Back Pain at work - Treatments and Prevention

It’s more common than ever to feel some aches and pains when trying to get through a full day’s work - whether it be at the desk, on a job site, driving around or long days on your feet. Here at Tan Chiro we pride ourselves on being able to help people stay on their feet and work longer without those niggling back injuries. Whilst we will do our best to give you great treatments that will last when you leave the clinic, that is only half the job! Here we’ll discuss a few easy strategies that you can employ to avoid back pain whilst at work!

Posture:

Feeling back pain at work? Try these tips.

Posture, Posture, Posture. It seems as if it always comes back to posture with Chiropractors but there’s a reason for it!

If you’re on your feet for long hours at work - try to make sure you’re distributing your weight evenly across both feet. Try your best not to slouch (I’m sure it’s way easier than it sounds).

Instead of pulling shoulders back and changing your posture for the worst by overdoing it the other way, try to imagine a small string is is attached to the top of your head and all the way down your spine.

Try to imagine that string is being pulled gently towards the sky. This should lift your chest and will align your lower back, shoulders and neck. To get an idea of what your perfect neutral posture should look like, go stand with your back to a flat wall, and your head, shoulders, pelvis and heels should all be touching this. Being conscious of postures that may be harming you is a great place to start though!

Micro-breaks

Try and be aware of postures or positions that may be harmful to your body. If you work at a desk that’s pretty easy! Try to take breaks every 20-30 minutes to get up and have a stretch. If you have a standing desk, it's even better to alternate standing and sitting. You can even place your water bottle at a different spot away from arms reach from your desk so you have a reminder to be getting up and moving! Micro-breaks have been proven to boost vigor, reduce fatigue and small amounts of data also suggest that it may also improve overall performance! Try to implement these regularly to avoid the strain postural dysfunctions can place on your spine throughout the day.

Office Chair:

Choosing the right office chair can play a significant role in reduce back pain at work if you do work in an office. Some things to consider:

Adjustable height - so your elbows can sit at a comfortable angle on your desk. The research does say that it is most beneficial to keep the arms at 90 degrees straight on when typing
Lumbar support - make sure your chair provides support to your low back! This will promote the proper curvature of your lumbar spine, and help to reduce tension and pressure in your low back. If your current chair doesn’t have proper support, consider using a small pillow between your low back and your chair that will do the same thing
Able to swivel - reducing the amount of time you have to twist your torso, more so allowing yourself to rotate yourself while maintaining good posture

Lift properly:

Make sure you’re using proper lifting techniques for heavy objects! Bend at the knees, activate your core muscles, and drive through your legs as you get back to the standing position. Make sure to not twist when lifting. If it’s too heavy to lift by yourself properly, get someone to help.

Stretches:

Some easy stretches you can pull out at your desk would include some chin tucks that will help strengthen your deep neck flexor muscles to help with forward head carriage that may develop throughout the day. To stretch your traps, look down at your armpit and pull your head down further with the same side hand and hold this for 10-15 seconds for a good stretch! Make sure to do this on both sides. Some simple pec stretches would also be beneficial for tightness in your mid-back that may develop throughout the day.

The best thing you can do for your back pain at work? Get some regular maintenance checks from Dr Jace or your local chiropractor, North Brisbane. You should be looking after your spine with regular checks the same way you would a car and getting it serviced.