Working From Home: How to Prevent & Fix Back Pain
With San Diego’s stay at home order, many people had to instantly and drastically shift their workplace from the office to their homes. For some, this means giving up those ergonomic stand-up desks for their new makeshift work station at the kitchen counter. It can be incredibly hard to adjust to new distractions: kids running in and out of Zoom conference calls, household cats walking across laptop keyboards, and incessant back and neck pain from slouching in your kitchen chair as you try to stay focused all day.
Read on for some tips on how to prevent, manage, and fix your back pain while working from home.
Posture
Bad posture is a common cause of back pain. According to Spine Health, poor posture can put pressure on your muscles, discs, and joints, causing back pain and dysfunction. Slouching over the table or curling up in your favorite reading chair while trying to work are surefire ways to throw your body out of whack. It’s important to stay in check with your body throughout the day and pay attention to how you are holding yourself up.
For better posture, make sure:
Your back is straight
Your shoulders are pulled back and relaxed
Your head is in line with the rest of your body: not too far forward or back
You are activating your core and abdominal muscles
By following these steps, you can ease potential back or neck pain and stay comfortable no matter where you are working.
Take Breaks with the Best Exercises for Back Pain
Just like you would at work, take some breaks while you are working from home. Stand up and walk around the room to give your back a break. Have an at-home workout routine? Do it on your lunch break! You can strengthen your back and core with pushups, supermans, and planks (no equipment required!). Keeping these muscles strong and engaged will help prevent future pain and makes it easier to hold an upright and balanced posture.
Stretch
Get loose! Stretching is the perfect way to increase flexibility, reduce stress, and enables your muscles to work effectively. Taking 10 or 15 minutes a day to focus on limbering up your entire body will ease your pain and improve your overall mobility. Make sure you are stretching out every muscle group (upper body, lower body, and core) to really reap the benefits!
Have you been experiencing back pain since working from home? Let us know your favorite exercises and preventative measures by leaving a comment on our Facebook page!
Our chiropractors are movement & mobility specialists. We evaluate lifestyles and partner with our patients to make lasting improvements in their health and fitness. Learn more about Healcove chiropractors and how we approach health and fitness setbacks.