Do you often work on a computer?
Stooping over a computer is the leading cause of crippling back pain. A few simple modifications in the way you work can make your pain disappear.
More and more office workers are seeking chiropractic care to relieve pain.
How to Avoid Back Injuries at Work
Keep Your Head Up
Always make it a point that your head and neck are aligned above your shoulders. Avoid straining forward.
Move Your Mouse Next to You
The ideal place of the mouse is right beside the keyboard so that you do not have to twist your wrist, arm, and shoulder when clicking.
Choose a Good Chair
Have a chair that is excellent as lower back support. Choose the one that allows your lower back to rest comfortably. If you can, or if the chair has this option, tilt the back of your chair to have it reclined. A reclined chair does the opposite of what we normally do every day, which is hunch forward.
Sit Correctly
You are sure to be in trouble when you sit in front of your computer for long periods, no matter how you position yourself while sitting. Experts recommend breaking up sitting time every 30 minutes for at least two minutes.
Know the Risk of Sitting
Factors that can affect your back include sitting posture, the position of the computer screen, the height of the chair, position of the keyboard, and mouse position.
Find a Correct Sitting Posture
Adjust your chair to avoid back pain. It is a requirement that chairs in offices must be stable. It must have an adjustable height and have a back rest and adjustable tilt. Your thighs should be at a right level to your body of slightly lower than your hips.
Your foot should be firmly rested on the floor. If it is needed, you can use a footrest to be more comfortable. The important thing is to support your back by setting your feet on the floor.
Breathe from Your Stomach
When you inhale, imagine you are pulling your belly button toward your spine. The core muscles are engaged here to support the upper body.
Your Seat and the Monitor
The monitor should be 2 to 3 inches above eye level and an arm’s length away from your seat.
Feet Flat on the Floor
Keep feet flat on the floor and shoulder-width apart to avoid tension in your ankles and knees.
Take Breaks
Be sure to get up at least once every 30 minutes. Go to the bathroom or just do some slight stretching. It reduces pressure on spinal disks and improves circulation. The breaks will pays off, by eliminating stress in your body.
Find the Best Angle
Keep your knees at 90 degrees apart, directly over your ankles. By this, you will keep your spine comfortably rested.
Shoulder Stretch
Stretch your shoulders, and roll them back and down. Square them over your hips. Think that you are balancing a plate on your head and you are avoiding it to fall off.
Get rid of squinting
Prevent yourself from squinting and straining. With laptops, you need to lean forward to reach the keyboard or see the screen. To solve the problem, you can attach a separate keyboard and monitor to the laptop.
Avoid Doing Cross Legs
When you cross-leg while sitting, it makes it difficult for you to keep your spine straight and your shoulders relaxed. Additionally, it overstretches the muscles around the pelvis, making you susceptible to varicose veins that are usually caused by an interruption in the blood flow.
Phone Cradling
Stay away from phone cradling or pinning the phone between your shoulder and ear while you are multitasking. It is tiresome and harmful to our neck. It is better to use a speaker phone or headset, especially for a long conversation.
Be Safe at Lifting
Handling or lifting objects incorrectly is one of the common causes of back injury at work. Learn the correct method of lifting and handling objects so that you prevent yourself from back pain. Here are some guidelines for safely lifting objects:
- Start in a stable position
- Carry the object close to your waist
- Keep your back straight while lifting objects
- Avoid leaning sideways or twisting your back
- Push rather than pull heavy objects
- If you can say no to lifting heavy objects, do so
- Spread out the weight evenly
Chiropractic Care Can Help
It is surprising to know those office workers, as young as their twenties are being diagnosed with chronic pains brought on by years of computer work. At Beyond Wellness Chiropractic Center, you can be assured of the relief that you have been long waiting for.
