Ergonomics After the New Year: A Practical Setup to Reduce Neck and Back Pain

Disclaimer: This article is general information only and is not a substitute for personal medical advice. Every person’s condition is different, and results vary. If your pain is severe, worsening, or associated with pins and needles, numbness, weakness, dizziness, or headaches that feel unusual, please seek medical advice.

Why neck and back pain spikes after the New Year?

The start of the year often brings a familiar pattern. People return to work with fresh projects, tighter deadlines, and longer hours on the computer. The workload increases, focus increases… and movement decreases.

When your body holds one position for long periods—especially a forward-head, rounded-shoulder posture—your neck and upper back muscles work overtime. Over days and weeks, that “background tension” can become pain. Sometimes it’s a dull ache. Sometimes it’s sharp, stiff, or feels like it spreads into the shoulder blades, mid-back, or even triggers headaches.

Ergonomics isn’t about perfect posture

A lot of people think ergonomics means finding the “correct” posture and locking it in all day. That’s usually the wrong goal. Even a good posture becomes a problem if you stay there for too long.

A better goal is to create a setup that reduces strain and makes it easier to change positions regularly.

The 5-minute desk setup that matters most.

If you only change a few things, start with these. They give the biggest return for the least effort.

1) Screen height: bring your work up to you

Your screen should be roughly at eye level so you’re not constantly looking down. If you use a laptop, consider a laptop stand (or even a stack of books) and an external keyboard/mouse.

A simple cue: your eyes should land on the top third of the screen without you craning your neck.

2) Keyboard and mouse: keep elbows relaxed

Your elbows should rest comfortably by your sides, roughly around a 90-degree bend. If your keyboard is too far away, your shoulders creep forward and up—this is a common driver of neck tightness.

Place the mouse close to the keyboard. Small, repeated reaching movements add up over a long workday.

3) Chair stability: choose a base that supports you

A simple but often overlooked point: a stable office chair should have five wheels (five-point base). This provides better support and reduces the chance of the chair tipping when you shift or move.

4) Seat height and hip angle: why 90° isn’t always ideal

Seat height matters more than most people realise. A simple baseline is this: you should be able to place both feet flat on the ground (or on a footrest), without your thighs being pushed hard into the front edge of the chair.

Traditionally, office ergonomics taught keeping the hips at about 90 degrees. That can work for some people. But for long hours of sitting, many people feel better with a slightly more open hip angle—closer to 100 degrees rather than a strict right angle.

Why? When the hip angle is too closed and the chair edge presses into the back of the thigh, some people notice more tightness, heaviness, or lower-limb swelling by the end of the day. It can also irritate the tissues at the back of the thigh—especially if you already have sensitivity around the hamstrings or sciatic nerve region.

A practical way to create that more open hip angle is:

• Raise the chair slightly so your hips sit a little higher than your knees, and/or

• Use a slight forward seat tilt (seat pan tilt) if your chair allows it.

The key is this: if you raise the chair, your feet still need full support. If your legs dangle, the weight of the legs can increase pressure at the back of the thighs. In some people, this may irritate the tissues around the hamstrings and can also affect comfort and circulation.

If raising the chair makes your feet lose contact with the floor, use a footrest (or a stable box) so the feet are supported again.

5) Seat depth: don’t let the chair push you forward

Seat depth (the depth of the seat pan) makes a big difference. If the seat pan is too deep, many people can’t sit all the way back against the backrest. That leaves a gap between the back and the backrest, meaning the backrest isn’t doing its job—so over time you tend to hinge forward and slump.

A practical guide: when you sit all the way back, aim for about 10 cm of space between the front edge of the seat and the back of your knee. This helps reduce pressure behind the knee and makes it easier to maintain comfort over time.

6) Backrest and lumbar support: do you need a cushion?

People often ask whether they need a lumbar cushion. The honest answer is: it depends on your body shape and the backrest shape.

If you sit all the way back and your lower back already feels gently supported, you may not need anything extra. In fact, a very soft or squishy cushion can sometimes leave you slumped—especially if it makes you slide away from the backrest.

If the chair doesn’t match your back well, a simple and effective option is a rolled towel. Roll up a bath towel into a firm “log,” place it around belt-height (slightly up or down depending on comfort), and sit back into the chair.

You’re not trying to force an exaggerated lumbar curve—just enough support so you feel upright, stable, and comfortable.

7) Armrests: helpful for resting, not always helpful for typing

Armrests can be useful for giving your shoulders a break. But they can also become a problem if they prevent you from getting close enough to the desk.

If the armrests block the chair from sliding under the desk, people often compensate by sitting forward to reach the keyboard. That usually means they can’t use the backrest and they end up in a more strained posture.

A practical approach:

• If armrests stop you getting close to the desk, lower them, remove them, or avoid relying on them.

• If you keep armrests, use them when you’re resting—but don’t “lock” onto them while typing, so your arms can move freely.

8) Desk height: match it to your chair

Desk height is tricky because it must work with your chair height. Height-adjustable desks can be very useful.

To set desk height: sit in your preferred chair position (feet supported, sitting back, comfortable). Then bend your elbows to around 90 degrees. The desk surface should be close to the level where your forearms can rest comfortably.

This is important because your keyboard should sit flat. If the keyboard is angled too high, your wrists may extend more during typing, which can contribute to forearm overuse and irritation over time.

9) Keyboard position: close is usually better

Your keyboard should be close enough that your elbows stay near your body. A common mistake is pushing the keyboard far away and using the desk edge to “support the forearms.” The problem is that the body usually has to lean forward to reach, which often leads to a forward head posture and rounded shoulders.

If bringing the keyboard closer makes the desk edge press into your wrists or palm, a wrist rest can help some people feel more comfortable. It may also reduce strain for those prone to wrist irritation.

10) Documents: reduce the repeated “looking down”

If you type while reading a document, place the document on a document stand near the monitor. This reduces repeated bending of the neck.

A common setup that leads to trouble is placing documents flat on the desk between your keyboard and your body. That often pushes the keyboard forward, increases leaning, and can contribute to neck pain and headaches over time.

11) Monitor distance: one arm’s length

A simple guide for monitor distance is about one arm’s length from your eyes. If you find yourself leaning forward to see clearly, it might be time to increase font size or check whether you need glasses/updated prescription.

12) Glare and brightness: match the monitor to the room

Office lighting and sunlight can create glare on the monitor, which strains the eyes and often pulls the head forward without you noticing.

One solution is to tilt the monitor slightly (around 10 degrees) to reduce reflections. Adjust monitor brightness so it matches your environment:

• If the room is bright and the monitor is dim, your eyes work harder.

• If the monitor is very bright and the room is dark, that can also fatigue the eyes.

Comfort improves when the screen brightness and surrounding light feel balanced.

13) Mouse position: don’t let it pull you forward

The mouse should sit right next to the keyboard—on the right for right-handed users and on the left for left-handed users. If the mouse is too far away, you’ll reach repeatedly, and that can reinforce forward head posture and shoulder tension.

The habit that beats ergonomics: micro-breaks

The most ergonomic position is the next position.

Try this simple rule: every 30 minutes, change something for 20–30 seconds. Stand up, stretch your chest, rotate your upper back, roll your shoulders, or simply walk to refill water. You don’t need a full workout—you just need frequent movement.

Three quick resets for neck and back tension

These are gentle, low-risk options that work well for many office workers.

1) Chin tuck “reset” (10 reps)

Gently draw your chin back as if making a double chin. Keep your eyes level. You should feel the back of the neck lengthen, not strain.

2) Doorway chest opening (20–30 seconds)

Forearms on the doorway, step forward slightly, and breathe. This reduces the tight “front chain” that pulls your shoulders forward.

3) Upper-back rotation (5 each side)

Sit tall, rotate your upper back left/right slowly while keeping your hips stable. This helps if you feel “stuck” between the shoulder blades.

When ergonomics is not the full answer

Sometimes your setup is fine, but your pain keeps returning. That’s often when we need to look beyond “posture” alone.

Neck and back pain can be influenced by things like sustained muscle guarding, sensitised nerves, restricted rib/thoracic movement, breathing mechanics, old injuries, or tension patterns in the fascia and surrounding tissues. This is where a personalised assessment matters—because two people can have the same desk setup and completely different reasons for pain.

How I help at Fascial Release Clinic?

In a session, I look at your movement, your symptom triggers, and how your body is compensating. If appropriate, I use a gentle hands-on approach (including Fascial Counterstrain techniques) to reduce protective tension and improve movement—so your body doesn’t feel like it needs to “brace” through the workday.

Ergonomics is still important—but it works best when your body is capable of tolerating desk work in the first place.

If you’re back at work and your neck/back is already complaining

Try the setup changes and the micro-break rule for one week. If your symptoms are persisting, worsening, or interfering with sleep, it may be time for a more detailed assessment.

If you’d like help, you can book an appointment at Fascial Release Clinic in Glenelg. I’ll help you understand what’s driving your pain and what your body needs to settle it down—so you can focus on work without constantly managing discomfort.

FAQs

Is bad posture the main cause of neck pain?

Not always. Posture can contribute, but the bigger issue is usually duration—how long you stay in one position—plus stress, workload, previous injuries, and how your body tolerates sustained sitting. Many people improve more by moving regularly than by chasing “perfect posture.”

Should my hips be at 90 degrees when sitting?

Not always. The classic “90-degree rule” is a useful starting point, but many people feel better with a slightly more open hip angle (for example, hips a little higher than knees). What matters most is that your feet stay supported and the chair edge isn’t pressing firmly into the back of your thighs.

Should I use a standing desk if I have back pain?

A standing desk can help, but only if you still change positions. Standing all day can irritate the back too. A good approach is sit–stand cycling, such as 30–60 minutes sitting, then 10–20 minutes standing, and repeat.

Why do I get headaches when I work at the computer?

Common triggers include sustained neck tension, forward head positioning, screen height issues, eye strain, and stress. Sometimes the upper neck, jaw, or upper back can contribute. If headaches are new, severe, or unusual for you, seek medical advice.

Do I need an expensive ergonomic chair?

Not necessarily. A supportive chair helps, but the key factors are screen height, keyboard/mouse position, and movement breaks. Many people do well with simple adjustments and a basic lumbar support (like a rolled towel).

How do I know if my pain is serious?

Get checked promptly if you have numbness, tingling, weakness, significant pain down the arm/leg, night pain that is getting worse, unexplained dizziness, loss of balance, or changes in bowel/bladder function.