Poor posture tends to be prevalent in the workplace – especially with those who are working in a home office environment. Daily activities such as sitting in an office chair, working on a computer, or talking on a phone can create or exacerbate problems with back pain. Establishing proper ergonomics within your workspace is incredibly important to prevent back problems from taking over your workday.
How Posture Can Help with Pain
Poor posture easily becomes second nature in the workplace, and can cause aggravation of back and neck pain, and can eventually damage spinal structures, if not dealt with. Luckily, the main factors that affect posture are within your control and can be changed. To help yourself with back and neck pain caused by poor ergonomics, there are several tips to follow:
Identify if your back pain becomes worse at certain times of day or week – this will help you to decide whether certain activities are causing your pain.
Determine where the pain is located and how it travels through the body – does it start in the neck and move downwards? Does the pain go away after switching positions?
Decide whether the pain worsened or began alongside any other changes, such as a change in job or a new office chair.
Good Posture Habits for Alleviating Pain
To help your body feel better, follow correct ergonomic tips:
Keep your body in alignment while standing or in an office chair. Distribute body weight evenly front to back and side to side; Try investing in an ergonomic chair that suits your body. Some people find that a balance ball can help with a naturally balanced body posture.
Be hyper-aware of being in an unbalanced posture such as prolonged sitting with crossed legs, leaning to one side, or hunching the back.
Change positions frequently – take breaks from sitting and walk around the office or stretch your body.
If you are experiencing back pain caused by poor ergonomics, try the above tips to help to alleviate the pain and prevent future pains from taking over your workday. Should pain continue after making ergonomic changes, book an appointment at Advanced Physiotherapy. Our experienced physiotherapists are ready to help you Move Better and Move More.