How to Avoid Back Pain When Working From Home

If you’ve ever had an office job, chances are you’re familiar with the uncomfortableness and potential back pain that comes with sitting in a chair for too long.

Working from home is familiar to many in the workforce, but many still aren’t optimizing their workspace and spend hours working from uncomfortable spots or unproductive areas.

Follow our tips to optimize your workstation and learn how to prevent back pain while you work from home.

Set a Separate Workstation

Some people set their permanent workspaces on the couch or in bed. However, when you work from home, you want to be productive. That’s why having a separate workstation away from your lounge areas (i.e. bedroom or living room) is essential.

Working in a place of relaxation can make it challenging to be productive, so having a separate dedicated workstation is a great way to stay productive and avoid back pain.

Find a Chair With Proper Back Support

An office chair that provides excellent back support is critical. Without it, you can spend eight or more hours a day sitting in a position that isn’t ideal and in a chair that doesn’t provide you with the proper support.

When looking for an office chair, consider the following aspects:

• Adjustable height – adjust the chair with your arms at 90 degrees, feet flat on the floor, and thighs parallel to the floor with relaxed shoulders and looking straight at the monitor.
• Adjustable backrests – adjust in a way that’s most comfortable for you.
• Lumbar support – the back of the office chair matches the natural contour of your spine to avoid slumping.
• Seat depth and width – if you are taller or have a long torso, a deeper seat will likely work better for you. On the contrary, short-torsoed people (or those not as tall) can look for more shallow seats.
• Excellent padding – essential for your hips and back to maintain good support.
• Armrests – help remove some of the strain and tension from your neck and shoulders.
• Swivel seat – if you need to reach for something or turn to the side, you can easily do so by rotating your chair.

Make Sure to Move Every Hour

When we work in an office setting, we’re more likely to get up and move around to talk to coworkers, head to the bathroom, grab lunch across the street, etc. By reminding yourself to get up, stretch, and move around while you work from home, you can help prevent back pain.

Setting a timer every hour to walk around your space or even a five to ten-minute walk outside are excellent ways to get movement into your day.

Maintain Good Posture With Daily Exercises

Maintain good posture by incorporating specific stretches and back exercises to prevent back pain. Incorporate these into your workday several times, particularly before and after working.

Side bends stretch your obliques (the sides of your abs) and get you standing up from your chair.
Bridge poses are great for relieving tightness in your hips and chest and improving your glutes and lower back strength.
Lunges stretch out your hip flexors, which also help alleviate the lower back soreness you may experience from sitting in an office chair all day.

Get Relief With Chiropractic Treatments

Chiropractic alignment helps alleviate pressure on your joints, muscles, and nerves from sitting too long while working from home. Trust the professionals at Park Place Clinic in Victoria, BC, for customized exercises and tailored treatment plans.

Our friendly certified chiropractors have the expertise to help alleviate aches and pains associated with sitting for long periods and many other conditions.

Schedule your appointment online or by calling our office at 604-646-6699 today!