Avoiding Back Pain at Your Desk Job
May 6, 2019If you’re like 86% of Americans, you do a lot of sitting at your full-time job.
Almost all work today is done through computers or at a desk, and that means you don’t get much movement. In fact, your boss may frown on the idea of you walking around too much, assuming you’re not getting work done. So how can you start avoiding back pain?
In reality, sitting leads to a host of health problems. From obesity to high blood pressure to poor posture, you can really struggle if you don’t spend time on your feet.
What can you do to avoid the health problems and back pain that comes from sitting? Here are some tips.
Take Advantage of Ergonomics
Employers have become increasingly aware of the health and financial costs that come from poor posture and sitting. Proper sitting helps reduce back pain, tennis elbow, and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Ergonomic chairs, keyboards, and desks are a great start. You can use special chairs to maintain proper support for your back and help you sit straight. The right desk and computer monitor height can help you keep your neck straight and use your arms comfortably.
Many desk workers are also using a standing desk, or a sit-stand desk that allows you to do both. This allows you to change your body position which can make a major positive impact.
However, you need to make sure that when you’re standing you’re using proper posture and have the support you need for your feet.
Take Frequent Walking Breaks
Most office workers have the opportunity to walk around a lot more than they do, but they get absorbed in their work. They may also be concerned about appearing unproductive.
However, often getting up and moving can be the best thing you can do for your productivity. Just 5 minutes can boost your mood, improve circulation, and reduce lethargy. You’ll reduce back pain as well. It doesn’t even interfere with your concentration, meaning you can get right back to work with all the benefits of that quick walk.
There’s no reason not to get some movement in, preferably every 60 – 90 minutes. Set an alarm if it helps you remember to go for a walk!
Stretch at Work
Another element of sitting is that your muscles stiffen and that can lead to back pain as well as other health issues. To combat this problem, do some stretches at your desk.
There are a lot of stretches you can do without leaving your work area. Try neck rotations, shoulder shrugs, and a seated spinal rotation. All of these will help you avoid pain and stay limber while you’re working.
Address Back Pain at Your Little Rock Chiropractor
If you struggle with back pain due to your job, you’re definitely not alone. Fortunately, your Little Rock chiropractor can help.
At Restoration Health, we strive to bring you complete relief from your pain. We want to help you maintain mobility no matter what job you have. If you’re ready to get treatment for your pain, we’re here to help. Contact us for a consultation today!
Neck Pain | The Benefits of Regular Walking for Exercise
Can going for a walk really make a difference in your health? Many people think that unless they go to a gym and break a serious sweat, they “aren’t exercising.” Fortunately, that’s far from true! Walking regularly, including during your lunch at work, can give you...
What You Need to Know About Whiplash
If you’ve fallen or been in a car accident – even if the incident was minor – you may have suffered whiplash. While this injury doesn’t have the external signs a broken bone or cut shows, it can be just as serious. Having your whiplash taken seriously and...
Ways to Work Self-Care Into Your Day
Staying healthy is about a lot more than avoiding pain and illness. Yes, you want to limit how often you have to go to a back pain doctor, but you can do a lot better than that. The good news is that you can go beyond being “OK,” or “not in pain,” and actually feel...
Why You Need a Digital Detox
Millions of years ago, humans were developing and growing as a species. This consisted primarily of sitting on soft, comfortable seats, staring straight ahead, and moving very little except their fingers and wrists. Wait, what? That’s not how it was? Our bodies...
Chiropractor Advice: 4 Fun Ways to Bring Movement Into Your Life
Don’t be fazed by the big words. Exercise is such a loaded word. We often think of exercise as something we “should” do, which doesn’t help our motivation. We also assume that exercise has to be at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour, and that if we don’t use...
Managing Back and Neck Pain With Natural Remedies
It seems our society is almost trained that any time we have pain or discomfort, we should immediately go to the doctor to get medicine for it. We certainly have nothing against proper medical treatment, but we also recognize that many times pills mask our symptoms...
4 Ways to Stay Active as You Age
As you get older, your body doesn’t work as well as it used it. You just don’t have the limberness, flexibility, and even mobility you had when you were younger. However, it’s vital to keep your body moving, even as it gets harder. The
Chiropractic Care After a Vehicle Accident
Vehicle accident happen every day. In fact,
Tips From a Chiropractor: Avoiding Slip & Falls This Winter
Slipping and falling can happen at any time of year, but it seems especially dangerous in the winter. In Arkansas, it’s easy for rain to turn into ice – and you may not even see it. Falling can be embarrassing, but it can also cause serious injury. People need to...
5 Tips for Staying Active This Winter
As the weather gets colder and the holidays approach, you may feel like giving up your exercise routine or taking a break from being active. The temperatures in Little Rock may not be as cold as other parts of the country, but they’re certainly not as comfortable as...
Tips From Your Chiropractor: Avoiding Injury During Yard Work
As the seasons change, there’s always yard work to do. In the fall, leaves fall by the thousands, and in winter you have to cover gardens, handle ice and snow, and more. Unfortunately, if you aren’t careful as you do the work around your home, you can easily hurt...
Understanding Your Spine: The Lumbar Region
Do you ever feel pain in your lower back and reach back to rub it, wondering what on earth you did? You’re in good company. In fact, 80% of adults
Understanding Your Spine: The Cervical Region
Chiropractic care is based on the relationship between your spine and the rest of your body. Disorders that affect your muscles and joints affect your general health in a number of ways. Have you noticed that tension in your neck and shoulders can cause...
Understanding Your Spine: The Thoracic Spine
Don’t be fazed by the big words. Having problems with your neck and shoulders is incredibly common. However, back pain is just as familiar to many Americans. In fact, back pain is one of the most common reasons that people see the doctor or miss work. A lot of...
5 Stretches to Do Every Day to Avoid Back and Neck Pain
There are 650 muscles in the human body, and the muscles in your back and neck are some of the most important. Those muscles help support your posture, allow you to move freely from your core, and give you the movement you need to look around and react to your...