Back Pain and Working from Home
Working from home in the lockdowns seemed so great at first. No need to get out of your pyjamas in the morning and no long commute. Just open up the laptop on the kitchen table and off you go.
But now, after a few weeks of looking at a small screen, I’m getting messages from my clients that they are suffering from back pain and shoulder stiffness as the setup they have isn’t like in the office. Often, there is no comfortable chair, no second screen or separate keyboard, so they end up slouching over the laptop for hours at a time without a break. It’s no wonder that our backs are starting to grumble.
So what can you do to reduce discomfort while working from home, even after the lockdown? Here are some tips:
Look at how your computer, desk and chair are set up and try and replicate the setup as close to the one you have at work. A separate screen and keyboard is great if you have one, but if not books are a great way to bring up screens to eye level, which takes pressure off your neck. Why not try and create a standing desk in the kitchen with books for a change to being in a chair.
Take a moment to think about how you are sitting and see if you can find that perfect posture. Is your head on top of your shoulders or is it leaning forwards towards the screen? Notice if your shoulders are in line with your pelvis with a tall spine, or are you hunched down towards the computer? Do you feel you are sat on your sit bones equally (those bony bits under your bottom), or are you leaning onto one side? Are your legs straight in front of you, or are you sitting at an angle to your desk? Try and think of these points throughout the day and see if you can notice that you are able to sit up taller.
Taking regular breaks in the day is one of the easiest ways to help keep the back pain from increasing. Our bodies like to move and sitting in one position for a long amount of time causes areas to stiffen up, and then other bits of the body end up working overtime to compensate. Going for a walk in your lunch break or before work is a great way to get some movement in and also some fresh air!
Join a Pilates class! There are lots of options for virtual classes throughout the day, so find one that fits your schedule. Pilates is not just about building a strong core; the exercises will take you through moving and lengthening different parts of your body so you will feel taller, and it will also relieve tension in your back. Once you feel confident with the exercises in the class, then it’s perfect to try these at home.
The Covid-19 lockdowns have meant we’ve been taken away from using proper office chairs designed for working at a desk. So it’s really important to start to look after our posture and wellbeing now to try and keep those back pain niggles at bay!
