Over the past few years, I have noticed an increase in the number of clients whose primary complaint is neck pain.  Some of them have injured their neck or undergone neck surgery, so their neck pain is understandable and has a specific cause.  But for others, they just started feeling pain in their neck without a known cause.  And they especially notice it with computer use.

I say this to my clients all the time:  Pain is a great motivator.  Unless something is painful or uncomfortable, we tend to keep doing it.  But when we start to feel noticeable pain and it interferes with our life, we become motivated to change in an effort to eliminate it.  When a client is at the motivated stage, they are usually the most open to my help.

The current trend in office ergonomics is standing desks.  While the idea of standing at work (or alternating between sitting and standing) is not a new concept, the idea seems to have just exploded recently.  It seems that everywhere I look, I see an article or a professional seminar with some variation of the "Sitting is Killing You" and/or "Sitting is the New Smoking" theme.  And manufacturers are scrambling to create products that allow workers to change positions at their desks. 

But is sitting really that bad for you?  And do you need a standing desk at work?

It’s hard to believe, but it’s been almost 10 years since I went in to private practice and started Blue Water Ergonomics.  Running my own business has been a great challenge and learning experience.  It has also really helped me to grow as a health care provider and has allowed me to achieve a better work-life balance.