It is estimated that four million Australians suffer from neck and back pain. The fact is that an increasingly digital age has people looking at screens more of the time. If you work in an office it is likely that you spend up to 12 hours sitting down.
For much of that time, you will be staring at a screen. Despite your best intentions, it is highly likely that you’ll slouch in your chair and lean forward to see your screen better. This causes neck and back pain.
In fact, sitting for long periods every day also increases the likelihood of you developing chronic conditions such as diabetes or heart disease.
In extreme cases, you’ll end up stooped or with other spinal issues that require a reputable spine surgeon to resolve for you. This can be avoided by reducing neck and back pain. However, it is always a good idea to consult a spine surgeon and get a professional opinion and advice.
- Stand Up
The problem with sitting is that all the weight is taken off your legs and goes on your bottom. This slows your circulation and causes an array of knock-on effects.
However, there is an increased interest in standing desks and these will help you to balance out your sitting. A standing desk can move between sitting and standing, allowing you to alternate through the day.
Providing you set the desk up correctly it can make a huge difference to your back and neck pain.
- Re-Organize Your Desk
The top of your computer screen should be level with your eyes and your elbows should be level with your keyboard. Rearrange your desk so that this is true and you’ll find it much more comfortable to sit for an extended period of time.
- Change Your Chair
It is also worth looking at your chair. You should have an ergonomic chair that provides lumbar support. This encourages you to adopt the right seating position and, along with your rearranged desk, can eradicate neck and back pain.
- Move Around
Exercise is the key to good health both today and in the future. If you find yourself sitting for large parts of the day then make time to exercise. In a basic sense, this means getting up from your desk every hour and moving around the office or perhaps running up and down the stairs.
You can also commit to exercising daily to help negate the effects of sitting all day. If your back pain still hasn’t subsided, you could think of looking for an adelaide back pain centre near your home.
- Skip The Phone
One of the biggest issues today is that you can do everything on your phone. This means that emails and other work items are often done on the phone. Unfortunately, when you are on the phone all the time you are looking down, and this causes a painful neck, often referred to as ‘text neck’.
By simply using the computer to answer these messages you can avoid this issue and decrease the neck and back pain you are currently suffering with.