Since the neck pain, I haven't been avoiding physical activity in the sense of exercise. I don't exercise any more or less than before. What I avoided a lot was sitting for long periods and looking down, because looking down seemed to make my neck worse. Also, a couple PTs had told me not to crane my neck down but to use reading stands, prop books up on pillows, etc. As a result, I cut way down on recreational reading and handwriting in my journal, which were two of my major destressors and pleasures in life.
Slowly I am getting back to reading in a normal position, such as sitting in a coffee shop and looking down at my book on the table or sitting in a regular soft chair and looking down. It still hurts to look down too long but I am building up. I don't want to spend the rest of my life carting heavy reading stands all over the place or sitting in a straight back wooden chair with a book propped up on a straight stand. like a pilgrim in a little red schoolhouse or something!
If I'm at home, I will sometimes rest my book or kindle on a pillow in my lap, simply because it feels more comfortable to have the reading material closer to my eyes. I'm not sure it that's an unnecessary holdover from the bad pain days or simply a position that's more comfortable. It's hard sometimes to figure out what is simply good ergonomics and what is fear of pain. Something to think about.
Slowly I am getting back to reading in a normal position, such as sitting in a coffee shop and looking down at my book on the table or sitting in a regular soft chair and looking down. It still hurts to look down too long but I am building up. I don't want to spend the rest of my life carting heavy reading stands all over the place or sitting in a straight back wooden chair with a book propped up on a straight stand. like a pilgrim in a little red schoolhouse or something!
If I'm at home, I will sometimes rest my book or kindle on a pillow in my lap, simply because it feels more comfortable to have the reading material closer to my eyes. I'm not sure it that's an unnecessary holdover from the bad pain days or simply a position that's more comfortable. It's hard sometimes to figure out what is simply good ergonomics and what is fear of pain. Something to think about.
