Nowadays, most of us can hardly live without computers and smartphones. At work, we need to stare at the computer monitor. After work, we are phubbing all the time. Therefore, many are forming neck pains due to poor postures when we sit on the office chairs and on subway seats. Now that we can not change the seats in subways, choosing the best office chair for neck pain is more important than ever.
What Is the Best Office Chair For Neck Pain on the Market?
How to Choose the Best Office Chair for Neck Pain?
Now that we know the importance of choosing an ergonomic seat for office work, here’s how. Different types of chairs are on hand. The main thing is to select the most suitable one for us.
1. Adjustable Neckrests
If you like varying your positions on the chairs, then adjustable neck support is the best bet. It is also recommendable for people who want chairs for different people. After all, we have different needs for the headrests even if we share similar heights. The excellent adjustability can accommodate our desire for custom-made chairs.
The adjustability of neck rests lies in their height, angle, and depth. Of the three, flexible heights and angles are easier to find while the depth is less accessible. However, the former two functions are already enough to meet the needs of most of us.
Click here to buy the Best Office Chair with Fully Adjustable Neck Support.
2. Built-in Neck Support
If you prefer thick padding on the neck support, then those built on the chair backs are better. Many leather-covered chairs have thick padding so that we can feel soft and comfortable on them. Courtesy of this, the neck cushion will be generous if the chair has it. And, sure, the neck support has the ergonomic curvature to fit that of your neck’s. In comparison to the former type of neck rest, this one tends to be more reliable, especially when we take a nap on the chairs – they can support our neck and head however we turn our head.
3. High/Mid/Low Back
The neck pains are closely connected with shoulder problems. So, if we want to deal with sore necks, we shall not neglect the condition of our shoulders. And the good news is that chairs with neck support can mostly take care of our shoulders, too. One main reason is that these chairs need to have high backs to give support to our necks. After all, it is weird to attach a long nest rest on a mid or low back.
Click here to buy the Best High Back Office Desk Chair for Neck Problems.
4. Ergonomic Lumbar Support
No matter what needs you have for an office chair, don’t forget the ergonomic lumbar support. After all, when we are spending an average of 13 hours a day sitting on chairs, back pains are always a threat. Considering that long sedentary hours are inevitable, we should pay special attention to the lumbar support on the chairs.
Some lumbar support is at the forefront of ergonomics and has the curvature fit for most people. Such unadjustable (or height-adjustable-only) lumbar support is more common on leather chairs, so it comes with thicker padding for comfort. But there is also height and depth adjustable lumbar support, which is often seen on mesh fabric chairs. With its adjustability, we can custom-make our individual lumbar support to fit the unique shape of our spine.
So, generally speaking, we need to make a choice between the two forms of lumbar cushions. The recommendation below is an office chair with cushioned lumbar support that has a flexible height. Most of its users speak highly of it, so I’d like to recommend it to you.
Click here to buy the Best Lumbar Support Ergonomic Chair for Neck Pains.
5. Suitable Armrests
Those of us who prefer resting the arms on chair arms rather than on desktops should make sure the armrests are of the right height. A wise solution is to invest in adjustable ones so that they are more flexible and versatile.
So why do we need support for our arms? One major reason is that they can take the extra pressure on our shoulders to relieve pains in there. Also, armrests that rise to a suitable height for us can help form more ergonomic sitting postures. We are placing our arms naturally on the armrests. Courtesy of this, we are less likely to put extra pressure on our neck to support our arms and shoulders.
Click here to buy the Best Neck Support Chair with 3-Way Adjustable Arms.
What Kind of Office Chair Should I Get For Neck Pain?
If you are spending much time seated in your office, a poor headrest and neck support chair will probably make you uncomfortable. However, if you are looking for the neck pain kind of office chair, here are what you should take to account;
1. Headrest and neck rest
You can easily get rid of neck pain if you consider an office chair equipped with head and neck cushions or the chair designed to comfortably accommodate your head. However, this will enable you to obtain a good sitting posture while working for long hours, thus experiencing no pain. If you can manage to acquire an office chair with a headrest, you won’t probably experience any discomfort within your neck.
2. Tilt ability
An office chair that reclines will help you in relieve your neck muscles. This will allow you to tilt your office chair until you find a position that will comfortably make your headrest. Safety is often considered since this feature is accompanied by a lock mechanism. Generally, this unique feature will not only relieve your neck but eases the whole body.
3. Back support
If you experience any pain within your back, it will probably contribute problem on your neck. However, having an office chair equipped with a well-cushioned material and can recline, you are assured of zero neck pain. All you have to consider is the back of an office chair that will provide a hugging feeling for your back figure. This feature is essential for your comfort.
Best Neck Support Pillow – Aukee Memory Foam Leather Headrest
Cervical Pillow For Neck Pain – Feagar Headrest Cushions with Memory Foam
Best Pillow For Neck Pain – Desk Jockey Neck Headrest Support Cushion
4. Flexible armrest
Your arms often cause pain in the shoulder hence igniting the neck pain if your office chair does not have an armrest. Having an office chair with an adjustable armrest will allow you to adjust to your arms in a comfortable position. This feature doesn’t protect you against neck pain directly, but its impact on your shoulders will result in neck protection. However, the manufacturers have unique designed armrest hence giving you a variety of choices.
5. Breathable material and the cost
Poor selection could cause sweating and itching around your neck hence causing discomfort. So, consider the one that allows free circulation of air within your back and neck. We normally prefer the one designed with mesh. Also, be conversant with the cost of an office chair before making any step. You are guaranteed a great comfort!
Why Do We Suffer Neck and Shoulder Pain When Sitting?
It can be rough for a person to sit because of the pain that they feel. Which people will suffer neck and shoulder pain when they are sitting? Learn that and more below so we can know what to do to be safe.
Bad habits formed from a young age
When we’re dealing with sitting, we have to have the best posture possible, or we’re going to have pain. A lot of people don’t care about this when they are young, but as they age, they get heavier and feel more of the pain than before. What this means is that anyone can have neck and shoulder pain if they are not careful and work on how they are sitting at their desks at all times. Let younger people know about this because it can be some of the hardest pain to deal with if we are not careful.
Poor posture for long hours sitting
Pain can happen at any time, and wee may not realize where it’s coming from. For instance, we may think that our shoulders and neck are in terrible shape because of how we work out or for another reason. But in reality, it comes from how we sit when we’re on a computer or even at home watching TV. People tend to be a little bit laid back, and so they start to sit in wrong positions. We don’t want this to happen to us, so be mindful of how we sit no matter if it is at work or home.
Which people will suffer neck and shoulder pain when they are sitting? Now we have answers that should help us to pin down what can cause problems. Anyone is able to suffer from this if they aren’t careful, so be wary of what our posture is like when sitting.
How to Cope with Neck Pain While Sitting on Office Chair?
Suffering from neck pains is a pain in the neck. It will cause discomfort in the neck and our mind. A person with a stiff neck is likely to walk around like a robot out of whack. Therefore, we must cope with this problem.
1. Why Are We Suffering from Neck Pains?
Before we deal with an issue, we need to know the reason for it so that we can address the root to avoid recurrence. Well, injuries are one culprit. Once our neck gets hurt, it is sure to be painful. However, many of us are suffering from sore necks though we have never had any injuries. So, here comes another main factor at play, muscle tension.
Muscle tension stems in part from poor postures and working at a desk for too long in the same position. So, both factors have something to do with our sedentary hours. Much as we have been taught about proper postures, few of us have actually formed one. Instead, most are falling victim to poor postures like hunching over the desk or sitting cross-legged. These bad habits will add unnecessary pressure to our body parts like lower back and neck and thus cause pains.
2. Improve Sitting Postures.
Now that we know bad sitting habits are one of the main culprits for neck pains, it is time for us to make a change. Before we do so, let’s review the requirements of sitting properly.
- Place our feet flat on the floor. If your chair seats are too high for you, buy some under desk footrests.
- The angle of our knees should be at least 90 degrees.
- There should be a small gap between the chair seat and the back of our knees.
- Sit upright. The angle that our back and thighs form should be 90 to 130 degrees when we work.
- Recline our back against the backrest or an added lumbar cushion.
- Place our arms gently and naturally on the armrest and relax our shoulders.
- Ensure that the top of the computer monitor is at our eye level.
- Do not sit cross-legged.
3. Do Some Simple Neck Stretches.
Our bodies are not designed to stay in one position for long hours. Even when we are sleeping, we vary our positions a lot. And as many as 70% of individuals have experienced sleep twitches. Though the scientific reasons for such night starts are still unclear, words have it that it is our body checking if we are alive when we sleep still for too long. Well, whether it is true or not, we can tell that we are supposed to vary our positions from time to time.
With muscle tension being a causative factor, I’d suggest doing some simple neck stretches in case of stiff necks. The following video is an excellent instruction for us to start.
4. Enjoy Soothing Massage Sessions.
The effects of muscle tension are actually can be felt all over our bodies. Our back and legs are also susceptible to pains from long sitting hours. So, getting a massage is an ideal way of dealing with muscle pains. If you don’t want to bother to make arrangements with a masseur, I’d suggest you buy a massage chair. Such chairs are suitable for homes and offices where many people can share the chair. Massage chairs today have many high-tech designs to help us relax our stiff muscles. Whether we have to sit or stand for long hours, having such therapy is good for our well-being.
Click here to buy the Best Full Body Massage Chair for Home and Office.
