Tips to Avoid Pain While Working from Home

Have you recently made the transition to working from home? Most of us know that plopping down on the couch with a laptop is not the most ergonomic choice, but do you know how to set up your own workspace to prevent back pain? Here are some easy tips to help you make this transition as pain free as possible.

Switch chairs throughout the day: It is a common belief that your chair is the most important part of your workstation. However, spending hundreds on an ergonomic chair is not needed. Any household chair will do! Pillows or a rolled-up towel can be used to increase the height and to provide low back/leg support. Even if your chair is not the perfect fit, research actually shows that changing your chair or sitting surfaces throughout the day will reduce pain. Some people find comfort sitting on a gym ball for a half hour than changing to an office chair. Frequent changes in posture/positions helps migrate stress to different tissues and prevents discomfort.

Desk set-up basics: The height of your monitor is extremely important as it can place undue stress on your neck. Your monitor should be adjusted to maintain a level gaze or roughly have the top of the monitor at or slightly below eye level. This can be done with a stand or a stack of books. It is also key to increase the text size or wear computer glasses in order to reduce the need to poke your head forward to read the screen. Further, the use of an external mouse and keyboard is recommended as it reduces the need to shrug your shoulders in order to type. Your shoulders should be relaxed with your elbows bent at or around 90 degrees. Finally, if your feet do not firmly touch the ground while seated, make sure they are supported with books or a step stool.

Schedule variety into your day: Plan activities that vary your posture and movements throughout the day. If the majority of your day is desk work, try to break it up with tasks that require you to get up and out of your chair, for example, stand for calls. A good rule of thumb is to stand every 30 minutes. Make sure to also schedule yourself breaks. Your breaks should be the opposite of the dominant position of your work. If you usually stand to work, have a seat and if you usually sit, take a walk for your break.

Stretch throughout the day: Sitting at a desk all day can cause muscle tightness which can eventually cause pain. A good stretch to start with is to stand up from your chair, raise your arms overhead and hold for 10 seconds. Then reach higher and back for another 10 seconds. This helps release the tension and stress placed on our spines. Finally, prolonged typing can cause shoulder and chest discomfort. Another good stretch is to stand in a doorway, raise your arms to 90 degrees, step one foot forward then lean into the doorframe, hold for 30 seconds. Perform these two stretches throughout the day.

Stretch #1:

Stretch #2:

These tips are a great start but if you have any questions and need more advice, I would be happy to help!