Many office workers go home every night after a long day at a desk with back and neck pain. Back pain can be very difficult to live with, especially if you’re struggling to get relief from the discomfort. If you spend most of your day sitting at a desk, this can be part of the cause of your back pain. After a few hours sitting at a computer, you might be in a lot of discomfort.
Sitting in a bad chair will cause your lower back to hurt, as does bad posture while you’re sitting. Leaning down over a phone makes your neck and shoulders uncomfortable. It can be tough to know what to do about this level of pain, especially if you have to keep working at a desk. There are a few changes that you can make to your lifestyle that will help you to correct the problem and get some relief from back and neck pain and discomfort.
Working in an office doesn’t seem like a job that puts a strain on your body, but it does and this can really impact on your health and stress levels. Try thee tips designed for office workers to take better care of your back.
- Get a standing desk. When you sit with a good posture, then you might find after a while, that while your pain is better, that you get tired more quickly. Allowing yourself to hunch over can feel good, but you really shouldn’t do it, as it puts pressure on your lower back. You can lessen the effects of posture fatigue by spending some of your working time standing up instead of sitting. An easy way to do this to swap your desk for a standing desk. There are lots of standing and adjustable desks available at lots of different price points, so you can find the right one for your budget. There are also adjustable trays on the market that can be fitted to most desks and just pulled up when you want to stand. When you want to sit again, you lower the tray back down.
- Adjust your computer. It’s not always possible to use a standing desk at work, but you can always make sure the computer is set up correctly in order to help you work safely. Many people use a laptop and not a desktop for work. A desktop tends to be at eye level for most people. Laptops are usually lower than eye level, even if it doesn’t feel as though the laptop is too low. Having to look down, even a little bit, can create a lot of easily avoidable pain in your neck and shoulders. To help with this, elevate your laptop with a platform or a thick book. Instead of the built-in keyboard, use an external one that will sit on the desk.
- Stretch. Keeping your joints and muscles loose will help you to maintain a good posture at work. A good stretch can also give you some relief from pain if you’ve been sitting at a desk for long periods but can’t get up to walk around. It can be a good plan to come up with a stretching routine that you can keep up with. A few stretches before you go to bed at night will help you to loosen up and get a comfortable night’s sleep. If you’re feeling uncomfortable during the day, there are some stretches that you can do while you’re sitting at your desk. For example, try a neck retraction stretch. Sit up straight in your chair. Pull your chin in towards your spine. If you’ve done it right, this will give you a double chin. Hold for ten seconds, relax, and repeat two or three times.
- See a physical therapist. If your back or neck pain is chronic, then there are a lot of treatment options, from massage to spinal injections for back pain. Start with a non-invasive treatment. See a therapist who can help you get back in alignment and out of pain. Care like this can help with pain caused by sitting at a desk all day, an accident, or a combination of factors. Even kids can benefit from help like this. You could combine care like this with massage therapy or care from a chiropractor.
Even with a full treatment plan, you should make sure you’re using the other tips to correct your posture and protect your back, neck, and shoulders. Stand frequently, maintain your good posture, and protect your back.