| A simple desk exercise that can help to reduce headache and neck pain With face-to-face meetings currently on hold, many of us are spending much more time in front of our devices. Prolonged sitting and devices use can lead to a forward head posture, which is frequently associated with headache and neck pain. Laptop use also encourages a forward head posture, as the screen is often too low for us to keep an ergonomic posture. Performing retraction, a neck exercise pictured below can reduce headache and neck pain, and if done regularly can also prevent these symptoms from occurring. How to perform retraction: Start by sitting up tall Next, imagine that if something was in front of your face, you are drawing your chin/face away from it (without moving your body) Once you have drawn your face back as far as you can, use your finger to apply some gentle over pressure to your chin. The direction of force must be horizontal as pictured above. It should look like you have a double chin, and your throat may feel like it is slightly constricted. How many do I do? Hold your retraction for 20 seconds and then release. Repeat 4 times 4 x 20 seconds in total If you have current neck pain or headache, perform a set of retraction every 15 minutes until the symptoms ease To maintain good posture and prevent the onset of symptoms, perform a set of retraction 4 times per day. Please note: Do not persist with retraction if it increases your headache or neck pain. |
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