Due to COVID-19 more and more people are Teleworking or sitting at home! We are getting more people calling in about back pain from less than ideal work stations at home. Around 30-60% of people who need to sit for work report having back pain at some point in their life, and a lot of the people we see in the clinic come to us in pain as a result of spending 30 minutes or more in a seated position, almost daily!
But why does something as simple as sitting trigger off back pain when it’s not exactly strenuous? Sitting for long periods of time exposes the body to many different forces such as sustained stress, abnormal pulling on joints from poor posture and most notably – the lack of proper positioning and support needed to help us sit properly for periods of time.
Sitting for long periods of time can also can lead to tightening of your quads, hamstrings and hips which means they start to pull on your lower body and back as they normally wouldn’t if not sitting for long periods. It’s no wonder why a combination of these factors, as well as the inadequate design of some seats can cause back problems for many of us. Back pain can make sitting unpleasant (in some cases, unbearable), so I put together a list of tips to help make your next seated adventure as pain-free as possible.
Here are 7 tips to help you:
1. Get Comfortable – A small irritation can quickly grow into an unbearable pain, and if you’re just sitting for 20 minutes, this can make your relaxation unpleasant and is likely to affect the rest of your day. So take a few moments to settle into a comfortable position. Adjust your seat and support
2. Use A Towel For Support – For additional support while sitting at a table or desk – roll up a towel and place it behind your lower back. Seats don’t often support the curve of your back. By using a towel you’ll help yourself out by maintaining good posture, making back pain a lot less likely to creep up.
3. Make Sure You’re Sitting Comfortably – Most people don’t realize it, but when they’re sitting, their seat is positioned completely wrong, which can cause back pain and problems with posture. As you take a seat, make sure your seat is only slightly reclined so that it feels natural to sit comfortably – think 100-degree angle instead of 90,’ and you’ll be sitting in about the right position to work pain free. If you recline your seat too far, your head won’t be able to comfortably rest against the headrest which can cause tension in your neck and upper back.
Activities To Keep You Moving
4. Take Regular Breaks – I know you hear a lot about ‘taking a break’ all the time – but it’s for a good reason. Stopping regularly (around every hour) to move and stretch will help ease any tension and reduce any muscle stiffness. When you take a break, do some gentle twists to loosen the body up. And if your neck and shoulders are feeling tense – try shrugging and rolling your shoulders back and forth, then rolling your neck from side to side.
5. Do Stretches At Your Desk – While sitting at your desk you can do shoulder rolls, sidebending stretches, lean backwards with your arms behind your head, do small twists, stretch your hamstrings and lumbar muscles and even your quads!
6. Exercise Regularly – Even just adding exercise into your routine 2-3 times a week will help strengthen your back muscles, release tension and help you maintain a healthy posture. Cardio exercises like cycling, walking and swimming are great for overall fitness, and weight are perfect for improving muscle strength.
If you are experiencing back pain while sitting for periods of time and need help or want some of these exercises and stretches built in to a program for you, we can help you! Even during the COVID-19 outbreak we care for our patients. You can now schedule an e-visit or telehealth visit with our providers and get the help you need while still in the safety and comfort of home. We also offer virtual core stabilization for back pain classes!
Please reach out to us at (360)-456-1444 or email us at info@penrosept.com.
Podcasts!
This month Jen interviews Dr. Dominic Femiano, a top local surgeon right here in our backyard at Olympia Orthopedics. We see a lot of Dr. Femiano’s patients in the clinic and he was kind enough to take time this month and sit down to talk about tendon injuries. A majority of people will experience a tendon injury in their lifetime and Dr. Femiano helps us break down the kinds of injuries, how to best prevent them and even brought new research to the table for tendon injury treatments! Don’t miss this incredibly insightful discussion!
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stay-healthy-south-sound/id1460144640
Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/listen#/sulp
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3feMt6PJtvtDBcpqPV8xXc
