What do you do to handle muscle pain?

skinnyminnie

Quick question - I have a desk job and have the knots and painful muscles that go with the territory. I get awful headaches from them. They go away if I'm off for a few days, and come back as soon as I go back to work. This morning I woke up with one feeling like it was stabbing me in the back.
Is this something that is caused by being overweight and somewhat slumped over at work?
Do you think it will go away as I lose weight?
Is there anything you know of that helps a person alleviate this? When I do cardio at the gym, the knots get worse since I tense up while working out. Thanks for your suggestions!

chrisyoung0422

Having a desk job myself and losing a decent amount of weight in the last year I can say it has helped. I also make sure to get up and stretch a little or move around every hour or so. Keep the blooid flowing. Posture is also important to keep an eye on.

leilaphoenix

I moaned to my doc about lower back pain and after having a poke around he told me to lose some weight. Harsh but probably true...

I've lost 14lbs and feel way better already. x

SpaceMarkus

Get up and walk around. If you have a cell phone you should be able to set a timer. Once an hour just get up and walk around the office, stretch, let your eyes focus.

http://www.shelterpub.com/_fitness/_desk_stretches/stretches_graphic.html

byHISstrength

Make sure you stretch real good before AND after your workouts. If you don't already, incorporate Yoga or pilates into your workout regimen.
When you are at work, focus on good ergonomics and like Chrisyoung said, get up whenever you can and stretch.
Yes, it should get better as you continue to lose weight.

khskr1

like others say...get up every so often and stretch and walk around. I have also found that I don't have the headaches when I am seeing my chiropractor on a regular basis, regardless of how brutal my workout is. I keep all the tension on my shoulders so when I start skipping the doc the headaches are horrible!

tamarab3

In our office we have to do annual ergonomic checks of all of our employees to make sure their workstations fit them properly to help prevent issues like you are mentioning. Here are a few tips: Make sure the height of your chair allows your hips and knees to bend at a 90 degree angle, keep your feet flat on the floor, don't cross your ankles or legs. Pay attention to yoru posture and sit up straight. When typing make sure your keyboard is at a level so your elbows are bent 90 degrees and your wrists are neutral and your shoulders are relaxed. We also encourage (tell our staff to) get up and stretch for 20 seconds every 20 minutes. I know these help me....on days I find myself not sitting properly or getting up and stratching I always feel stiff. Hopefully this will help you too.

bmontgomery87

I've been dealing with the same issue this week. I'm having pain in my upper left back area.
Only when I'm sitting at my desk, but if i sit there all day, it hurts when I get home as well.

Focus on posture, and get up and move around if you get the chance.

Juliebean_1027

I'm not sure if this is an option for you, but I walk in the basement or outside on my breaks. We're allowed 2 15 minute breaks in a day, and if you're anything like me, you probably don't take them. Well start! Just bring a pair of tennis shoes to throw on and walk around for 15 minutes. It might not seem like a lot but it will really, really help the pain. (Not to mention that it will count as exercise calories!) If a massage is something that is an option for you I would suggest that as well. I started seeing a massage therapist once a month and I still can't believe the difference that it has made. Yes, it's a little expensive ($50 for an hour) but I'm worth it, and it has helped tremendously! Good luck!

smilebhappy

I have a desk job myself~
desk jobs are so hard on your body......
I get up & walk around multiple times a day & do stretches too
Sometimes I just stand up to work instead of sitting in my chair all day
Agree that you need to pay attention to your posture as it is important

Have you ever tried yoga or pilates???
these exercises may help ease your muscle pain/tension.

Hope you feel better soon :flowerforyou:

anulle2009

i have a desk job my back pain started right after I had gastric bypass. It comes and goes, can you get up every once in awhile at work? I am lucky our bathroom is a good 500 feet away so I go to the restroom at least once an hour just to get up and stretch those muscles

Onesnap

sounds like you need a massage, and yoga.

LorinaLynn

A small pillow or even a rolled up towel placed on the small of your back when your sitting helps.

Also... it might be your jaw. I have TMJ - temporomandibular joint disorder. It's problems with the jaw joint. When I first got it, I had migraine-like headaches. Some other folks get neck or back pain from it. If you hold your jaw in an odd position, clench your teeth, or even if you lean your chin on your hand, it could aggravate problems. Working at a computer bothers it more for me. But PLAYING at a computer doesn't, strangely enough. :laugh:

skinnyminnie

Okay, I just swapped out my office chair for a vacant ergonomic one, and have raised it so that my elbows are at 90 degree angles, and I've made a makeshift foot rest with some reams of paper so that my feet are also at that angle (I'm short), and I've propped my monitor up with another ream.
Hopefully this helps, and I bet losing weight helps alot too, so my tummy isn't pulling me forward. Thank you!

HendryL

I have an desk job as well and sit motionless with hands on my keyboard for hours. So much so that the light in my office goes out sometimes because it has a motion detector and it thinks no one is there. I also suffer with migraines and get a related knot in my upper left back. I keep a tennis ball or any kind of small firm ball in my desk. When you feel that knot developing, just stand with your back against the wall and put the ball between you and the wall. Roll the ball up and down over the knot in your back with as much or as little pressure as you like. You can move the ball around by bending your knees or shifting left and right. It works and the ball can travel with you wherever you go. I find it very helpful and it feels great.

kgool

As a lot of people said already, stretching and standing often really help me. I also like to stand when I am not on my computer, during a lot of my work phone calls, conference calls, etc. I hear sitting on the ball that some people use rather than a chair is great too.

foodforfuel

Do you do any strength training/resistance/weight training? I think that would help. It also helps improve your posture.