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Desk Worker Guide: Simple Stretches to Prevent Neck Pain

Neck pain is one of the most frequent complaints we hear from office-based clients in Hitchin. Whether you work from home or in an office, long hours at a desk can lead to tension, reduced mobility, and postural strain.

At Physio Three Sixty, we’ve helped hundreds of local desk workers find lasting relief. Based at 17A Hermitage Road, Hitchin, our clinic specialises in physiotherapy, acupuncture, and postural rehab — and our team is CSP-accredited with over 15 years of clinical experience.

This guide outlines five practical, physiotherapist-approved stretches that you can do at your desk or during breaks to reduce neck pain and improve mobility.

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What Causes Neck Pain in Office Workers?

Prolonged Static Postures

Holding your head in a forward or downward position for long periods creates muscular fatigue and joint stiffness, particularly in the:

✓ Upper trapezius

✓ Levator scapulae

✓ Cervical facet joints

Poor Desk Ergonomics

Common culprits include:

✓ Monitors set too low or off-centre

✓ Chairs without lumbar or upper back support

✓ Laptops without separate keyboards

Stress & Reduced Movement

Mental tension can lead to elevated shoulders and shallow breathing — increasing muscle tension in the neck and upper back.

 

Five Simple Stretches to Prevent Neck Pain

Note: These stretches are suitable for most desk workers, but if you have an injury or medical condition, please seek personalised advice from a physiotherapist first.

1. Upper Trapezius Stretch

Target area: Side of the neck and top of the shoulders

Instructions:

✓ Sit tall in your chair

✓ Gently tilt your head to one side (ear toward shoulder)

✓ Use your hand to apply light pressure

✓ Hold for 20–30 seconds, repeat on both sides

This helps relieve tightness from prolonged mouse or keyboard use.

2. Levator Scapulae Stretch

Target area: Back of the neck and shoulder blade

Instructions:

✓ Sit or stand tall

✓ Turn your head 45° toward one armpit

✓ Tuck your chin slightly and gently pull your head downward

✓ Hold for 20-30 seconds, repeat on both sides

Useful after long phone calls or screen-focused tasks.

3. Chin Tucks

Target area: Deep neck flexors and postural alignment

Instructions:

✓ Sit upright, shoulders relaxed

✓ Gently draw your chin straight back (like making a “double chin”)

✓ Hold for 5 seconds, repeat 10 times

This counteracts forward head posture — a major contributor to desk-related neck pain.

4. Shoulder Rolls

Target area: Upper traps, deltoids, and thoracic mobility

Instructions:

✓ Sit or stand

✓ Roll your shoulders up, back, and down in a slow circular motion

✓ Repeat 10–15 times

A great movement break during long calls or meetings.

5. Wall Angels

Target area: Mid-back, and shoulder mobility

Instructions:

✓ Stand with your back flat against a wall

✓ Raise arms like a goalpost, elbows and hands touching the wall

✓ Slowly raise and lower your arms, keeping contact

✓ Perform 10 controlled reps

Strengthens postural muscles and improves overhead mobility.

 

Building Good Habits for Lasting Neck Health

Movement Is Medicine

Even the best stretch routine won’t help if you stay seated all day. Aim to:

✓ Stand every 30–45 minutes

✓ Walk during calls where possible

✓ Alternate between sitting and standing if you use a sit-stand desk

Check Your Desk Setup

Our physiotherapists can advise on ergonomics, but start with:

✓ Monitor at eye level, directly in front

✓ Feet flat on the floor or footrest

✓ Elbows at 90°, wrists neutral

Consider Regular Physiotherapy

Persistent stiffness, recurring headaches, or tingling in the arms may require further assessment. At Physio Three Sixty, we treat postural neck pain with a combination of:

✓ Manual therapy

✓ Exercise prescription

✓ Acupuncture (where appropriate)

✓ Ergonomic education


Local Support in Hitchin for Desk-Related Neck Pain

Our Hitchin clinic is located just minutes from Hitchin Market and  the town centre, offering flexible appointment times including evenings.

If you’re working from home or spending long hours at a screen, don’t ignore early signs of discomfort — it’s much easier to prevent chronic pain than to fix it later.

📍 Address: 17A Hermitage Road, Hitchin, SG5 1BT
📞 Phone: 01462 431 033
📧 Email: info@physiothreesixty.co.uk 

 

Book Your Consultation Today

Whether you’re working from a kitchen table or a modern office setup, neck pain is not something to ignore. Our CSP-accredited physiotherapists will assess your posture, mobility, and muscle balance to create a plan that gets you moving again.

👉 Book online now or ca

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Why Physio Three Sixty Is the Best Physio in Hitchin

Why Physio Three Sixty Is the Best Physio in Hitchin

Finding the right physiotherapist can feel overwhelming. With so many clinics in and around Hitchin, how do you know who truly delivers the best care? For local people managing pain, recovering from injury, or preparing for sporting events, the choice often comes down to expertise, convenience, and trust. That’s where Physio Three Sixty stands out.

In this article, we’ll cover why Physio Three Sixty is considered one of the top-rated physio clinics in Hitchin, how to find and access the clinic, where to park and how to book.
 

Why Choosing the Right Physio Matters

When you’re in pain or recovering from an injury, the quality of your physiotherapy makes all the difference. Choosing the right clinic means faster recovery, fewer setbacks, and treatment you can trust. In Hitchin, where many people are active runners, gym members, and office workers, physiotherapy is not just about short-term relief—it’s about keeping people moving long term.
Physio Three Sixty has built a reputation since 2015 for successfully helping patients get back to sport, reduce pain from work injuries, and recover from surgery. 


What Sets Physio Three Sixty Apart

Location in the Heart of Hitchin

The clinic is based at 17a Hermitage Road, Hitchin, SG4 0EL, 

Parking Options

There are multiple parking options in Hitchin town centre, including St Mary’s pay and display, Portmill pay and display, Sainsbury's and Waitrose ACR parks. All are just a short walk from the clinic.

Simple Booking Process

Appointments can be booked online through Setmore in just a few clicks. Same-week and same-day appointments are often available, meaning you won’t be left waiting for the help you need.

Range of Specialist Services

Physio Three Sixty offers: 

Common Questions About Visiting Our Hitchin Clinic

Q. Is it easy to get an appointment?
A. Yes. Most patients are seen within 3–5 days, sometimes the same day.

Q. Do you treat sports injuries only?
A. While sports injuries are a speciality, we also provide treatment for a range of post fracture, post surgical and work related injury.  

Q. Do you need a GP referral?
A. No GP referral is required, you can self refer for a Physiotherapy consultation. You can book directly online via the website or by phone.


Ready to Book Your Appointment?

Physio Three Sixty is proud to be part of the Hitchin community, offering expert physiotherapy care for pain, injury, and long-term health.

Book your consultation in Hitchin today →

 

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Diagnosing Headache, Physiotherapy and how Acupuncture can help

Headache, Physiotherapy and Acupuncture

For many people headaches can be extremely disruptive to daily life and stop them from being able to do basic daily tasks, concentrate properly or carry out work duties.  Migraine is the most common type of headache with a lifetime risk of 43 per cent in women and 18 per cent in men, affecting those mainly of working age. Typically, it presents as a throbbing pain on one side of the head and is associated with nausea and increased sensitivity to light or sound.  Migraine can be present with or without symptoms of aura, which are visual, sensory or motor changes.  Of those with migraine 1-2% can develop persistent symptoms which do not go away.

Migraine is the most common diagnosis of a patient with an intermittent and persistent headache without neurological symptoms.  Tension type headache is another very common type of primary headache which presents as a milder headache affecting both sides of the head, generally without throbbing and migrainous features.

Cervicogenic headache is another common cause of headache, classed as a secondary cause.  With cervicogenic headache symptoms are generally present with neck pain, and symptoms provoked with movement of the neck would help to confirm this.

Headache symptoms can also be triggered by changes with the body’s hormones, for example with onset of menstruation in women.  Medication overuse is another cause of headache. Persistent long term use of analgesia for pain can cause this, and is called a medication overuse headache.
 

Physiotherapy and acupuncture treatment in Hitchin

Physical treatment is not always the first thing to consider, as accurate diagnosis must identify the headache type and if physiotherapy can help.  The British Association for the Study of Headache (BASH) guidelines assist with this and should always be referred to aid diagnosis.

There is evidence that physiotherapy and acupuncture can be beneficial for the treatment of tension headaches, cervicogenic headache and migraine.  Treatments such as spinal mobilisation, manipulation and massage can all help to relieve symptoms.  Acupuncture is a modality which can be very effective for reduction of pain related to these types of headache.  Acupuncture is now a treatment option recommended through the national institute of clinical excellence (NICE) for migraine and tension type headache.

If you experience headaches and would like to discuss if physiotherapy could help, contact Anthony on 01462 431033 at Physio Three Sixty in Hitchin for a consultation, or book an appointment online.

Anthony Cahill, BSc, MSc, MCSP, MAACP
Specialist MSK Physiotherapist

Physiotherapy in Hitchin at Xchnage Fitness

 

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Tennis Elbow - symptoms, causes and management

What is tennis elbow?

Tennis elbow is a condition which is known medically as lateral epicondylalgia. ‘Epicondyl’ refers to the anatomical landmark on the outside of the elbow and ‘algia’ refers to the presence of pain. With tennis elbow pain can be felt on the outside of the elbow which in some cases can spread down towards the forearm or wrist.   Tennis elbow used to be known as epicondylitis with ‘itis’ referring to inflammation, but we now know that there is little in the way of true inflammation especially with persistent long term symptoms.  Instead the source of pain comes from strain and overload on the tendon causing it to breakdown at a cellular level (ref).
 

What causes tennis elbow?

Tennis elbow starts when the tendons which run from the muscles on the back of the forearm into the elbow are overloaded or strained.  This causes micro-tears in the tendon where it inserts into the elbow leading to pain. 
Tennis elbow can be brought on by an acute injury or sudden movement producing high forces through the tendon, but more commonly the onset is gradual over time with repetitive movements requiring lots of wrist and hand movement or gripping, e.g. gardening, cleaning, DIY, manual work or typing. 
 

How do I recognise the symptoms?

Typically, symptoms of pain on the outside of the elbow can be made worse by:
·         Bending or fully straightening the arm
·         Holding heavy objects or opening cans and bottles
·         Typing or writing for long periods of time
·         Using heavy items for prolonged periods such as a drill
·         Twisting or doing rotational movement in with the arm e.g. racquet sports
·         Pain can be produced by touching the outside of the elbow

 
What can I do to manage the pain?

There are a number of different things you can do to help yourself. The most important of all is reducing the weight that goes through the injury site, or the amount of work you are doing with your arm.  Working through the pain is rarely advisable as this will continue to overload and place stress on the injured tissue.

Other useful adjuncts for relieving pain include the use of analgesia such as paracetamol or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication.  Using ice packs can also be useful for symptomatic relief of pain even though there may be little in the way of actual inflammation.  
You shouldn’t take ibuprofen or aspirin if you’re pregnant or have asthma, indigestion or an ulcer until you’ve spoken to your doctor or pharmacist. Medication can have side-effects so you should read the label carefully and check with your pharmacist if you have any queries. Always seek medical advice if needed before taking medication.
 

How can Physiotherapy help?

A Physiotherapy assessment can help by pinpointing the cause of symptoms and ensuring you get an accurate diagnosis.  Once this have been obtained an appropriate treatment plan can be put together.  Physiotherapy treatments include using tape or straps which take pressure off the injured tissue and can be worn during activities that typically cause discomfort.  Soft tissue massage, elbow mobilisation, acupuncture and shockwave therapy can also be used for pain relief and to promote healing.  Long term management with specific strengthening exercises is strongly supported by research and this often forms the foundation of management in physio.
 

Medical management - Steroid injections

If you don’t respond to conservative treatment your GP or physio may suggest a steroid injection could be of benefit. Injections can work extremely well for some and for others can have little impact.  Your physio can help with referring you on for a steroid injection if they think you would benefit from this and discuss the pros and cons.
 

Don’t just put up with symptoms – get the injury checked out!

Whatever you do, don’t just sit and rest the injury.  Rest on its own is rarely useful for persistent symptoms and if anything can lead to making things worse as the muscles and tendon loose strength.  So don’t delay, book an appointment on 01462 431033 or contact us for further information on assessment and treatment.  Click here for more information about Physio Three Sixty.

Anthony Cahill
​Specalist MSK Physiotherapist, Physio Three Sixty, Hitchin
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Specialist Physiotherapy and Sports injury management
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