adhesions cause muscles to work harder and often cause the body to compensate by using other secondary muscles to do the job of adhered muscles. Its not that the adhered muscles do not work but that they now have to move an attached structure when asked to contract. When muscles can not move independently of each other you effectively are weaker; using stronger contractions in order to accomplish even the simplest task - such as clicking a mouse. Before long the muscles that are helping can become adhered as well.

As adhesions continue to remain untreated they begin to limit the amount of blood flow to the muscles and become leathery to the touch. Leathery muscles are created by hundreds of muscle fibers, adhered to each other, with poor blood flow and subsequent poor oxygenation becoming one solid cord. When muscle become leathery like this they tend to limit range of motion and cause tension on tendons and the bones they are attached to. Continued tension will cause overuse syndromes and pain at the site and often in related muscles, bones and ligaments. Also, prolonged tension often causes impingement to nerves and neurological symptoms, often away from the area of tension, such as numbness, tingling loss of strength and pain. Quite often, as time progresses, muscles that are compensating for these compromised muscles begin the same journey.

This cycle of adhesion production and the creation of compromised leathery muscles can take as little as 3 months. Sadly, many people never have these muscles treated and simply believe that there aching neck or knee or tight calf is just part of who they are - something they have to live with. The cycle can be broken after muscles become compromised but may take weeks or months to regain health. Our goal is to help as many as possible completely avoid the cycle leading to bodily pain and discomfort.

Regular visits to Psoas, either after treatment of compromised muscles or before the formation of serious adhesions, can easily eliminate bodily aches and pains before they begin. Thereafter, having an experienced bodywork therapist who understands your personal habits, activities and the intricacies specific to your body will have a body with less pain, more flexibility, more strength and more ability to enjoy the activities you love.