Workplace ergonomics might be an unfamiliar term, but the aches and pains that seemingly come from simply sitting in front of a computer all day are all too familiar. Maybe you have a big fancy chair with a bunch of settings you don’t know how to operate, or maybe your company moved to remote work, so you’re working from a corner of the dining room table now. Whatever the case may be, we have a few tips for you to save your back and your body if you tend to spend your workday in front of a screen.
Aches and pains don’t have to be an unwelcome consequence of a day at work regardless of it being at home or in the office. Chiropractic care helps you protect your muscles, joints, and tissues and avoid pain and stiffness due to poor ergonomics. The term “ergonomics” refers to designs, products, and strategies that reduce strain and injuries, specifically the workplace. If you’ve ever come home from a long day at work with a headache or achy back, chances are the furniture or devices you use aren’t ergonomically designed.
Chairs that don’t offer lumbar support can lead to back pain, while a desk that’s too low can cause you to hunch your shoulders while you work, triggering neck, shoulder, and back pain. Hand or wrist pain could become a problem if you don’t have enough support for your wrists when you bang out a report on your laptop or desktop computer.
With more employees than ever working at home, it’s not surprising that so many people suffer from ergonomic issues. Do you work from your couch or the kitchen table? Your furniture wasn’t intended to support your body while you work and could be the reason that you feel achy and exhausted at the end of the day. Add in poor lighting or a cat that likes to also sit in the chair you might be trying to use, and you’re fighting a battle that you likely won’t win against pain.
During your visit to the chiropractic office, your chiropractor may ask a few questions about your work habits and furniture and make a few suggestions that will improve your workplace ergonomics. If your symptoms are creating pain and distraction, there are some simple adjustments to your environment that will help.
Chairs are a common source of back, hip, and leg pain. A chair we sit in for a very short while serves a different purpose than the one we work from. If you are able, adjust the height of your chair if your feet aren’t flat against the floor. Your chair should also support your back and offer ample cushioning and armrest. Neck pain can also be a problem if your monitor is higher than eye level. Glare from screens can cause headaches and migraines, in addition to neck and shoulder pain. Place your monitor away from light sources and use a shade to decrease the glare.
Making adjustments to your furniture and devices, while extremely helpful, may not completely eliminate your aches and pains. Luckily, your chiropractor can help you by adjusting your body along with your workspace. Poor posture and strain may move the bony vertebrae in your back out of alignment. Misalignments, or subluxations, cause back and neck pain and fatigue. Through manual adjustments, your chiropractor realigns the vertebrae with spinal manipulation therapy. Quick, hands-on movements improve the position of the vertebrae, easing your symptoms. When your spine is correctly aligned, you’re less likely to experience strains, sprains, and other injuries. It’s also difficult to maintain good posture when your vertebrae are misaligned and your tissues are tight. Unfortunately, poor posture only makes joint and tissue pain worse. Chiropractic care helps you improve your posture and keep your body properly balanced. Your chiropractor can also offer posture suggestions and recommend exercises that strengthen the core muscles essential for good posture.
There’s no reason to be achy at the end of a day. With mindful adjustments to your workspace and an awareness of the relief available through chiropractic care, you can have the energy you need to get through your day and your weekend! Get in touch with us today.