A lot of office workers go home every night with back pain. Back pain can be hard to live with. If you spend most of your day sitting at a desk, this can be part of the cause of your back pain.
Working in an office doesn’t seem like a job that puts a strain on your body, but it can really impact your health and stress levels. Try these tips to take better care of your back.
Get a standing desk
Sitting with good posture helps with pain, but can make you feel tired. Allowing yourself to hunch over can feel good, but it puts pressure on your lower back. You can reduce the effects of posture fatigue by spending some of your time standing instead of sitting. An easy way to do this is to switch your desk for a standing desk. You could try an adjustable that can be fitted to most desks and just be pulled up when you want to stand up. When you want to sit again, just drop the tray back down.
Adjust your computer
It’s not always feasible to use a standing desk at work, but you can always set up your computer correctly in order to help you work comfortably. Lots of people use a laptop for work, but a desktop is at eye level for most people. Laptops are usually below eye level, even if it doesn’t feel as though the laptop is too low. Having to look down can create a lot of pain in your neck and shoulders. To prevent this, lift 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 keep good posture. Stretching can also give you relief from pain if you’ve been sitting at a desk for a long time but can’t get up to walk around. Come up with a stretching routine that you can keep up with. A few stretches before you go to bed at night will loosen you up and get a good night’s sleep. If you’re feeling uncomfortable at work, there are some stretches that you can do 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. Start with a non-invasive treatment. See a therapist or a chiropractor who can help you with your pain and the cause of it. Care like this can help with pain caused by sitting at a desk all day, an accident, or a combination of factors. Even children can benefit from help like this. You could combine care like this with massage therapy too.
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