Prevent Tension Neck Syndrome

For many people, doing their job requires sitting at a desk for several hours straight every day, something that the human body was not meant to do. When it is stuck in a relatively fixed position for long periods of time, the body can develop some painful, debilitating conditions that interfere with a person’s ability to work and enjoy their life outside the office.

One of these conditions, tension neck syndrome (TNS), is common in workplaces where employees spend long periods of time on the phone. TNS is most often caused when a person spends long hours with their neck twisted in an unnatural position, like the one people use to hold a phone between their shoulder and ear. It can also appear when people sit for long periods of time at a computer desk typing. Symptoms of TNS include:

• Pain or tenderness in the neck and shoulders
• Muscle tightness

If employees in your workplace spend long periods of time talking on the phone or sitting at a desk, there is a possibility that they could begin to suffer from TNS. There are several steps that can be taken to prevent TNS in the workplace:

• Provide employees with headsets, phone cradles, and other phone accessories that take away the need for them to bend their necks to the side for long hours every day.
• Allow employees with shoulder or back problems to use ergonomic chairs/desks and other back/shoulder health products throughout the day.
• Encourage employees to take breaks from sitting and walk around and stretch.

Want to learn more about improving staff wellness? Contact Wellsource today at (800) 533-9355.