Throughout lockdown, we’ve seen an increase in the number of patients coming in with back pain. In part, this is due to poor working from home set-ups.
Spending hours each day hunched over a desk – combined with a reduction in movement throughout the day – is the perfect recipe for back pain. In this blog, we’ve detailed the top 3 tips to avoid back pain whilst working from home;
1. Sit comfortably
This may seem obvious, but it’s incredibly important to maintain a good posture at your desk. There’s a few ways you can do this.
Firstly, you want your back to be as straight as possible, this means sitting right up against the backrest of the chair and keeping your feet flat on the floor. It’s not advisable to have your legs crossed at your desk either.
If you find it more comfortable, it can help to roll up a towel and place it in-between your lower back and the chair (picture right), this helps maintain a good seating position and reduces stress through the back. Wrist rests will also be beneficial, as well as having your monitor as close to eye-level as possible.
2. Keep your back moving (regular breaks)
Arguably the main reason more people are suffering with back pain during lockdown is the reduced movement in day-to-day activity. Although it might not seem much, a daily hour or so commute can make a huge difference.
Our backs like movement as it keeps them lubricated. We want to keep them moving, so be sure to take regular breaks (around every 30 mins) throughout the day to stand up, go for a short walk and get some fluids on board.
With people being generally less active during lockdown, the back is more likely to stiffen up, causing pain, particularly in the lower back.
3. Stretch
There are a few good stretches that can be done to avoid back pain, these are quick and simple that can be done on your regular breaks.
For the greatest relief, it’s best to stretch little and often throughout the day, again just to keep our back moving and avoid it stiffening up.
One back stretch in particular that is great relieving tension from a day spent at your desk can be watched by clicking here. The video is on our YouTube channel, please don’t forget to subscribe to our channel for more great content 🙂
If you are experiencing sharp and constant back pain that hangs around for a significant period of time, it’s highly advisable to see a healthcare professional.
If you would like to speak to a physio, please know we are currently offering free discovery visits, where you can come into the clinic, meet the team and learn more about how we can help you manage your pain. To book a discovery visit, please click here.