And Most of Us Don't Even Notice It
If you've finished a workday with a stiff neck, tight shoulders, or an aching lower back, you're far from alone. Across New Zealand, office workers are quietly accumulating physical damage from something most of us consider entirely routine: sitting at a desk.
The problem isn't laziness or poor fitness. It's the way modern work is designed and the toll it takes on the human body was never really meant to sit still for eight hours a day.
The human head weighs roughly five to six kilograms. When you're sitting upright with good posture, your spine handles that load relatively well. But tilt your head forward to look at a screen, even slightly and the effective load on your neck can more than double.
According to Limitless Chiropractic, "when the head shifts forward – even slightly – the load on the neck increases significantly. Structurally, this can cause the joints of the cervical spine to lose some of their natural motion, while the neck muscles and shoulder muscles tighten to stabilise the area. Over time, this protective bracing can create tension at the base of the skull, pressure through the upper neck, or fatigue across the shoulders and upper back."
This condition ( commonly known as tech neck ) has become one of the most widespread musculoskeletal complaints among desk workers, and it's getting worse as screen time increases both in and out of the office.
Tech neck might be the headline issue, but it's only part of the story. Prolonged sitting affects the entire body in a cascade of interconnected ways.
Rounded shoulders - where the chest caves inward and the upper back hunches often develop alongside tech neck as the body compensates for a forward head position. This can restrict breathing, compress the chest, and place strain on the muscles between the shoulder blades.
Further down, the lower back bears the brunt of poor sitting habits. When you slouch, the natural curve of the lumbar spine flattens or reverses, placing uneven pressure on the intervertebral discs. Over months and years, this contributes to chronic lower back pain, one of the leading causes of workplace absenteeism in New Zealand.
Prolonged sitting also tightens the hip flexors, which can pull the pelvis out of alignment and affect how you walk, stand, and move outside of work hours. Many people don't connect their hip discomfort or even knee pain back to what's happening at their desk.
Then there are the less obvious effects: eye strain from screen glare and poor monitor positioning, tension headaches that radiate from the neck, and carpal tunnel symptoms from repetitive mouse and keyboard use.
Physical posture isn't the only factor at play. The mental and emotional demands of office work add another layer. As Limitless Chiropractic notes, "daily stress, whether physical, mental, or emotional, can place pressure on the spine and surrounding joints."
When we're under stress, the body responds by tensing muscles around the neck, shoulders, and jaw. For office workers already carrying physical strain from poor posture, this tension compounds existing issues and can accelerate the development of chronic pain.
It's a cycle that's easy to miss: stress causes tension, tension worsens posture, poor posture causes pain, and pain increases stress.
New Zealand's shift toward flexible and remote working since 2020 has introduced new challenges. Many workers swapped ergonomic office chairs and properly positioned monitors for kitchen tables, couches, and laptops balanced on knees. Without the setup of a proper workstation, the physical strain of a working day has, for many Kiwis, quietly intensified.
Even those back in offices aren't necessarily better off. Long hours, back-to-back meetings, and sedentary culture mean that even well-equipped offices often don't translate into better physical health.
There are practical steps every desk worker can take: adjusting monitor height so the top of the screen sits at eye level, taking movement breaks every 30 to 45 minutes, and being more conscious of shoulder position throughout the day. Ergonomic chairs, standing desks, and supportive footwear can also help.
But for many people, the damage has already begun. That's where professional support becomes important. Chiropractic care is increasingly recognised as a valuable part of managing and preventing office-related musculoskeletal issues. Chiropractors assess the spine and surrounding joints, identify areas where natural motion has been lost or compromised, and use targeted adjustments and rehabilitation to restore function and reduce pain.
Rather than simply treating symptoms, chiropractic care looks at the underlying structural and movement issues that daily office life creates. This makes it a genuinely useful option for workers dealing with persistent neck tension, back pain, or headaches that don't resolve on their own.
If your body has been trying to tell you something at the end of every workday, it might be time to start listening.
If you're experiencing persistent neck pain, back discomfort, or tension headaches related to office work, consider speaking with a qualified chiropractor to assess your spinal health.