Turtleneck syndrome—oh, that annoying condition that afflicts not just the neck but also your back, shoulders, and even your head. Who would have thought looking down at your phone, laptop, and other devices can lead to that condition?

If you are suffering from turtle neck syndrome and looking for a way to fix the problem, there are two things you must look into:

One: Fixing Your Surroundings

This means making some positive changes in your work space to make it more ergonomic and more conducive for doing productive work while staying healthy and pain free.

Two: Changing Your Habits

We know the primary cause of turtleneck syndrome is the constant looking down, which stretches the neck muscles into an unnatural position and creates a lot of stress for the neck and surrounding muscles.

If you want to fix turtle neck, you have to look at these two things. In this blog post, we’ll focus on the first part, which is changing your surroundings, while giving some tips on the second part to help you break harmful habits and replace them with healthy ones.

Beating Turtleneck Syndrome with an Ergonomic Workspace and a Standing Desk

An adjustable standing desk is at the heart of almost all ergonomic workstations. Its adjustability helps its users break free from prolonged sitting and from their sedentary lifestyle, replacing this with a constant and regular movement as users shift from standing to sitting, and back, throughout the day.

Paired with other ergonomic equipment such as an adjustable chair and accessories like the monitor arms, a standing desk can revitalize your workday and help you become a more active and a healthier individual.

The question is this—can it help alleviate the symptoms of turtleneck syndrome, and how? And the answer? Yes, it can. Check out the ways a standing desk helps with fixing turtle neck.

It reduces prolonged sitting

Prolonged sitting is at the center of a sedentary lifestyle, and it is associated with various postural issues, including turtle neck syndrome. Alternating between sitting and standing throughout the day can reduce sitting time while increasing standing time.

If you want to fix turtle neck, this is the first thing to do—stand more and sit less. And, a standing desk will help you develop a sit-stand routine that will work for you.

It encourages better posture

When used correctly, a standing desk promotes a more upright posture compared to sitting at a traditional desk. The regular shift between standing and sitting will also help you constantly correct your posture, preventing slouching and excessive looking down on your laptop and gadgets.

This can help reduce the forward head posture that is the primary characteristic of the turtle neck syndrome, alleviating discomfort and pain.

It engages and strengthen the core and back muscles

Standing requires more engagement of the core muscles and back muscles to support your body's weight, which strengthens the said muscles. These muscles help in maintaining a better posture, and in doing so it can counteract the slouching that usually happens when you sit for too long and is one of the posture problems that often contribute to the development of the turtle neck syndrome.

Getting a standing desk for your workspace is one of the first steps to take to address not only turtleneck syndrome but also other posture problems. However, this is only the first step. The second step is ensure that you practice discipline in the use of this adjustable desk and in living a healthier, more active lifestyle.

Consider the following:

Proper desk setup

When using the standing desk, ensure that the desk height is adjusted so that your laptop screen or monitor is at eye level or slightly below. This will encourage a neutral head position, sparing your neck muscles from unnecessary stress and preventing turtleneck syndrome, and all while helping you avoid other harmful conditions such as eye strain.

Use of other ergonomic accessories

Consider using ergonomic accessories like a monitor arm or laptop stand to further adjust the screen height to your eye level. A laptop stand will elevate your screen while a monitor arm will reposition it above your desk. Both of these will place the screen at a level that is more comfortable to stare at as you work.

Regular posture checks

Regardless of whether you're sitting or standing, it’s important to periodically check your posture throughout the day and to make adjustments as needed. The constant shift between sitting and standing will help with posture correction.

However, if you are someone who tends to get lost in your work and forget all about your posture, you might want to add some reminders, post-its with some notes to remind you to stretch your neck and body, sit up straight, and keep your posture good. This will go a long way in addressing turtleneck syndrome.

Movement and breaks

Even when using a standing desk and alternating between sitting and standing throughout the day, it’s important to take regular breaks and incorporate other movements in your routine. For instance, even as you stand, shift your weight between your two legs—standing in one position for too long can lead to discomfort.

You might also want to do a few minutes of stretches at a time. And outside of work, be sure to live a healthy lifestyle—exercise and be physically active to keep your muscles and body healthy.

Are you ready for a standing desk? Find the right one here at MotionGrey. We have a wide selection of high-quality and affordable standing desks, as well as a complete range of ergonomic accessories for you. Check our catalog and take the first step to fix turtle neck—get a standing desk today!

About Us

MotionGrey is a Canadian standing desk company that specializes in ergonomic furniture. We supply and install only the best quality standing desks and ergonomic chairs in the country. We offer free shipping within Canada and the US.

What made you switch to standing desks? Our products are designed with wellness as the focal point. From our electric standing desks to our office and gaming chairs, we deliver best value by putting your health, safety, and comfort as top priority. Boost your creativity and level up work performance. We want you to create great outcomes so we’re providing you only the best tools to make them possible.

If you are not satisfied with your purchase, check out our Refund Policy.