Back Pain in the Workplace
Do you suffer from back pain after a long day at the office? Here are some practical tips to help reduce pain and discomfort while at work:
1. Take breaks
This does not mean you should slack off at work, but it is important to use your body throughout the day, even if it is low exertion. This can include
getting up to go to the coffee machine for a few minutes, or walking over to your colleague’s office instead of sending a message to discuss a work project.
2. Vary your sitting position
There is no such thing as the ‘perfect posture’ while sitting at work. If you sit with the ‘perfect posture’ you will start to develop pain over time due to specific muscles being over-worked while others are under-utilized. Instead, vary your sitting position throughout the day. You can sit with the ‘perfect posture’ for half an hour, but cycle through other positions such as slouching forward, leaning to either side, or sit with your feet raised. Feel free to get creative here.
3. Check your monitor positioning
My patients have often received treatment from other chiropractors, physiotherapists, or massage therapists in the past for many years with only short term symptom alleviation. Their previous providers most likely provided high quality and effective treatment. However, there is a key element that is often overlooked. In many cases, the hidden culprit for the recurring pain is the position of their computer monitor at work. Too often people will have their monitor positioned slightly to the side. When a person works with this ergonomic set up, they are constantly rotating their body for an average of 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, for years on end. Although the rotation is mild, it requires an increased demand on specific muscles, joints, and ligaments to hold this position, while other areas of the body are being compressed or neglected. Give it a try. shift that monitor over so it is directly in front of your body.
If you are struggling with pain, contact us to book an appointment! Remember, if you feel better physically, you can work more efficiently!
