5 Practical Tips to Avoid Back Pain at Your Desk

How’s your #WorkingFromHome set up? Do you ever develop back and neck pain while you’re sitting at your desk? How many times have you seen articles talking about “perfect posture” or been told that your posture is bad, even by a trusted health professional?

Well, recent evidence suggests that there is no perfect posture! Imagine sitting with a perfectly straight back, shoulders back, your head resting square above your shoulders for 2 hours straight. Even with this “perfect posture” you’d be feeling a bit stiff and worse for wear.

We want to challenge this idea of best posture with a saying that has come out over recent years. Your best posture is your next posture. Our bodies are made to move. Every tissue in your body whether it’s tendons, muscles, ligaments and even your bones, benefit from regular movement . So look after your body and build up its tolerance to a day at the desk by breaking up your day with different positions and movements.

However, there is still some merit in using a logical approach to setting up your home office. Keeping joints in a neutral position and recognising the optimal length/tension relationship of muscles is a great starting point for organising your home setup. By using this as a basis for your home set up you can then vary your position to find your best position which will minimise your chance of developing back pain.

Try following these 5 practical tips for your #WFH setup, so you can reduce the demand on your body and stop yourself from getting the dreaded sore back.

Set up your desk the right way.

Raise your chair so your elbows can rest comfortably at 90 degrees with your arms supported and shoulders relaxed.  
Set up your screen so it’s just above eye height an arm’s distance away. Be creative! Use that pile of magazines you’ve been meaning to throw out, or the empty case of beer by placing it underneath your laptop or computer screen. If you’re using a laptop, buy a keyboard and mouse from the store to make changing positions easier. 
Sit on a flat comfortable chair – if it’s a chair with no lumbar support try rolling up a towel or putting a pillow behind your lower back and sit back into the chair. 
If your feet can’t reach the floor in this position place a cook-book or upside-down Tupperware container underneath your feet so they sit comfortably.

2. Set Alarms to stretch and move

Download the app ‘chime’ and set an alarm for every hour to stand up and move. Go for a little walk around your house
You could even stand up and do a quick stretch to help your body cope with the new work setting! For some stretching and back mobility exercises have a look at our article “7 Exercises You Can Do At Your Desk”

3. Try to change between positions!

Change from a sitting to a standing position every couple of hours from sitting to standing. Many bookshelves can work as a temporary standing desk or stack up some different house hold items to raise your screen, keyboard and mouse.

4. Nip a Niggle in the bud

If you try all of these things and you’re still feeling a lingering pain, or if you’re struggling to get through a workday without pain in your lower back or upper back and neck don’t suffer through it. Come and talk to us at Bathurst Physiotherapy for treatment and personalised advice for your setup.

5. Most importantly – be creative!

Find ways to keep your workspace fresh and well set up for your body. Find objects from around the house or cheap from a local shop to facilitate your #WFH setup

Now you know what to do to minimise your chance of any back pain when at your desk, you’re ready to implement some of these changes in your #WFH life. Remember, Every body is different, but more importantly – Every Body benefits from movement.

If you have any questions about what you’ve read, call up and book an appointment at Bathurst Physiotherapy and Sports Injuries Centre 6332 1955