How to Minimize Back Pain at Work? | Mehta Spine

Back pain has soon become one of the most common problems in the world today and it is going nowhere until you buckle-up to take care of your back. On an average people spend around 8 hours a day working and of which 95% of the time is spent on their seat, putting a static pressure on your back muscles, legs, arms, and shoulders.

That’s not just about it. To sustain longer periods of sitting, your body resorts to slouching and other ill postures that can strain the back even more. If you are reading this in front of your computer screen, there is a high probability that you are doing it in a bad posture. Thus, this sitting triggers a chain of events that results in a bad posture which over time, wrecks your back or even worsens your back pain in the years to come.

To minimize the back pain at work is to incorporate to two changes in your work regimen:

Break the longer periods of sitting and maintain a good posture while you sit in front of your system.

Stay active – Take regular breaks:

This has to the most important thing you can do to alleviate your back pain. Longer inactivity translates to weaker back muscles which mean a higher chance of back pain in long term. A longer period of inactivity not only hurts your back but is also responsible for a host of problems that affect your overall general health.

So get up and walk around for a min or two for every hour. If possible add a minimal stretch to these breaks, and your body will thank you. Though the best thing to do is to incorporate a standing workstation, not everyone can afford to do so. But you can make minor adjustments like taking breaks and adding minimal stretches.
So stop sitting and get moving, once in a while.

Maintain good posture:

1. If your work involves working on a computer, then make sure of adjusting your chair so that your lower back is correctly supported.
2. The height of your chair must allow your feet to rest flat on the floor with your thighs angling down slightly w.r.t your hips. Thus, taking your weight off your lower back and distributing it to your sitting bones evenly.
3. Make sure that your upper arms are parallel to your spine and rest your arms at a right angle to take the strain off your shoulders and neck.
4. Avoid straining forward by ensuring that your head and neck are in straight alignment above your shoulders.
5. Your computer screen must be placed in front of you preferably at an arm’s length away. Adjust the screen in a way that your straight gaze while sitting in your comfortable position is aimed at the screen’s centre.

Now that you got a head start by making the above changes in your work regimen, you can supplement them by taking a proper diet and incorporating a simple exercise program.
General back pain can be easily treated with simple lifestyle changes, but if you are experiencing a chronic back pain, it is advised to consult a Spine Specialist as soon as possible.
In case you need any help, you can contact us here: Clinical secretary: Samantha Leavy +44 785 021 1939