Common back problems among office workers and how to manage them.
- onebodyklinikk
- Aug 21
- 6 min read
Updated: 7 days ago
If you work at a desk, you probably know the feeling:
Your neck is stiff by lunchtime.
Your lower back aches by the end of the day.
Your shoulders and arms feel tense and heavy.
You’re not alone. Studies show that between 40% and 70% of office workers experience some form of neck or back pain each year. The long hours sitting still, staring at a screen, and working under pressure carry numerous health risks, from metabolic disorders to musculoskeletal complaints. The spine is particularly vulnerable, and back pain has become one of the main causes of reduced productivity and sick leave.
Here’s the good news: these problems are not “just part of office life” — they can be fixed. And if you’re reading this, you can even get 15% off your first muskelterapi treatment with us as a new client. More on that in a moment.
Why does your back hurt when you work at a desk?
Static posture and lack of movement
Sitting for extended periods reduces blood circulation, limits nourishment of intervertebral discs, and overloads soft tissues. Studies show that longer bouts of sitting are linked to an increased risk of neck and lower-back pain, as well as general fatigue [1]. Excessive sitting has also been associated with exhaustion during the workday, decreased job satisfaction, and a higher prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints [1].
Poor ergonomics
A monitor that sits too low forces the head to tilt forward, and a chair without lumbar support encourages a rounded spine. Randomised clinical trials indicate that ergonomic interventions – such as adjusting chair and desk height to a worker’s body dimensions – significantly reduce neck, shoulder, and upper-back pain [5].
Weak stabilising muscles
The deep trunk muscles, abdominal wall, gluteal muscles, and overall “core” musculature stabilise the spine. A sedentary lifestyle weakens these structures, increasing the risk of overloading the discs and ligaments.
Stress and tension
Working under pressure promotes involuntary tension in the neck and shoulders. Studies incorporating body-awareness training have found that exercises reduce stress levels and improve quality of life [6].
The Most Common Office-Related Aches and Pains
Over time, many office workers develop various spinal issues. Data from Nordic countries show just how widespread these problems are: (source 2 and 3 )
Low-back pain: Reported by up to 51% of workers.
Neck and upper-back pain: Experienced by as many as 69% of workers.
Here’s what’s most likely to affect you if you work at a desk:
1. Neck and cervical pain
Symptoms and causes: Stiffness, reduced range of motion, and headaches. Neck pain is often associated with the head being drawn towards the monitor, incorrect screen height, and a lack of breaks, all of which overload the neck and shoulder muscles [2].
2. Pain between the shoulder blades and chest stiffness
Symptoms and causes: Rounded shoulders and forward-projecting arms cause the thoracic spine to slump. Workers may feel a pulling sensation in the scapular region, tingling in the arms and restricted movement of the chest.
3. Lower-back pain
Symptoms and causes: Discomfort in the lumbar region, a stabbing sensation or radiating pain into the buttocks. These complaints arise from prolonged sitting, a lack of lumbar support, and weakness in the abdominal and gluteal muscles [2].
4. Tension pain in the shoulders and arms
Symptoms and causes: Tension in the upper-body muscles and a burning sensation. Causes include a keyboard that is positioned too high, unsupported forearms and psychosocial stress.
Piriformis syndrome/sciatica
Symptoms and causes: Prolonged sitting can compress the sciatic nerve, leading to pain radiating down the leg. This often co-exists with weak gluteal muscles and shortened iliopsoas muscles.
Practical Solutions You Can Use Right Away
Improve workplace ergonomics
Adjust chair and monitor height. The monitor should be at eye level. Adjust your chair so that your feet rest flat on the floor, your hips are slightly higher than your knees and the backrest supports the natural lumbar curve. A randomised clinical trial reported that matching the height of the chair and work surface to the worker’s anthropometry reduced pain in the neck, shoulders and upper back [5].
Use a lumbar support. A chair with a pronounced lumbar contour or an additional cushion helps maintain the lordotic curve. Moderation analyses suggest that using a chair with lumbar support increases the effectiveness of interventions aimed at reducing back pain [3].
Dynamic sitting and frequent breaks
Postural shifts and active breaks. Changing your body position and taking short breaks every 30 minutes reduces muscle overload. A controlled study found that participants who sat on a dynamic cushion that encouraged micro-movements reported substantially fewer cases of neck and lower-back pain than controls [4].
Active breaks. A further study showed that active breaks improve blood circulation, increase energy expenditure, and reduce muscle tension [7].
Short stretching exercises. Performing simple exercises every half hour – such as neck stretches, torso twists, or squats – improves circulation and reduces muscle tension.
Walking and changing position. If possible, raise your desk to a standing position or take a short walk around the office. Increasing your step count helps prevent neck pain and supports overall health.
Strengthening and mobilising exercises
Deep-muscle training. Stabilisation exercises such as planks, ball exercises or inverted crunches strengthen the deep trunk muscles. A programme combining exercises with ergonomic education significantly reduced neck pain, functional limitations and stress, and improved quality of life over an eight-week intervention [6].
Stretching. Regularly stretch the pectoral muscles, hip flexors and posterior chain to maintain good posture.
Neck and shoulder training. Strengthening exercises for the neck and shoulder girdle (e.g., scapular retraction, isometric resistance) relieve pain and improve posture.
Body awareness and relaxation. Training that cultivates body awareness teaches workers to recognise muscle tension and consciously relax [6].
Education and stress management
Awareness of risks. Ergonomic and back-pain prevention training helps employees understand the causes of pain and learn healthy movement habits.
Relaxation techniques. Incorporating breathing exercises or short meditation sessions during the day reduces stress-induced muscle tension.
Time management and breaks. Creating a schedule with regular breaks and small doses of movement helps to avoid chronic overload.
When should you see a specialist?
Prevention goes a long way, but if pain becomes chronic, radiates into your limbs, or comes with numbness or tingling, it’s time for a professional assessment.
The earlier you address these issues, the faster and more completely you can recover.
That’s where we come in. At One Body Klinikk, our specialists combine medical knowledge with practical physiotherapy, massage, and functional training. Together, we will care for your spine so that desk work means comfort and health for years to come.
Relieving pain
Improving mobility
Preventing future problems
Receive 15% off your first muskelterapi session. It’s the easiest step you can take toward a healthier, pain-free workday.
What Our Clients Say
Vårt firma har tegnet bedriftsavtale med One Body klinikk. Vi har et tungt fysisk arbeid og her får vi hjelp med vonde skuldre og rygger, tips til øvelser og også preventiv behandling slik at der det ikke har utviklet seg vondter så holder vi de unna. One Body klinikk er veldig profesjonelle og kunnskapsrike og gir oss behandling av høy kvalitet. Både jeg og mine ansatte er meget fornøyd.
Morten T.
Betente skuldre og en vond korsrygg. Fikk fantastisk hjelp hos Dominic på One Body Klinikk. Anbefales på det varmeste
Henrik H.
Very professional approach to the patient.
At the beginning, Mr. Dominik explained in detail the use of various types of massage, which I did not know about. During the massage, time passed quickly during a very nice conversation.
The focus was on parts of the body exposed to pain when sitting or stretching fascia contracted during training. After leaving the office, I immediately felt better. I recommend it and will definitely come back!
Lukasz D.
Sources
Sources
[1] [5] Adverse Effects of Prolonged Sitting Behavior on the General Health of Office Workers – PMC
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5618737/
[2] Correlations between pain in the back and neck/upper limb in the European Working Conditions Survey – PMC
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6345048/
[3] [8] [13] Characteristics of office workers who benefit most from interventions for preventing neck and low back pain: a moderation analysis – PMC
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9128793/
[4] [9] [10] The effectiveness of a dynamic seat cushion in preventing neck and low‑back pain among high‑risk office workers: a 6‑month cluster‑randomised controlled trial – PMC
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11479679/
[6] Effect of an ergonomic intervention involving workstation adjustments on musculoskeletal pain in office workers—a randomised controlled clinical trial – PMC
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8010160/
[7] [14] Effectiveness of Physical Exercise on Pain, Disability, Job Stress, and Quality of Life in Office Workers with Chronic Non‑Specific Neck Pain: a randomised controlled trial – PMC
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10454597/
[11] [12] Active Breaks Reduce Back Overload during Prolonged Sitting: Ergonomic Analysis with Infrared Thermography – PMC
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