Working from home | JustGet Chiropractic
JustGet Chiropractic • August 10, 2020
Working from home?
Are you working from home, at a desk all day? Here are 3 simple things you can do today to look after your back.
The health problems of working at a desk all day are a hot topic at the moment, with more of us than ever working from home in less than ideal setups.
At best this will be at a super duper ergonomic desk with sit and stand capability, a highly adjustable chair that fits our body perfectly and the tech available that means we have everything we need to be comfortable at our fingertips.
Sadly that isn’t the reality for many with the sudden closures of businesses and enforced working from home without access to the equipment we may normally have in the office – we hear many patients reporting that they’ve been working at a dining table for the last few months or using a laptop on the sofa.
It’s no surprise therefore that we have been seeing more patients with back and neck pain since we’ve returned to work and most of these have reported it starting shortly after they began working from home.
Back pain is one of the leading causes for workplace absence with 2.8 million working days lost in the UK during 2018/19 from work related back disorders. Factor in mobile technology and hand held devices that are never far from our reach and extend our working practices far beyond the typical 8 hour day and add social tech time on top of that and it’s pretty clear to see that our bodies are operating at a level of strain that we have never before experienced.
As human beings we’re not designed to be still all day, yet our lifestyles and working habits can have us sitting for many hours at a time. Long hours at work, the daily commute (for those that are still travelling to work) and evenings in front of the television, mobile devices or video games have resulted in a nation at risk from long term back problems as well as a host of other health issues. You only have to Google the term 'office workers health issues' to be faced with pages of sites that report statistics on back pain, neck pain, repetitive strain injury and a host of other health issues related to the physical and mental stress of working environments. Now factor in trying to work from a home setup, make-do workstations and perhaps young children constantly interrupting or other demands on your attention…. we are at risk of chronic pain issues like never before.
So what’s the solution?
Well, in it’s most simplistic form it would be to spend less time sitting and more time on the move, but oftentimes that’s easier said than done.
Here are 3 simple things you can do today to reduce the stress being placed on your body:
- Take regular short breaks from desk work and have a walk around – to the bathroom, to get a drink of water, to a colleague instead of emailing them if you’re in the office. At home, take a stroll into the garden or round the block at lunchtime. Use stairs instead of the lifts where possible. Think of what you can do in your current environment to increase your activity, whether that’s using the upstairs bathroom instead of the more convenient downstairs loo, walking a lap of the garden or downstairs every time you go to get a drink of water or doing 5 stretches each time you complete at task.
- If you are involved in long video meetings then how about encouraging your team to spend a minute or two halfway through the meeting to all stand up, have a stretch and change position – it doesn’t need to take long but will give your body a break and help you feel better.
- Vary your working day as much as possible so you avoid spending too long in any one position. Stand up when you are on the phone, have standing or walking meetings, take a walk at lunchtime.
Back and neck pain are the most common things we associate with a sedentary lifestyle but there are lesser known consequences such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancers and poor mental health. There are so many reasons why moving more is beneficial to overall health and we hope you’ve found some inspiration here to take some of the steps necessary to prevent longer term health issues. By taking responsibility for your own health you can not only enjoy the benefits but also inspire others to follow suit.
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Designed for companies, groups and individuals. Face-to-face and virtual health and wellness services to help your employees look after themselves.
V-Care is a remote service that allows us to assess you and determine why you might be experiencing pain or restricted movement. We are able to provide you with posture advice, exercises and environmental advice to help improve your flexibility and mobility, or increase strength if that is what is needed. One of our Practitioners will conduct a thorough assessment via video call with you and a personalised mobilisation prescription is created. We monitor your progress and update your plan with 2 further calls spread over a 2 week period. Why would I want this? Our V-Care plans offer a package of care delivered remotely, which make them perfect if you can't get into clinic or are currently unable to attend, are not local to our Practice, or are seeking a more self-care approach to your health. This offers you a way to get an assessment from one of our Practitioners and self-management guidance that can start to help you. V-Care - All for £97 Take advantage of virtual care packages with JustGet Chiropractic. Online appointments are here to stay. Use our 2-week remote service if you can't or don't want to be seen in clinic right now.