When you work from a desk, neck ad back pain seems pretty inevitable. You’re sitting in one spot, sometimes in an uncomfortable chair, and you’re looking down to stare into a computer. Each of these things, and the combination of them, put you at increased risk for neck and back pain. So, what can you do to reduce office-related back pain and neck pain? There are few no-brainers, as well as a few adjustments that might be a hassle— but will absolutely be worth saving yourself from these pains.
Office-Related Back Pain & Neck Pain: Avoid Unnecessary Pain
Posture
We mentioned that a few of these office-related back pain helpers would be no-brainers like this. However, good posture is at the height of the problem for many office workers. Most all of us are aware of what good posture looks like, and what it feels like. While good posture is something everyone should practice— that’s not to say it’s easy.
Good posture requires being mindful of your body. Furthermore, it requires that you right those wrongs when you notice that you’ve gotten lazy. As we’ve mentioned, having good posture isn’t as easy as wanting to do so. Many of us will notice ourselves slumped during the workday. Consider setting yourself hourly reminders, or even looking into ergonomic office chairs and lumbar support. Posture is one of the most important factors in reducing office-related back pain.
Work standing up from time to time
Many offices nowadays offer standing desks, or some sort of converted work space for those who prefer to work from a standing position. While you obviously won’t want to spend every hour of every day working from a standing position— consider spending an hour or two a day from this position. Office-related back pain, while posture has a lot to do with it, also has a little something to do with staying in one position all day, and also the compression of your vertebrae from sitting in one spot all day. Choose to stand from time to time to promote good posture and a happy spine.
Adjust the height of your computer and keyboard
Adjust the height of the thing you’re staring at all day— and put it at eye level. By making this small step, you’ll take a lot of stress off of your neck. You’ll want to put your screen at nose level, and your keyboard at an angle that allows foe your elbows to bend at 90 degrees. The key to avoiding office-related back pain, and neck pain, is to find ways to reduce stress on your neck and back. This can be done in a number of different ways, but these few have proven to be beneficial to us…