Take the Body Pains out of the Office Work

Work can be a pain in the neck and back

That may not be what people really say about jobs, but when sitting in a chair all day, typing away, doing office work. The back is suffering; sure manual labor can be hard on the body as well, but sitting for long periods of time can be just as damaging to the back, neck, and shoulders. This long sitting position can affect the neck and shoulders areas, mid back, and lower back. But there are some tips and pointers that can help relieve this pain.

How to form the desk to you

Take a good look at the work space that is used daily. Look at where the most used tools are, how far away the monitor is, and where is the mouse. Is the monitor too far away, or is it too dull? Is the monitor positioned in a way that cases the neck to have to bend to see the screen? This can cause unwanted headaches and neck pain. The head weighs 12 pounds, and when it is bent, this cause 50 pounds of force against the neck. This can be an easy fix though, by moving the monitor closer to the chair, and having an office chair can provide the correct height that is needed to not have to bend the neck to see the monitor.

By stretching to reach a pen or paper, the back is being manipulated in ways while sitting that can cause back pain. By keeping these commonly used items close, the risk of pulling muscles are lessened. Office chairs come in all shapes and sizes, but what is truly needed to help with correct sitting posture is a curved office chair. The curve in the chair is for the natural curve that appears in the human spine. Do not forget the shoulders, there needs to be a good place to rest the shoulders, ensure that not only does the chair have a curve, but a good place to rest the arms to relax the shoulders during work.

Stretches to help keep the pain at bay

First thing, if there is back pain or neck pain, the physician should be the first stop. This is to ensure that any stretching or exercising that will be done does not do more harm than good. Taking a few ibuprofens can take the pain away, but not for good. Taking care of the body is important, and doing a few of these tips and pointers can help relax the back area and maybe manage the pain.

Neck and shoulder tension are no joke. To help relieve this tension, tilt the right ear down to the right shoulder, while leaving the left arm hanging. Doing this increases the stretch. Hold this for 20 seconds to one minute, and repeat doing the same on the left side. Repeat each side up to four times.

Something many people can relate to is lower back pain. That groan that escapes when getting out of a sitting position. There are many lower back exercises that can help alleviate the pain. Partial crunches, hamstring stretches, wall sits, press-ups back extensions... these are just a few good stretches than can help with lower back pain.

Breaking a sweat is therapy for the mind and body

Sitting down for long periods of time can wreak havoc on the body in more ways than one. Weight gain, back, neck and shoulder pain, eye strain and the list can go on. The best cure all is getting up and moving around. In a perfect world, office workers would be able to move around every 20 to 30 minutes. Move around as much as possible, get up and walk around the office, have walking meetings or, better yet, create a standing work area. Remember to move the body, it is not meant to sit for long periods of time.