Protect Your Neck
with My Best Monitor Tips

First Published: December 24, 2017. Updated: January 9, 2025

Do you work with your face stuck in a screen?
If so, you may upping your risk for a serious neck condition, or at the very least, nagging discomfort there,
as well as in shoulders, arms and hands.
Proper monitor placement may help prevent this.
Here are my best tips:

Where is Your Monitor Placed Relative to Your Eyes?

These days, many of us engage intently with our monitors at the expense of our necks.

Screens should be between 18" and 24" away from your eyes, and the top of the monitor should be at about the level of the eyes, or just a bit lower.

Not excited by the idea of whipping out the measuring tape?

To quickly find out if your monitor needs a distance adjustment, try this:

1. Assemble yourself in as good posture as you know how to do.
2. Extend your arm straight out in front of you, parallel to the floor.
3. Check 'n' Correct: If your fingers just touch the screen. If so, it's likely your monitor is at an ergonomically sound distance for you. If not, adjust the monitor accordingly.

Adhering to this positioning recommendation encourages good head on neck alignment, where the head is an extension of the vertical spine.

Sadly, most people haven't gotten the memo, and instead crane the head far forward of the spine to see the monitor. This can lead to "kinking" at the back of the neck which not only tightens muscles, but negatively affects the rest of your posture as well.

Another thing you can do for your head on neck posture:

Components are adjustable for a reason - to help you fit your workstation to you, and not the other way around. This results in better posture and mental focus throughout the day.
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Along with monitor distance and height, consider enlarging the font size so you don't need to neck crane to stay engaged with your work.

This is achieved by going into your system settings.

I googled “how to change text size on screen” and found good instructions for a wide variety of operating systems. Just add your operating system’s name to the end of this keyword phrase to get the exact instructions you need. Examples include:

1. How to change text size on screen Mac
2. How to change text size on screen Windows 11
3. How to change text size on screen Linux

And finally...

Again, experts also recommend the top of the monitor align with your line of sight (or just a little below that.)

This is another biggie for protecting yourself from neck pain. If the monitor is too high, it may result in neck kinking. If it's too low, you run the risk of compressing your discs and possibly herniating one or more of them.

Do You Wear Glasses?

Wearing glasses — specifically bifocals or progressives — may limit your ability to clearly and comprehensibly access the data displayed on your monitor.

If you wear bifocals, you may be able to get away with lowering your monitor a bit more than just below the eye line. Experiment to find the right level for you.

If nothing works, or if you wear progressive lenses, experts recommend computer glasses.

The Case of the Multiple Monitors

Many people connect more than one monitor to their CPU. Are you one of them?

If you do complex work where you edit video, are in and out of databases, interface with the command line and/or specialized peripherals that are connected to your computer, most likely you have at least two monitors going at all times.
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For this, experts recommend using one monitor for the bulk of your work and the other for reference data and quick info capture.

Keep the main monitor directly in front of you.

One of the best ways to properly set up multiple monitors on one desk is to purchase (and use) monitor arms.​

Regardless of the number of monitors in use, placing all of them at the same height and distance is recommended. (See above for a review of those specifics.)

Otherwise, you’ll probably incur awkward neck posture, which is a risk factor for neck pain, injury and/or conditions.

Another potential risk to your neck is repetitive twisting. Referring back and forth between monitors can be a slippery slope that leads to a repetitive strain injury (RSI) in the neck.

Experiment angling with your monitors in to help address this.

An Oldie but a Goodie: Paper and Screen Combination

Typing text in from a paper document is another potential risk to your neck.

This practice may encourage you to keep your neck bent (in flexion) which could precipitate a disc injury or flat neck posture.

Or, it might require that you twist your neck back and forth throughout the day, which, as mentioned in the multiple monitors section above can lead to a repetitive strain injury (RSI.)

So if your job requires frequent inputting of data from paper copies, consider investing in a document holder. They are not particularly expensive.

The biggest factor in selecting a document holder is that it keeps your reference papers straight in front of you, in your “primary work zone.”

If you use the document holder to eliminate the need to twist or turn your neck, you’ve made a good purchase.

An extra perk, and necessary for some necks, is to get one that keeps you from having to look down at the copy on the desk surface.

A document holder won’t address everything you need for good office ergonomics, but using one in combination with a keyboard tray can help improve head on neck alignment.

Good head on neck alignment helps prevent conditions from developing or getting worse. Because it leads to automatic neck tension release, it also feels wonderful when you achieve it.
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When using a document holder with a keyboard tray, make sure both keyboard and mouse fit on the tray and are on the same level. (This helps avoid forearm, wrist and finger strain.)

Makin' Eyes at You...

Computer-related eye strain is real.

A super easy thing you can do to relax your hard-working eye muscles is to, from time to time, look away from your monitor and do a few eye exercises.

"Palming" is very basic way to refresh eyes and vision. Here's how:

1. Vigorously rub your two palms together for about 15-20 seconds.
2. Gently, lightly, place hands over eyes for as long as it feels good to do so.

Pointer: Cover your eyes fully, but don't press your palms in.

Gentle covering can go a long way towards ameliorating the effects the monitor screen has on your vision as well as the face, eye and neck muscles that serve it. No need to get aggressive with this. Keep the palming light.

Another exercise, called 20-20-20, goes as follows:

Every 20 minutes, look away from your screen to a distance of 20 feet for 20 seconds. If you sit facing a window with trees or plants in your line of vision, this is even more restorative.
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Is Your Monitor Off to the Side?

Quick review:

Even if you only need one monitor to get your work done, be sure it’s in the right place.

Again, your primary work tools — and a monitor certainly qualifies — should be placed directly in front of you to encourage neutral positioning of key joints.

What is Neutral Positioning?

Neutral positioning is a state of balance where the bones that make up a joint are centered relative to each other.

When a joint is in neutral, the bones fit well together, and muscles can, to a great extent, relax out their chronic tension.

When your monitor is off to one side, it forces your neck, head and possibly your shoulders into static, non-neutral positioning. As a desk worker, you'll likely be in this position for hours on end.
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This type of all-day positioning, called awkward posture, is the #1 most common risk factor for work-related discomfort, pain or injury. It forces your muscle to tighten and keeps joints out of alignment, which makes for even more tension.

Who needs that?

Especially for 8+ hours every day…

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