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Add on neck support for short back office chair?

garbulky

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I have neck pain issues. I have a short back office chair which cannot be replaced. Is there a way to increase the height in order to provide some sort of neck support or a place to rest my head while seated? Some sort of attachment maybe? Just trying to see what my options are.
Something like this.
https://www.amazon.com/Starswirl-Head-Rest-Attachment-Elastic-Sponge/dp/B08ZBPXPTP/
61yc8CSa2vL._AC_SL1000_.jpg
 

Elitzur–Vaidman

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Why can't you replace the office chair itself? If you're having pain issues that your chair exacerbates, it's in the business's interest to get you a more ergonomic chair.
 

Digby

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Well it isn't. :D :D
It is in your interest. Anyway, this was a year ago, are you still using the same chair?

My experience of chairs with headrests is that you have to lean back to take advantage of them, then you can't do any work. Might be fine for a short rest, but defeats the purpose somewhat.

Sounds wacky and may not be feasible, but how about sitting on an exercise ball. Much cheaper than a decent chair and will improve you core muscles, perhaps leading to less neck pain.
 

Elitzur–Vaidman

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My experience of chairs with headrests is that you have to lean back to take advantage of them, then you can't do any work. Might be fine for a short rest, but defeats the purpose somewhat.

Sounds wacky and may not be feasible, but how about sitting on an exercise ball. Much cheaper than a decent chair and will improve you core muscles, perhaps leading to less neck pain.
The only thing I'd caution about exercise ball chairs is they can reinforce maladaptive muscle recruitment patterns. Basically, if your core muscles already have an impaired recruitment pattern, using an exercise ball chair could reinforce that and increase neck/back pain.

But otherwise I'm 100% in agreement regarding the importance of an ergonomic chair and the questionable efficacy of headrests.
 
OP
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garbulky

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It is in your interest. Anyway, this was a year ago, are you still using the same chair?

My experience of chairs with headrests is that you have to lean back to take advantage of them, then you can't do any work. Might be fine for a short rest, but defeats the purpose somewhat.

Sounds wacky and may not be feasible, but how about sitting on an exercise ball. Much cheaper than a decent chair and will improve you core muscles, perhaps leading to less neck pain.
Unfortunately just a neck rest is what I
Could use. I agree that having to lean back does substantially affect its use.
 

DonH56

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I have that one :) I think I am a little too sensitive for it. Thank you.
OK, figured it wasn't what you wanted, but threw it out as a temp fix. It is also hot and "itchy" to wear all day.
 

Digby

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I'm confused as to why the chair can't be replaced and a year later at that. If it is a cheap chair, maybe it has one more year of life in it, if it was new in 2021. How do you know it isn't causing/increasing the neck pain?

Any headrest you add after the fact will be a bodge and probably won't work very well.

I think this amazon reviewer sums the problem up very well:

"It adjusts for height, but not for distance from back of chair. Every desk chair I sit in seems to have a back that requires me to sit beyond vertical (laying back). For me to get my head to the head rest, I have to lay back and have my ribs poke out."
 
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