The number of Americans working from home has tripled over the past few years, largely a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of 2021, almost 30 million Americans worked from home, resulting in benefits like saving on gas money, commuting time, and having more time with family.
However, working from home can lead to some complications for your health. In part, this is because many workplace offices are designed with ergonomics in mind to protect your neck and spine. It may not occur to someone to make sure their work-from-home setup is ergonomically designed, which can lead to back and neck problems.
As a chiropractor in the Chesapeake region of Virginia for more than 20 years, I have extensive experience counseling my patients on the best ways to protect their spine while working from home. In this article, I will share with you my top tips for keeping your spine healthy.
Stretch Your Body After Waking Up When You Work From Home
It may be tempting to set your alarm clock for the last possible minute before rolling out of bed and booting up your computer to start your work-from-home day. However, this can be problematic for your back health. Taking some time to stretch before you start your workday can improve your posture and flexibility, aiding not only your back health but also preventing injury. Our website can help you pick from some of the best morning stretches to promote your back health.
Similarly, it is important to take regular stretch breaks from sitting throughout your work day, approximately once every 30 minutes. Changing positions and stretching your muscles during a break can help you avoid neck and back discomfort throughout the day.
Focus on Ergonomics While Working From Home
Ergonomics focuses on adapting a person’s workplace to their physical needs, rather than the other way around. This is a very important concept regardless if you are working from the office or from home. Many homes are designed with comfort in mind: for example, a sofa that is designed for lying back and relaxing on movie night. However, it is not always easy to adapt that same sofa to support your back, legs, and arms so that you can sit up straight and work from home on a laptop. Making sure that your home furniture is able to support your back health at work needs is important when you work from home.
Use A Standing Desk While Working From Home
Investing in a standing desk while working from home can improve your neck and back health. Standing desks have many benefits, including helping you burn calories and preventing pain in your neck, upper back, and lower back. If you don’t have the space or money to buy a standing desk, you can consider making your own by putting your computer, keyboard, and mouse on a counter or a stack of books.
Maintain Good Posture While Working From Home
Keeping a good posture is imperative while working from home. Good posture can help to treat or prevent discomfort in your neck and back, while bad posture can increase your risk of injury, fall risk, flexibility problems, and other kinds of complications. Many people don’t realize that you should focus on good posture whether you are standing or sitting while working from home.
Protect Your Neck While Using Your Phone and Working From Home
Don’t forget your back and neck health while using your phone during your workday. Office phones often have adaptations like headsets so that you can easily use the computer and phone at the same time. In contrast, home phones and cell phones may require a little more creativity. Making sure that you maintain good posture and keep your phone at eye level are important to maintaining your back and neck health while using your phone during your work-from-home day.
Safely Work From Home With Chiropractic at Precision Spinal Care
As a certified NUCCA chiropractor and spine management physician, I work closely with you to improve your back health. This includes both treating and preventing back pain while working from home.
To accomplish this, during your first visit, I will do a thorough examination. Afterward, I will go over my evaluation with you in detail. Together, we will set reasonable expectations and milestones. We will also put together a treatment plan that meets your care needs, taking the root cause of your back pain into account. I will reevaluate you to make sure you are meeting your goals.
My experience and expertise in spinal biomechanics allow me to competently and safely address your back pain. I am a trauma and hospital-qualified spine management physician. I have credentials in MRI spine interpretation, spinal biomechanical engineering, and orthopedic testing through the Academy of Chiropractic. I am also a fellow in Spinal Biomechanics and Trauma which is recognized through the SUNY Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine.
We understand that you need to explore all your options when you are trying to treat your pain. At Precision Spinal Care, we are happy to help you determine the best way to address your specific needs and discuss all the options with you and your family.
Call our office at (757) 382-5555 to speak to the doctor or set up a consultation. You can also set up an appointment online.