If you work in an office in a formal setting or the office at the corner of your room, you probably would agree to this: you spend most of your working hours in a static position(sitting especially). Staying in a stationary place for an extended period has been proved to cause lower back pain. That is because the static position stiffens the spine. Other causes of back pain while working in an office include;
- Lifting of heavy objects.
- Repetition of the same movement
Regardless of the severity, back pain can be very uncomfortable and can also reduce your productivity as you may have issues concentrating on your job while dealing with it.
Tips To Prevent Back Pain At Work
Back pain can be prevented or the probability of it happening reduced with the following tips:
- Position yourself properly while sitting. Bad sitting posture takes a toll on the back due to the unnatural position the spine assumes in that posture. Preventing a bad sitting posture can be done with chairsfx.com by choosing a good chair and adjusting the chair to suit your height. To select a good chair, you should consult an expert. However, here are some general tips that you’ll find useful:
- Check that the height is easily adjustable
- Check that the seat is 17-20 inches wide
- Check that the backrest properly supports the lumbar region
- Also, choose a chair that has a comfortable seat cover (a cloth fabric cover preferably).
Here’s how to adjust your chair to suit your height;
- Sit close to your office desk and place your hands on it (make sure your arms are parallel to your spine and your elbows form a 90° angle while doing that)
- If your elbows are hanging lower than the surface of your table, readjust the seat height until your elbows are exactly equal to the surface of the desk.
- If your chair has armrests, ensure that your arms assume a 90° angle while resting on the support.
- Change your position from time to time. Since the number one cause of back pain at work is staying in a static place for long periods, the ideal way to combat it would be doing the opposite. From time to time, get up and stretch your muscles for a bit to relieve the tension on your spine. Take a walk also if you can. This would help you to stretch and also prevent the stiffness of your spine.
- Avoid lifting heavy objects alone. If you have to move that heavy piece of furniture in your office, ask someone or two to help in moving it. And if at all you need to move it urgently, lift the object properly. Ensure that you keep the item close to your body and don’t bend or twist your back.
- Engage in some back exercises after work or early before resuming work. Regular exercise helps to promote good posture. Good posture prevents unnatural positioning of your spine, which helps to prevent backache.
- Wear balanced footwear. If the position you assume mostly at work is standing, it will help to wear supportive shoes. Supportive shoes help to prevent unnecessary straining of the spine. Do not wear shoes with high heels regularly because they don’t assist you to balance properly, thereby causing strain on your muscles.
- Ease the pressure on the neck, back, and shoulders when making phone calls. Instead of using your head to hold your phone to your shoulder or holding the phone to your ears with your hands for a long conversation, consider using external devices such as the headset and earpiece or pods. Or you could just put the call on speaker if possible. And if you must use your hands to hold the phone to your ears, switch the hands at intervals to prevent strain.
How To Ease Back Pain
If you are already experiencing back pain, check out the tips listed out below to help ease the pain before it gets serious; Use pain killers, Apply heat to your back, especially where you feel the pain, Do some back exercises that can help reduce the pain, Stretch your muscles to help ease the stiffness probably caused by static positioning. If you don’t see any improvement after doing the above, please see a doctor for a proper examination. It may be more severe than you have predicted.
In summary, it is imperative that you use a proper chair when working, maintain a good posture, and exercise regularly to promote your muscle strength and stop experiencing back pain. If pain continues after all the necessary precautions, you should see a physician.
