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- #14 How Exercise Can Help Office Workers with Neck Pain
#14 How Exercise Can Help Office Workers with Neck Pain
Neck Pain from Desk Work? Here’s What Science Says About Fixing It
Kosta Ikonomou
February 02, 2025
Hello everyone,
Can you believe it’s February already? Here in Vancouver, we’ve just had the driest January in 40 years—unusual, to say the least!
If you spend long hours at a desk, you might be familiar with that stubborn neck pain that just won’t go away. You’re not alone—research shows that office workers are at high risk for developing non-specific neck pain, often due to poor posture, prolonged sitting, and muscle imbalances. But here’s the good news: exercise can help!
A systematic review and meta-analysis examined whether therapeutic exercise could reduce pain and improve quality of life in office workers with neck pain. Here’s what they found:
✅ Strengthening exercises (e.g., shoulder raises, shrugs, resistance training) had the strongest evidence for reducing pain and improving function. Doing at least 1 hour per week made a significant difference.
✅ Endurance exercises (e.g., holding neck positions against resistance) showed some benefits but were less effective than strengthening.
✅ Stretching helped, but its impact was smaller compared to strength training.
💡 Key takeaway: If you work at a desk and suffer from neck pain, prioritize strengthening exercises for your neck and shoulders. Even just 20 minutes, 3x per week can make a big impact!
📌 Try these simple exercises which were mentioned in the study:
-Stand with your chin tucked in and hold a weight in each hand. Shrug your shoulders towards your ears. Return to the starting position and repeat. Repetitions: 10-15 reps Sets: 2-4 Weight: 2-10lbs
Stand upright with your arms along your sides with one small weight in each hand. Lift your arms up on the side, not higher than shoulder height. Keep the elbows slightly bent. Lower and repeat. Repetitions: 10-15 reps Sets: 2-4 Weight: 2-10lbs
Hold a weight with one hand and bend forward at the waist, resting the other hand on an object in front of you for support. Brace your abdominals to keep your spine straight. Stand in a split stance, with the same-side leg back. Pull the weight up, keeping the elbow close to your body. Lower the weight under control and repeat. Repetitions: 10-15 reps Sets: 2-4 Weight: 2-10lbs
Stand up, flex the knees slightly and bend forward from the hips with the back straight. Lift the dumbbells to the side in line with the shoulders. Do not bring the head forward as you lift.Repetitions: 10-15 reps Sets: 2-4 Weight: 2-10lbs
Pain is very complex and multifactorial but how good would it feel if you take control of your pain instead of letting the pain control you. I believe in you!
If you are struggling and want some help to start, don’t hesitate to reach out 📩
Until next time,
Have a physically active month!
Kosta Ikonomou, Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist
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