Back and neck problems from office based jobs are super common and becoming increasingly so. Sitting down for 8 hours per day can add significant stress and pressure on the body, more than people will expect. Here we aim to give you a few small adjustments we can make to improve your spinal health and overall wellness. 

Posture:

Posture is an ongoing theme here at Tan Chiro. Make sure you’re trying to be mindful throughout the day. If you slip into the slouching type postures, take a small moment to mindfully position your body again.

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Quality Office Chair:

It’s worth investing in a quality office chair with the appropriate lumbar support can make a huge difference to the postures that you may fall into throughout the day. Go to Officeworks or somewhere that actually has the chairs so you can sit and try to see which one will actually work with your specific ergonomic set up. 

Working Environment:

Make sure you take the time to make sure your computer is set up properly and at eye level. If you work with a laptop this can often add extra strain to your neck. For every 15 degrees forward you lean your head, it adds an extra 6kg of pressure to your neck joints and muscles. You obviously want to try and limit this as much as possible throughout the day and making sure you’re not peering down on your computer screen all day is one easy way to do it! If you have to work off a laptop, try placing some large books underneath so it can get to eye level, and use an external keyboard and mouse. 

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Sit/Stand Desk:

Static postures throughout the day can add extra stress on the spine that doesn’t need to be there. Whether its sitting or standing all day in one posture - both are equally as harmful! Whilst it isn’t always feasible or realistic for everyone, a desk that can switch between sitting and standing is the most friendly for your spinal health. Chat to Dr Jace or Dr Lucy at your next visit if you would like their opinion for the best sit/stand desk. If this isn’t realistic for your workplace, try to switch up your posture from sitting to standing once or twice an hour and your body will be extremely thankful in the long term! If you haven’t noticed - ALL our computer’s at Tan Chiro come with sit/stand set ups. So we do practice what we preach! 

Micro-breaks: 

Getting up regularly is a great way to break up negative postures that you may get caught up in throughout the day. A good way to remember is to leave your water bottle across the room somewhere, so throughout the day you’re reminded to get up, have a stretch, and change up your posture whilst sitting at your desk.

Wear the right shoes:

Even though some offices may have some strict regulations or rules regarding dress code and therefore shoe wear, make sure you are wearing shoes that do not pinch or create pain throughout the day. This can lead to nerve damage over time! Also, for those that wear heels, it can increase your risk of tripping at work. And falling over at work isn’t good for anyone!

Keep fluids up:

Being in front of a computer all day, it’s important to keep your fluids up. You should be aiming for 1L per 25kg of body weight. Investing in a reusable drink bottle of 1L is a good way to track this, and better for the environment then plastic water bottles or plastic cups.

Small walks:

Try and aim for 10,000 steps per day, as it’s easy to neglect exercise when you’re mentally drained from a full day of work. Try and set up walking meetings, or park as far away from work as possible (within reason) so that you can get some extra steps in without trying too hard.

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.