Mr B. is a 40 year-old business manager. He presented to physiotherapy with a 6-week history of right-sided neck and shoulder pain. The neck constantly ached and felt tight, and sometimes the right arm felt heavy. This pain gradually developed after a busy period at work where he increased the amount of time he would normally spend at the computer. He was doing at least 35 hours of work on his laptop at home in addition to his normal 40 hours per week in the office. He had stopped going to the gym over this busy period, and was worried that doing exercise might make his pain worse. After two treatments with his chiropractor he had no lasting relief.
Mr B. had a slightly less movement when turning his head to look left but this movement reproduced his right-sided neck and shoulder pain. Lifting the right shoulder blade back into a better position helped Mr B. to turn his head fully to the left without pain. This meant that his shoulder posture was contributing to his neck and shoulder pain.
Treatment started with shoulder blade positioning exercises and this was encouraged when using the computer. Dynamic tape was applied to his shoulder to remind him of this position over the next couple of days. He was also provided with information about the ideal desk set up. It was suggested for his home set up to get a separate keyboard and mouse to use with the laptop elevated to eye level when seated. On follow-up 3 days later, Mr B. had a significant reduction in symptoms. He no longer had the ache at rest, but would only develop the pain after a long day sitting at the computer. Mr B. was given specific postural endurance exercises for his shoulder blade to help him hold better positions for longer. He was also encouraged to return to his normal gym routine and generally reduce his sitting when able.
After only 2 physiotherapy sessions over 10 days, Mr B. had complete resolution of this pain, which was constantly bothering him for 6 weeks previously. He also mentioned that he now had the skills to help himself if he ever experienced this problem again.
If you have neck or shoulder pain at work, we can help you. Contact us on 49216879.