Office workers aren’t often thought of as individuals who are exposed to a high risk of injury. However, many office workers will experience pain and discomfort due to the posture they sustain all day long, every day.
But if you’re experiencing office pain, desk pain, or any similar issues, only one thing really matters: how can you fix it? The answer lies in a mixture of self-treatments and chiropractic care! Let’s take a look at office pain and discuss some ways in which you can address your work-related injuries.
Why Do So Many Office Workers Suffer from Pain?
One of the major reasons why office workers develop pain is poor ergonomics. Ergonomics refers to the body mechanics, desk setup, and other considerations which affect how the stress is placed on a person’s body during the workday.
For this reason, it’s important that all workers, in all settings, learn the proper ergonomic techniques required for their job in order to decrease and/or eliminate pain.
What are Some Common Office Injuries?
Office injuries aren’t generally akin to what we consider “standard injuries”, such as rolled ankles, broken bones, etc. Rather, office injuries tend to occur due to overuse or misuse of joints for many hours every day.
Commonly, office workers will experience the following painful conditions:
- Carpal tunnel syndrome.
- Low back pain.
- Hip pain.
- Neck pain.
- Forward head posture.
Each of these conditions requires an individualized approach in order to treat them. However, there are some general rules and tips that can help to keep you healthy during your office work day. In the next sections, we’ll review some top ergonomic tips and tools you can use to reduce your risk of suffering an office-related injury.
What Is the Ideal Ergonomic Setup for a Desk Worker?
Fortunately, we have established a general desk setup template that helps to keep workers in good health. When working at a desk, office workers should maintain the 90-90-90 position. This means keeping the hips, knees, and angles at 90 degrees of flexion.
The 90-90-90 position puts little stress on the back and lower body. As a result, this position alone can decrease the chances of office workers suffering from low back pain and other related conditions.
Achieving this position is not always easy on your own. For this reason, there are a number of tools you can invest in that will keep you in the perfect posture throughout your work day.
Ergonomic Tools for the Office
Truly, it doesn’t take any complex or expensive tools to improve your desk setup. By simply using items you have around the house, and maybe spending a few bucks, you can vastly reduce the chances of becoming injured at your desk.
For instance, a lumbar roll is one of the best ways to keep your back flat and strong while you sit. You can purchase one of these tools at the store, but you don’t need to do so. Rolling up an old towel and sticking it behind your low back while you sit serves the same purpose as a lumbar roll. Best of all, the towel is free!
Also, you may find that your office chair isn’t the right height for you. If this is the case, you can adjust the height easily by padding up your feet (if the chair is too high) or padding up your buttocks (if the chair is too low).
Chiropractic Care for Office Pains
Ergonomic interventions are key for decreasing office pain. However, this usually won’t get you all the way to optimal health. Chiropractic care can help you maintain a strong spine that will be resilient to many injuries!
If you are looking for a great way to reduce your office pain, come see your Plano chiropractor at Keystone Chiropractic. Book your appointment now!
