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8 Stretches A PT Does To Prevent Pain & Injury From Sitting All Day

Marius Hernandez, D.P.T.
Author:
September 22, 2024
Marius Hernandez, D.P.T.
Physical Therapist
By Marius Hernandez, D.P.T.
Physical Therapist
Marius Hernandez, D.P.T. is a highly regarded Doctor at the renowned Anderson Orthopaedic Clinic.
Women sitting desk looking at laptop
Image by Olga Sibirskaya / Stocksy
September 22, 2024

Why do my knees hurt when I squat down to pick up my grandson? Why does my hip hurt when I swing a golf club? Why does my shoulder hurt when I serve in tennis? Why do my neck and back hurt when working in front of the computer? Why does my back hurt when I bend over to put my pants on?

In the clinic, patients ask us why they have pain in their neck, shoulder, hip, back, and knees. 80% of our physical therapy examination is based on the patient's subjective history of their condition and their medical history, and we typically find clues to help with the diagnosis.

Oftentimes, we see patients who have sedentary-type jobs—sitting in front of the computer eight to 10 hours per day for five or more days per week—often resulting in flexed hips, rounded and internally rotated shoulders, loss of lumbar lordosis (curvature in the lower back), increased thoracic kyphosis (curvature in the upper back), forward and protracted head and neck, and the loss of cervical lordosis (natural curve of the neck).

Our bodies are meant to move. Our bodies are not meant to be in a static position for long periods of time. With a lack of movement and stimulus load on our muscles and joints, over time our musculoskeletal and neuromuscular systems become deconditioned. That means our muscles become weaker, joints become stiffer, and reflexes for balance slow down, and these are some contributing factors that may result in musculoskeletal pain.

What often gets patients in trouble is when they try to move and load their muscles and joints out of their (limited) everyday capacity. These are patients that take up a sport they haven’t played in months or years, or who are weekend warriors who overdo it at the gym. It can also happen to elderly patients when doing activities like cleaning their homes or moving furniture.

While this sounds daunting, the good news is that it’s easy to reincorporate movement into our days, and ones that specifically address motions that tend not to happen when sitting at our desks for long periods of time. In fact, according to one randomized control trial, “regular active breaks or postural shifts may prevent the onset of low back and neck pain1 in at-risk office workers.” 

What the study found

The study divided 1,500 office worker participants into three groups: control, postural shift, and active break groups. The postural shift and active break groups were given a seat pad to facilitate active breaks and postural shifts during work, while the control group was given a placebo seat pad.

For the onset of neck pain, 17% of both the active and active break groups reported neck pain, compared to 44% of the control group. For the onset of low back pain, 9% of participants in the active break and 7% of participants in the postural shift group reported low back pain, compared to 33% in the control group.

This study emphasizes the importance of active movement to prevent the onset of neck and low back pain. The postural shift and active break groups performed postural shifts 27.3 times per hour or took active breaks 32.5 times a day, which equates to approximately 100 minutes a day! 

Here are eight movements to get started, and be on your way to increasing range of motion and preventing injury.

8 stretches for range of motion & pain prevention

Seated Scapular Retraction 

Begin sitting in an upright position. Gently squeeze your shoulder blades together for five seconds, relax, and repeat 10 times daily.

Tip: make sure to maintain good posture during the exercise. 

Seated Cervical Rotation 

Begin sitting in an upright position. Turn your head to look over one shoulder, then return to the starting position and repeat on the other side. Do three sets of 10 reps daily.

Tip: make sure to keep your back straight and do not bend your head forward, backward, or sideways.

Seated Cervical Flexion and Extension 

Begin sitting in an upright position. Slowly nod your head, tipping your chin down slightly toward your chest, feeling a stretch in the back of your neck. Next, tip your head backwards, looking up towards the ceiling, and return to the starting position. Do three sets of 10 reps daily.

Seated Thoracic Lumbar Extension

Begin sitting in an upright position with your arms crossed over your chest. Slowly arch your trunk backwards and hold, then return to an upright seated position and repeat. Do three sets of 10 reps daily. Tip: Keep your movements slow and controlled and do not move through pain.

Standing Lumbar Extension at Wall

Begin in a standing position with your hands overhead resting on a wall. Slowing press your pelvis forward towards the wall, arching your lower back. Hold briefly, return to the starting position, and repeat. Do three sets of 10 reps daily. Tip: Keep your upper back relaxed.

Hip Flexor Stretch with Chair

Begin in a standing position with one leg resting on a table or chair. Keeping your back straight and upright, squeeze your bottom and slowly shift your weight forward until you feel a stretch in the front of your hip, holding for 30 seconds. Repeat on both sides, doing 1 set of three reps on each side daily. Tip: Keep your hips and shoulders facing forward and do not arch your lower back.

Wall Angels

Begin in a standing position with your back against a wall. Raise your arms to the side, elbows bent at 90 degrees, and rest them against the wall. Slowly slide your arms straight up the wall, then lower them back to the starting position. Do three sets of 10 reps daily. Tip: Keep your back and arms in contact with the wall and do not shrug your shoulders or arch your back. Raise your arms only as high as you can without causing pain.

Doorway Pec Stretch at 90 Degrees Abduction

Begin in a standing position in the center of a doorway. With your elbows bent, place your forearms on the sides of the doorway at a 90 degree angle. Take a step forward until you feel a stretch at the front of your shoulders. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat three times daily. Tip: maintain a gentle stretch and do not shrug your shoulders. 

The takeaway

The basic necessities of survival include food, water, shelter, and clothing. Exercise needs to be added to this list so we can all live pain-free, functional lives. 

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