This article includes a 2:05 video walkthrough.
Quick answer
Neck strain while sitting usually comes from your setup. Start by making sure your chair is dialed in for you. Then check the most common workstation causes: a desk that's too high (which rolls your shoulders and head forward), a monitor that's too low or too high, and typing directly on a laptop.
What to check
Your chair. Follow "How do I adjust my Anthros to fit me?" so you're well aligned.
Desk height. Your desk should be at forearm height with your elbows at 90 degrees. Too high, and your shoulders and head come forward.
Monitor height. Keep your eye line within the top third of your monitor. Looking down or looking up all day both strain your neck.
Laptop. If you type on your laptop, your head comes forward to see the screen. Use an external keyboard and raise the laptop on a riser so the screen is at the right height.
If discomfort is severe or doesn't improve, check in with your healthcare provider.
Also called: neck strain, stiff neck, sore neck, forward head, tech neck, monitor height.
Want help reviewing your setup? Book a free Posture Consult with one of our licensed therapists. Consults are educational and product-related only, not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Video transcript
An issue that comes up a lot in posture consults is people with neck pain. So I want to address that and just take a look at some of the causes. The first step when you have your Anthros chair is to follow the instructional video and get your chair dialed in for you, making sure that you're well aligned, because then your neck is going to be well aligned.
If you still feel that neck strain, it's probably due to the setup. Let's go take a look at what some of the causes could be with your setup. One of the big problems I see is when the desk is too high. Ideally, your desk height should be the height of your forearm here. And if you're working at a desk that's too high, watch what happens to my shoulders. They're rolling forward, my head is coming forward, and this whole backside is being strained.
Another issue that comes up is monitor height. If your monitor is too low and you're looking down at your monitor, your head is coming forward, and it's putting strain on your neck. If you're looking up all day at your monitor, again, it's putting strain on your neck. So you want your eye line to be within the top third of your monitors at all times.
If you're using a laptop, there are a couple of things to be aware of. If you use your laptop to type with, then your head is going to come forward, because you'll be looking at that screen. I recommend getting an external keyboard and raising your laptop on a riser, so that you can have the monitor height of the laptop at the correct setting and your head can be in neutral.
Those are the main causes of neck pain. Check out your workstation. If you need help, please schedule a posture consult. We'd be happy to help you.