Does a long day at work give you a headache? It may not be your job, rather, how you sit while you are working, according to Philly.com.
A headache could be caused for any number of reasons: hormones, noise, sinus issues or hangovers, but the most common form of a headache is the tension headache. As the brain itself does not have pain fibers, the actual ache comes from surrounding tissue and nerves, according to medicinenet.com.
Right now, sit up and drop your shoulders. If your shoulders relaxed and noticeably dropped, you have poor posture. This can cause muscle shortness and spinal irritation, according to Philly.com. When you're at work and develop a headache, use your fingers to push on the base where your skull meets your neck. If you feel relief, you have poor posture that causes headaches.
The problem is: most of us don't notice that we took the day's stresses into our shoulders and necks until we are whammed by that tight rubber band feeling, according to Philly.com.
Here are a few things you can do to avoid stress and tension-related headaches:
- Be aware of your shoulders creeping up while you talk in the phone and don't hold the phone with your shoulder.
- Make sure your desk isn't too high which can cause awkward raising of your arms.
- Be sure your computer monitor isn't too low.
- Choose a supportive chair.
- Train yourself by setting a timer at 30 minute intervals. When the timer goes off, evaluate your posture.
- Stand up every once in a while. Take a stretch, relax your muscles and get the blood flowing again.
