How to Prevent Back Pain at the Office or WFH
You may suddenly start having back pain from sitting at your desk for long periods of time. Whether you work at an office or from the comfort of your own home, back pain is a common work complaint among many individuals. Fortunately, there are some things that you can do to prevent back pain no matter where you are working.
Rest Your Feet On The Floor
If your feet are dangling over your chair, you may find yourself sitting on the edge of it. This can cause you to hunch forward. Because your spine will be in a curved position, it will put pressure on your lower back. This can cause a lot of back pain at the end of each day. If your feet don’t touch the floor when you are sitting all the way back in your chair, you need to get a different chair. Find one that’s adjustable and will go low enough to the ground so that your feet can rest comfortably on the floor when you are sitting back. If you don’t want to buy a new chair, find something to place under your feet like a stack of books or a box.
Make Sure Your computer Is At A Height That’s Comfortable For You
You don’t want to be constantly sitting in awkward positions because you are having difficulty accessing your computer. It needs to be at a height that’s comfortable for you to use. If you use a laptop, you can easily move it forward or back until you find a position that works best for you. If you use a computer with a keyboard or mouse, you may need to find a way to raise these items up a bit so that you can easily use them.
Don’t Look Down At Documents For An Extended Period Of Time
You can cause a lot of back and neck strain by looking at documents on a desk or in your lap. If you need to read a lot of paper documents throughout the day, it’s a good idea to get a document stand that will hold these documents vertically for you. This will allow you to easily read these materials without putting unnecessary strain on your neck or back.
Adjust Your Computer Screen
The angle of your computer screen can make a lot of difference as to whether or not you can see it properly. You may need to adjust it in order to make sure that it’s a comfortable viewing height for you and not causing you back pain. You don’t want it to be at an angle that causes you to have to twist your neck to see it because it needs to be adjusted.
Stand Up When You Can
It’s imperative that you stand up when you can throughout the work day. It will allow your back muscles the opportunity to relax, and it will improve circulation. Try to stand up for at least 10 minutes every hour. Get in the habit to get up to get water if you have been sitting for a while, or stand up any time that you need to make a phone call.
Quit Working In Bed
Working at home definitely has its perks. One of them may be working in bed. While it might be comfortable at first, it can just end up causing you back pain. If you have to work in bed, try to sit up straight. Place a pillow behind you so that you aren’t hunched over. Use a lap desk to place your laptop on.
If you have been noticing that you are dealing with back pain after working, you may need to adjust your habits or change your work space. By doing some of the things mentioned above, you can limit the amount of back pain that you have. While it may be slightly inconvenient, you will be a lot more productive if you aren’t dealing with back pain every day and you’ll eliminate the most common work complaint.
