The average American spends 12 hours a day sitting down, with most of those sedentary hours being spent at work.1 Sitting for extended periods is linked to many health complications, including a higher risk of illnesses like diabetes and heart disease – even in people who exercise.2
All that sitting may be causing your back and neck pain. Unfortunately, most of us cannot avoid working at a desk, but there are ways to ease pain at the office.
Rethink Your Desk Setup
Standing at work can go a long way toward combatting neck and back pain. Studies have shown a 54 percent reduction in aches in workers who switched to a standing desk.3 There are devices that can transform your current desk into a sit-stand version, allowing you to stand for part of the day and sit down when you need a break.
Change Your Chair
If you would like to sit at work, consider swapping out your chair for one that is more ergonomically correct. Kneeling chairs are set at an angle that forces you to sit up straight, preventing slouching or leaning forward, which can cause back pain.4
Use Your Computer to Answer Emails
Looking down at your phone or tablet too often can cause a painful condition known as “text neck.”5 While you are at work, avoid using your phone to answer emails or check social media and do those tasks on your computer to limit neck strain.
Get Up and Move
Getting up from your desk and walking every 45 minutes to an hour can help you avoid muscle strain. This changes the stress placed on particular muscle groups and increases blood flow to the areas that need it.6
Stretch Out
Simple stretches can help alleviate stiffness and pain that is attributable to inactivity. Bending down to touch your toes stretches your hamstrings, which lessens the stress on your lower back. Moving your head from side to side and up and down can help ease neck pain.
Comprehensive Spine Treatments in Dallas-Fort Worth
Small changes to your daily routine can go a long way toward reducing pain, but if you are not experiencing relief, you need to seek medical attention. The doctors at Spine Works Institute will work with you to determine the best treatment plan for your symptoms and help you live pain-free again.
Call us at 817.616.0700 today to schedule your appointment.
1 https://www.juststand.org/the-facts/
3 https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2012/11_0323.htm
4 https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/228642
5 https://www.spine-health.com/blog/modern-spine-ailment-text-neck
6 https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/228642
