Is your remote job causing your back ache?
So, here we are over a year into a global pandemic and hundreds of thousands are working from home.
Long hours sitting, staring at your computer screen or on a video meeting. Most likely on the couch or your favorite chair instead of a proper desk and office chair. It’s comfy for sure, but it’s probably not helping your spine health.
As a therapist I have treated countless back patients. One of the most common causes of non-traumatic back pain is poor posture resulting in less than ideal body mechanics.
Poor posture is generally the result of muscle imbalances and lacking kinesthetic awareness, which is basically knowing where your body is in space. Essentially, if you don’t know you are slouching(poor awareness), plus it doesn’t feel bad to you(poor habits), you wouldn’t think to fix it or probably know how.
A muscle imbalance means that some muscles are weak, others are too tight and overused, so over time that can result in soft tissue and joint irritation causing pain.
Postural imbalances in many cases are the result of prolonged sitting (or standing) at a non-ergonomically designed workstation.
Let me set the scene: Flexed hips and knees, forward head, rounded spine for hours at a time.
Think about how you feel after airline travel. Stiff, achy, tired from being in a similar type of position, right? Now what happens when you practically live in that position for 8 plus hours every day while working from home?
Back and neck pain for lots of folks.
Can you fix it? Yup!
Physical therapy is one route, especially if the pain is significant. But there is another ‘do it yourself’ route for less severe problems. Just a few simple tasks and some awareness and you should feel better in no time. Listed below are 3 tips to improve your posture and relieve you back ache.
1. Set yourself up ergonomically at home.
That doesn’t mean you have to spend a ton of money. Good alignment is mainly achieved by following the 90-degree rule.
While seated, sit up as straight as you are able. Now set your computer monitor at eye level, and everything flows from there. You can use books to raise the monitor. If using a laptop, try a mouse and detachable keyboard.
You next want to make sure the desk height, can be a laptop desk, where your forearms will rest, allows your elbows to bend at 90-degrees. Then the chair height should allow knees and hips to be bent at 90-degrees as well. For those shorter in stature, get a small stool or use those old textbooks lying around, for support under the feet.
From the side you should look geometrical. IF that is not possible at your home, then at least position yourself in a more supported way, i.e. pillow or rolled blanket behind you to support your back and perform frequent position changes.
2. Take “posture breaks”. That’s what I like to call them.
Stand up every hour at least. Walk around your home, get some blood flow going. If you are unable to leave your workstation due to a meeting or a call, then at least change your position.
3. Do a few exercises to improve your posture, which can coincidentally be performed during a “posture break.”
- First one is super simple, just squeeze your shoulder blades together, or scapular retraction. This is baseline strengthening for upper back muscles. Hold 5 seconds and do 5-10 reps several times per day.
- Second, go to a doorway and place both hands/arms like a goal post on the door jams and lean forward until a stretch is felt across the chest and front of the shoulders. Hold 30-60 seconds and do it a couple times throughout the day. Clasping hands behind the back and raising arms slightly is another chest stretch to decrease the tightness.
- Third, there are many exercises that are helpful and involve resistance bands or foam rollers, but this one requires nothing except a small, rolled towel behind your head, either standing against the wall or lying on the floor/bed. Place the roll in the curve of your neck and pull your head backwards into it, gently. The motion cervical retraction is subtle, almost like someone just told you something you cannot believe, and your response is, “whaaaat?” with that same head motion. Trust me. Hold for 5 seconds and do 10 times, a couple times a day.
- Lastly, for entire spinal movement, the cat/cow. Yes, like the one from yoga on the hands and knees. Arch your back upward toward the sky with a deep breath and then lower your belly to the floor rounding your back in the opposite direction, keeping the arms straight. Moving slowly into each position with your breath and perform 10 repetitions each way.
So to sum up, get up from the couch, do some simple exercises, configure your workstation the best that you can and be more aware of your body position. Do self-checks periodically. Assess your posture and adjust accordingly.
You will feel better and likely be less tired, plus avoid further intervention later. However, if your issues worsen consider visiting a Physical Therapist. Your spine will thank you.
