The Desk Job Dilemma: How Sitting, Typing, and Stressing Can Ruin Your Music
Dr. Lou Jacobs – Portland, Maine
Many musicians spend hours at desks between gigs and rehearsals: teaching lessons, composing, mixing tracks, or managing the logistics of a music career. What most don’t realize is that desk work can slowly chip away at the same biomechanics and neurology that power their performance.
Poor desk posture, repetitive mousing, and the constant tension of “just one more email” create subtle but significant stress on the neck, shoulders, wrists, and spine. For musicians, these issues compound the very challenges you already face while practicing or performing.
Let’s look at how common desk habits can undermine your playing—and how to fix them.
1. The Sitting Trap
The Risk
Hours of sitting with rounded shoulders and a forward head position shorten the hip flexors, weaken spinal stabilizers, and strain the neck and shoulders. For instrumentalists, this postural collapse mirrors what happens during long rehearsals but with no active movement to offset it. Due to hours, years and decades of desk posture, your arms may become less flexible, your breathing restricted. This VIDEO shows you how your posture impacts your biomechanics.
Again, the result is fatigue, stiffness, and nerve interference that can dull fine motor control and timing- especially for string, keyboard, and wind players who depend on shoulder and breathing precision.
Safer Postural Technique
* Sit tall with feet flat on the floor and hips slightly above knee level.
* Keep shoulders relaxed, chin slightly tucked, and ears aligned over shoulders.
* Use a lumbar cushion or small rolled towel for lower back support.
* Stand and move for at least two minutes every 30 to 45 minutes.
2. The Mouse and Keyboard Minefield
The Risk
Repetitive clicking, scrolling, and typing engage the same small muscle groups used for fretting, bowing, and striking keys. Overuse leads to micro-strain in the wrists and forearms, contributing to carpal tunnel irritation, tendinitis, and trigger points that limit finger independence.
Safer Technique
* Keep your wrists in a neutral position, not bent up or down.
* Use a keyboard tray or elevate your chair so elbows are at a 90-degree angle.
* Rest palms on a soft wrist support when not typing.
* Take “stretch breaks” by extending your arms, flexing your wrists, and gently shaking out your hands every hour.
3. The Standing Desk Myth
The Risk
Standing all day isn’t a magic fix. Without proper posture, it can shift strain to the knees, lower back, and neck. Many musicians switch to standing desks but lean on one leg, lock their knees, or hunch forward – exchanging one imbalance for another.
Safer Technique
* Keep weight evenly distributed between both feet.
* Use a small footrest to alternate leg positions and reduce low back tension.
* Adjust screen height so the top of the monitor is at eye level.
* Combine sitting and standing throughout the day.
4. The Slouch and the Shoulder
The Risk
Slouching while reading or mixing audio compresses the upper thoracic spine and rounds the shoulders forward. Over time, this posture shortens the pectoral muscles and overstretches the mid-back stabilizers. For guitarists, violinists, drummers, and pianists, this leads to uneven shoulder mechanics and can limit range of motion or cause shoulder impingement.
Safer Technique
* Keep your monitor directly in front of you, not off to the side.
* Strengthen your mid-back with rows or simple band exercises.
* Stretch your chest and shoulders daily to restore balance.
* When reading sheet music or notes, raise the pages to eye level instead of bending your neck.
5. The Stress Effect
The Risk
Mental stress at a desk often turns into physical tension. Jaw clenching, shallow breathing, and tight shoulders can all alter your body’s sensory feedback and muscle tone. This tension doesn’t disappear when you leave your desk—it follows you into your practice room.
Chronic tension limits fluidity and emotional expression in music. Over time, it can even alter breathing patterns, reducing stamina and control for wind players and vocalists.
Safer Technique
* Breathe deeply into your diaphragm every hour to reset your nervous system.
* Relax your jaw and unclench your teeth consciously.
* Step away from screens for short walks or simple stretches.
* Consider mindfulness, gentle yoga, or acupuncture to reduce accumulated stress patterns.
6. The Cumulative Problem
Here’s how daily desk stress can spill into your musicianship:
Desk Habit Physical Effect Impact on Playing
Sitting too long Weak core, tight hips Reduced endurance, lower back fatigue
Poor wrist posture Tendinitis, nerve irritation Hand stiffness, slower technique
Hunched shoulders Shoulder impingement Limited reach, tone imbalance
Jaw clenching, stress Cervical tension Reduced breath control, headaches
7. Chiropractic and Acupuncture Support
In my Portland practice, I work with musicians who often split their time between practice/performance and desk work. Chiropractic adjustments restore joint motion and relieve spinal tension and stress on the nervous system, while acupuncture helps reduce muscle tightness and improves focus. Together, these approaches support your nervous system’s ability to recover, adapt, and perform at its peak.
Preventive care keeps your body tuned—so when it’s time to play, your only concern is the music, not your risk of injury or disability.
Keep Your Workspace in Tune
Your desk can either drain your musical performance or support it. Every hour you spend sitting, typing, or leaning forward is prepping for your next performance – whether you mean it, want it, or not.
Bring the same awareness to your workstation that you bring to your instrument. Your effort to do this doesn’t need to be perfect, just an improvement. Every little bit counts, and if it’s the little bit that’s the difference between a significant injury or no injury, it’ll count even more!
Dr. Lou Jacobs, Chiropractor and acupuncturist in Portland, Maine, has been working with and specializing in the health and performance of musicians of all types, for over 23 years. His work has been highlighted in Guitar Player Magazine, and his client list is extensive, having worked with some of the best horn players in the world today. Dr. Lou is always accepting new patients and offers tele-consulting for musicians outside of Southern Maine. Dr. Lou also works with families and is board certified in chiropractic care for children and pregnant moms. Dr. Lou may be reached by calling (207) 774-6251 or by messaging his office manager, Sandra Escobar, at Sandra@DrLouJacobs.com.