Are you getting neck and back pain?... Have you been WFH a lot since the start of Covid-19 and its lockdown/restrictions?... It could be from something as simple as incorrect ergonomics over a long period of time... Read on to find out more!
Do you have BACK and/or NECK pain? Has your time spent working from your own home increased significantly since Covid-19?
You could be like one of my many patients who have had an increase in neck and back pain since spending more time in an incorrect chair at an incorrectly setup desk and computer from their home during these lockdowns and restrictions.
Why is increased WFH correlated with your neck and back pain?
It is something you may not feel or even notice straight away but strain and tightness in the muscles that work hard to support your spine builds up over time and eventually results in strain and damage and thus pain in those areas.
At your workplace, you are, in most cases, provided with an ergonomic chair and desks and a correctly set up computer... even if you may not have realised. You are also usually stimulated or prompted regularly by the other colleagues in your office which may cause you to get up and chat or walk to the lunch room or even go grab a coffee.
These seemingly simple but very crucial things are what has changed now since you've been working from home.
What’s actually causing the problem?
In many causes the main issue is that you’re sitting with poor posture due to: * Habit. * Incorrect desk and workspace setup. * Not knowing the actual correct ergonomic setup.
OR simply that you’re staying seated for far too long. Even if you sit with PERFECT posture, it’s still important to get up and move every hour or so to change the position of your muscles and get the blood flowing.
In most cases it’s both of these factors combined together that is causing your neck and/or back pain:
* Poor sitting posture. X * Lack of regular movement. X
Never underestimate the impact incorrect desk/computer posture and lack of regular movement can actually have on our spine and its muscles over time!
The below image will hopefully help you identify a few things you might be doing wrong. And sometimes simply correcting your posture and moving more often can fix the pain for you... So give it a go!
HOWEVER if the strain on your back and neck muscles has built up over a long period of time, you may need to seek the help of a professional.
That is where we come in!!
As physiotherapists, we will help you in properly assessing and correcting your posture and home workspace set up. We use manual therapies to reduce strain, pain and tightness in your damaged muscles combined with simple and effective exercises to stretch and strengthen and accelerate the healing of your injured muscles.
If this sounds like you, then get your back or neck pain assessed by an experienced physiotherapist and on the path of recovery. Call us or book online: www.physiorecoveryclinic.com.au
By: Adam Fracassi (Physiotherapy Recovery Clinic Concord)
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