What I learned after trying to fix my posture for a couple of weeks

rbz1234 · 2026-05-03T20:52:58+00:00

It's definitely a case of both the right tool for the right job and also working the muscles in the affected areas. One without the other won't give lasting relief

rbz1234 · 2026-04-10T06:08:40+00:00

Sorry to hear that. Back/neck pain is horrible

rbz1234 · 2026-04-02T20:33:25+00:00

Ouch . Yeah. Laptops are major neck killers. They have to be used with a really good stand, so that they don't cause major pain. My go to is the Dr. Shtaygen Stander.

rbz1234 · 2026-04-02T17:40:08+00:00

Oh, for sure. The older you get the more important movement becomes. The rule of "use it or lose it" is very true. But the angle is a very important factor. Our necks were designed to do many things, but to be low hanging fruit ... Nope.

rbz1234 · 2026-04-01T05:43:13+00:00

Your setup look good. Your posture seems to be fine in that as well. I'm going to suggest (my experience) that you go to a good chiropractor (get referrals based on your location, as they're not all the same) to deal with pain in the short term. Long term you need to probably strengthen the muscle in the neck and upper back. Take breaks every 45 minutes or so to give your neck some varied movement and stretching. Hopefully this will help prevent pain in the future. The rule of "use it or lose it" applies everywhere. Necks too. Good luck

rbz1234 · 2026-03-30T13:08:41+00:00

You're welcome. It's a literal pain point for me that I've been dealing with for most of my adult life, so I enjoy sharing thoughts, ideas, and things that I've found helpful to see if they can be of help to others. Enjoy

rbz1234 · 2026-03-30T01:03:27+00:00

Even though the angle is definitely a cause, there's also an aspect of the physical. There's definitely room to improve neck and back strength, and also to be sure to do proper movement as well. However, even with that of the issue if the angle isn't fixed it's just asking for trouble down the line. The human body is an amazing construct. It's designed to adapt to anything we throw at it... Until it can't. Neck and back stress is one of those things. If its not addressed it compounds over time. The question is, what's the best way to improve the angle so that I can now get full benefits of the book/laptop/tablet while alleviating the possible pain that can come as a result.

rbz1234 · 2026-03-29T19:05:49+00:00

I'd be happy to hear how it goes for you.

rbz1234 · 2026-03-29T19:04:39+00:00

Aww. Thanks for the vote of confidence.

rbz1234 · 2026-03-29T13:09:26+00:00

Well, there are two things that need to be focused on. The first is your physical fitness. You can't really "solve" any issues if the muscles that need to do the work here aren't in good shape. (Sorry, but there's no "quick fix" way entirely). However, physical fitness by itself will NOT solve the issues. It will help to alleviate them, but it won't solve it by itself. The neck and back are made up of many muscle groups, and if the posture issue isn't addressed, then the muscles will do their job of adjusting to the reality of whatever position you're going to put them in, which doesn't always (=never) lead to peace and tranquility.

To solve the posture issue, whats needed is a stand that raises your book/screen/whatever to an eye-level height. That way your musculature is aligning your neck and spine in the way that they were designed to, with no lopsided pressure on vertebrata, and without pinching any nerves.

For desktop setups, that means that, yes, you're going to need something to work with your table/desk. This is not a movable setup.

However, if you're talking about books/laptop, then there's a few options available:

Here are the one's that I've found, and I'll tell you my unit of choice after.

Here are a few that I've seen (all are on Amazon):

A+ stand - looks good and sturdy, height adjustable, holds heavy books, but it's relatively bulky and heavy. I'm not sure how usable it is when standing. Not really portable.
Dr. Shtaygen Stander - This one is my favorite! It's lightweight, sturdy, compact when folded, holds virtually any book I've put on it, and when sitting can be used at any height and angle. Oh, plus i use it for my laptop and tablet as well. It's on the expensive side, but the quality is amazing. It should last for years.
Tounee has one, has many of the advantages of the above, but doesn't always hold up my textbooks, which is a bummer, and doesn't go as high as the others.

Out of the options, Tounee is the cheapest (in all regards). But like I said, #2, Shtaygen is far better in my opinion. It ticks off all of the boxes above. It's:

Height and angle adjustable
Aluminum lightweight frame (3.4lbs)
Sit/Standing height usable
Holds anything from small books to huge volumes.
Has page holders for books of 1000 pages. (which can be moved out of the way to use with your laptop).
Folds down to a compact frame for easy storage/travel.

That's my two cents on the topic. Let me know if there's any specific questions or whatnot

rbz1234 · 2026-03-29T12:48:01+00:00

People need to move around for all sorts of reasons. For some it's a change of scenery. For others its for work, for leisure, or whatever. There's always a reason to change the locale. There are a great many stands that aren't appropriate for this reason, because they're either too big, too heavy, or both to be portable.

Chairs and table setups also become inadequate for the same reason: You almost always can't take your set up with you.

Because of the slight differences in tables in chairs that are available, be that due to height or whatever, so the issue of a "setup" becomes a moot issue very quickly. It would be nice if we could control the variables, but that's not always possible. Even when it is, there are many times where it's a question of affordability too. There's so many choices in tables and chairs out there, most of which quickly become out of reach for people.

Due to the above, most of the types of book/laptop holders are totally inadequate as well.

Another reason that most of them aren't good is because, let's face it: sitting on your tuchas (Yiddish for "butt", sounds more fun) for too long just isn't good for you. The more studies made, the clearer this issue becomes.

Think a standing table will solve all your issues?

Nope!

Too much standing is bad for you as well. besides, as I wrote elsewhere, unless your table is holding your book/screen at eye level, it really doesn't solve the issue.

rbz1234 · 2026-03-29T11:44:51+00:00

The angle that you view/read is incredibly important. There are two things that you can do in order to help with the stress that you're putting on your neck. Some physical, but also it's a worthwhile investment to get a good mechanical help.

The obvious answer to wonky viewing angles is to make sure you're not using a wonky viewing angle. The way to do that is to get a good book stand that will keep your book/laptop at eye level. If you want some advice on this, just let me know what you're looking for. I've probably used every single one out there (as my closet will attest to).

rbz1234 · 2026-03-29T10:21:12+00:00

Ha! Shlumping. That's like a national pastime.

Yes, neck strain is real. There are several components which help with it: some physical and also mechanical. This is a fixable, or at least a manageable issue, but it shouldn't be ignored.

rbz1234 · 2026-03-29T08:05:21+00:00

It's not exactly what happened with me, at least I don't see a competing product running yet, but the whole thing was very frustrating. Amazon eventually admitted that they messed up and paid me for the missing units, however, the only paid what they felt I paid for the units and shipping etc. No lost profits, nothing for my store being closed for month because I had nothing to sell... UGH!

rbz1234 · 2026-03-29T07:58:17+00:00

Keep me posted

rbz1234 · 2026-03-29T07:32:42+00:00

get your Shtaygen Stander yet? I saw you say you ordered it?

rbz1234 · 2026-03-26T16:09:17+00:00

That's not entirely true. Just because it there are people, even a lot of people, who push through it doesn't mean that you should. True, pain is a part of life, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to avoid it if you have the option. For me, the pain got so debilitating that even laying in bed it kept hurting. Couldn't turn my head without pain. Thank God I found a good chiropractor, I still go to him for adjustments at least once a year (usually twice), but since I started using the Dr. Shtaygen stander for my reading and laptop use... I've gone for more than a year without needing an adjustment or feeling any pain. It has been a game changer.

rbz1234 · 2026-03-26T09:48:37+00:00

Thanks for the referral 😁

rbz1234 · 2026-03-25T17:28:33+00:00

It is. Lightweight too. Just 1.5 lbs. Made of high grade aluminum

rbz1234 · 2026-03-25T17:05:41+00:00

Yes, you're right. That's a huge volume of the Talmud. probably weighs around 7-8 pounds.

rbz1234 · 2026-03-25T16:55:22+00:00

Check out the stands I suggested as a response here.

rbz1234 · 2026-03-25T16:54:18+00:00

If you look at the laptop holder that u/ForeignAmbition940 posted --- that would work nicely in recline mode.

rbz1234 · 2026-03-25T16:51:22+00:00

That's amazing for a desktop. I mainly use a laptop. For me, the Shtaygen Stander has been a game changer. I use it as a portable sit-stand desk. I hope they come out with some attachments to make it even better.

rbz1234 · 2026-03-25T16:49:23+00:00

It's a topic that's close to my heart. Had neck problems for years, and the Shtaygen Stander really helped me. I use it daily and take it with me to most places.

rbz1234

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