Here, in Anchorage Alaska, many people struggle with neck and shoulder issues running from simple stiffness to all-out blazing pain. These things affect people from many different walks of life. From the Anchorage office workers, to the remote employees, and to students who spend many long hours at their desks. They have one thing in common, though: the neck and shoulder pain that makes daily living a struggle.

And much of the time, this common problem has a common cause: the sedentary lifestyle that many people in our modern age live. Whether working at the office, at home, or attending classes in school, many people spend many hours at a desk. And that can have negative effects.

In fact, a study on Science Direct found that “prolonged periods of sitting and computer use appear to have adverse effects on neck and shoulder health.”1 This raises a warning flag about the health consequences of a sedentary lifestyle.  

There are a vast number of stretches sedentary job-workers can employ. Our team at Better Health Alaska’s chiropractic clinic are always ready to give their patients advice about such.

Here is a brief list of desk stretches we often recommend to avoid neck and shoulder pain.

1. Chin Tucks

These stretches help strengthen deep neck flexors and correct forward head posture. In fact, a study on the Mag Online Library found that, “Isometric chin tuck … showed significant reductions in neck pain and superficial neck muscle activity.”4 The chin tuck is performed by:

  • While sitting or standing, relax your shoulders and move your head so that your chin is parallel to the floor.
  • Pull your head straight back as if to touch the back of your skull to the wall behind you. (keep the motion straight – no nodding or tilting)
  • Hold that position for several seconds and then release.
  • Repeat several times.

2. Upper Trapezius Stretch

This stretch helps build support and improve the mobility of the head and neck. It is performed by:

  • While sitting or standing with proper posture, place your right hand on your head.
  • Gently pull your head toward the opposite shoulder.
  • Hold the stretch for up to half a minute.
  • Release and repeat on the opposite side.

3. Levator Scapulae Stretch

This stretch loosens a muscle that is often tight in desk workers. It improves posture and reduces pain and tension in the upper back and neck. It is done by:

  • While sitting or standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, place one hand behind your back with the palm facing behind the floor.
  • Bend your neck forward and look toward the opposite side.
  • Place the other hand on top of your head and pull your head down as if to bring your chin to your chest.
  • Hold for up to a minute.
  • Repeat on the other side.

4. Seated Spinal Twist

This stretch helps increase the flexibility of your spine while improving its range of motion. It improves thoracic mobility and reduces stiffness. This is how it’s done:

  • While sitting in your chair and facing forward, lift your arms and point your elbows to either side.
  • Keeping good posture, twist to the right. 
  • Relax and return to the neutral position.
  • Repeat on the other side.

5. Shoulder Rolls

This exercise serves to release tension in the upper back, shoulders, and neck, while at the same time increasing mobility and flexibility of the same region. It also improves circulation. This is how it’s done:

  • While sitting in your chair, lift both shoulders forward.
  • Roll both shoulders upward and toward your ears.
  • Pull both shoulders toward your back and circle them down.
  • Repeat, reversing directions.

6. Pectoralis Doorway Stretch

This stretch helps improve posture while reducing tension and improving range of motion in the chest. It helps to counter rounded shoulders. It is done by:

  • Lift both arms into an L-shape and place your forearms against the door frame.
  • Lean forward through the doorway until you feel a stretch in your chest and the front part of your shoulders.
  • Hold up to thirty seconds.

7. Wrist and Forearm Stretch (Wrist Flexor/Extensor Stretch)

This stretch serves to reduce tension and pain in the wrist while at the same time, increasing range of motion. Essentially, it helps prevent and reduce carpal-tunnel related strain. It is done by:

  • Lift your right arm to shoulder height and extend it with your palm facing down.
  • Use your left hand to pull your right hand down and toward your body.
  • Hold for up to half a minute.
  • Repeat up to 10 times.
  • Return to neutral position with arm extended.
  • Use your left hand to pull your right hand up and toward your body.
  • Hold for up to half a minute.
  • Repeat up to 10 times.
  • Switch sides and repeat.

8. Neck Side Bends

This stretch helps keep lateral muscles mobile and reduces stiffness. It is done by:

  • Sitting in a chair with proper posture and holding the bottom of the chair with one hand.
  • Place the other hand on top of your head and try to lay your ear down on your shoulder applying gentle pressure with that hand.
  • Hold for up to thirty seconds.
  • Repeat once and then switch sides.

These are just the top eight stretches we selected for this post. There are many others that can be utilized. 

Common Neck, Shoulder, and Upper Back Conditions from Desk Work

Individuals with sedentary jobs that involve mostly desk work, often suffer from a variety of musculoskeletal issues. Fortunately, that’s our specialty, here at the Better Health Alaska chiropractic clinic in Anchorage – run by CEO and chief chiropractor Dr. Brent Wells. We’re experts at treating the musculoskeletal system, and, better yet, on how to prevent issues from developing. In sedentary office workers, some of the most common issues we see involve the neck, shoulder, and upper back. These include:

  • Neck Strain (Cervicalgia): this refers to a persistent pain in the neck regions. In modern society, it is most often caused by prolonged computer use, particular when the head is tilted into a forward posture for extended periods of time.
  • Cervicogenic Headaches: this refers to a headache that is caused by an underlying condition. In this case, it is caused by neck muscle tension or strain, and spinal misalignment.
  • Shoulder Impingement Syndrome: this is a condition in which the bursa and the tendons in the shoulder become irritated and inflamed, causing great discomfort and pain. It is sometimes caused by shoulder trauma or repetitive overhead motions. A study on BMJ Journals found that “shoulder intensive work is a risk factor for impingement syndrome of the shoulder.”2  
  • Upper Crossed Syndrome: this condition is caused by a neck injury, a postural imbalance, or the overuse of certain body muscles. It leads to tightness in the neck and upper chest, while at the same time causing weakness in the lower trapezius muscles and deep neck flexors.
  • Thoracic Spine Stiffness: this refers to a limited range of motion in the thoracic, or middle, spine between the neck and lower back. It can cause headaches, fatigue, and pain throughout the spine.

The key to fighting these issues is to recognize that they are caused by office work and the lack of activity such entails. We recommend taking frequent breaks to stretch, and get your blood flowing. That will go a long way in keeping you healthy.

Why Stretching Helps Desk Workers

The key health problem to working nearly exclusively at a desk is the sedentary lifestyle that entails. Here at our clinic of chiropractic care in Anchorage, Better Health Alaska, we see that a lot. Such individuals get virtually no exercise at their job, unless they take matters into their own hands and proactively seek out ways to correct that. To that end, our chiropractic team can help. One such option available to patients is simply stretching.

Stretching has a number of benefits. First, it reduces muscle tension and restores blood flow. If performed at the office throughout the day (which we recommend), intermittent stretches and micro-break help prevent long-term musculoskeletal problems from developing.

It may not seem like much, but interrupting your day with the occasional stretch can go a long way in helping you. In fact, a study on the Wiley Online Library found that “supplementary breaks reliably minimize discomfort and eyestrain without impairing productivity.”3  

At Better Health Alaska, we are chiropractors serving the Anchorage area. So, we are well-versed in the types of stretches that can benefit the upper body. Chiropractors are experts in the musculoskeletal system. As such, our training allows us to evaluate posture, spinal alignment, and ergonomics. We understand the complicated interplay of all three of these things and how to optimize those interconnections.

Many upper body issues, like those that plague many office workers, can be addressed by the chiropractors at our Anchorage clinic through the use of spinal adjustments and soft tissue therapy. Whether used separately or together (although they are more effective together) these two therapies can help relieve pain that often comes from desk jobs.

Scientifically speaking, evidence has been building for years on how chiropractic care can improve neck pain and help reduce disability. One specific study addressing this issue can be found online at Science Direct. This study from the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics found that “Interventions commonly used in chiropractic care improve outcomes for the treatment of acute and chronic neck pain.”5 

The Local Anchorage Perspective on Upper Body Pain

Our CEO and chief chiropractor, Dr. Brent Wells, has been serving the Anchorage area since 1998. We recognize that there are a lot of Anchorage professionals who spend many long hours at desks. They come to us from many fields – the oil industry, military administration, healthcare workers, and office staff to name just a few.

We also recognize that, despite its sublime beauty, the Alaska environment brings its own host of challenges. The cold Alaskan climate can increase both stiffness in general as well as musculoskeletal pain.

But we live here, too. And we are well-equipped to meet these challenges.

Conclusion

In light of all the above, if you work at a desk and feel you are living a too sedentary life, take note of the stretches we listed. Try to find time in your busy day to incorporate the stretches throughout. They should help improve your wellness and corresponding outlook. They should also help increase your productivity – making your boss happier, too!

For more information about stretching, or other types of therapeutic exercise, contact Better Health Alaska, our chiropractic clinic in Anchorage and schedule an appointment. We’ll get you in and seen and back on the road to Better Health. 

Sources and Studies

  1. Nuttika Nakphet, Montakarn Chaikumarn, A comparison of neck and shoulder postures in symptomatic and asymptomatic female office workers in the actual work environment, Science Direct, Heliyon, Volume 10, Issue 7, 2024, e28628, ISSN 2405-8440,
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28628. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844024046590 
  2. Frost P, Andersen JH, Shoulder impingement syndrome in relation to shoulder intensive work. Occupational and Environmental Medicine 1999;56:494-498.
    https://oem.bmj.com/content/56/7/494.short 
  3. Galinsky, T, PhD, et al. Supplementary breaks and stretching exercises for data-entry operators: A follow up field study. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. Vol. 50, Iss. 7, 2007,
    https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.20472 ;   https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ajim.20472 
  4. Yong, J H, et al. Isometric chin tuck exercise with and without scapular postural correction for patients with chronic neck pain: a longitudinal study. Mag Online Library, International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation, Vol. 30, No. 4, April 28, 2023,
    https://www.magonlinelibrary.com/doi/abs/10.12968/ijtr.2021.0184 
  5. Roland Bryans, Philip Decina, Martin Descarreaux, Mireille Duranleau, Henri Marcoux, Brock Potter, Richard P. Ruegg, Lynn Shaw, Robert Watkin, Eleanor White, Evidence-Based Guidelines for the Chiropractic Treatment of Adults With Neck Pain, Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, Volume 37, Issue 1, 2014, Pages 42-63, ISSN 0161-4754,
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmpt.2013.08.010. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0161475413002376