Your computer may be a pain in the neck

From TechRepublic:

Sit up straight

If you’re reading this article with hunched shoulders and a craned neck, your “computer slump” could one day give way to what some physical therapists call “postural syndrome.”

Postural syndrome is essentially repetitive stress to the neck and thoracic spine, or the 12 vertebrae of the mid-back and chest area, from the so-called flex-forward position. Doctors and physical therapists say that the injury commonly targets the fourth, fifth and sixth discs in the thoracic spine, leading to muscle tenderness, stiffness or, in some cases, nerve irritation.

A prolonged slouch over many years causes the disc space to narrow, which in turn can cause nerve irritation that spreads underneath the shoulder blades, down the arms and down the back.

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