On March 16, Nancy Black left her office for what she thought would be the last time. On March 19, however, she was back and ready to pilfer (with permission) parts of her office workstation. Dr. Black is an associate professor in the department of mechanical engineering at the Université de Moncton in Canada, specializing in ergonomics. In three days it was clear her home office was not going to meet her standards. So she came back and got her desktop computer, a large monitor and a desktop sit-to-stand apparatus, which lets her toggle between sitting and standing. Now she’s working from home pain-free, which is more than most of us can say as we toil away on tiny computers, sitting in our sweatpants on rigid kitchen chairs (or on the floor??)
THE RESEARCH
Two studies demonstrate the toll we exact on our bodies as we do office work. These studies, one from India and one from Greece, show that 75 percent and 60 percent, respectively, of computer or office workers reported work-related musculoskeletal discomfort. All of the workers in these studies had office desks and full-size computers. So, they were starting in a better position than most of us working from our couches.
Danielle Vernon, PT and CEO of Backbone Cushion Company in Austin Texas, says she’s already seeing an influx of new patients and back cushions being ordered because of the neck and back pain more workers report from working from home.
WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?
The problem is simple: Working from your bed, couch or recliner is too comfortable. Gravity is the sedentary worker’s nemesis. “Anytime you’re in one position for a long time, there are problems,” Dr. Black warns. As you sit — or even stand — gravity compresses the discs in your back. Over time, those compressed discs may cause back pain and nerve issues.
As gravity collapses your spine, it pushes fluid out of the discs, explains Dr. Black. Just 20 to 30 seconds of moving around, however, draws fluid back into the discs. This sets everything back in its proper position. Ideally, she says, microbreaks for movement every 40 minutes is ideal. That movement, though, can be as simple as getting up and stretching or walking to the kitchen for a glass of water.
REMEMBER: Work-related musculoskeletal injuries rarely hit quickly. You may not end up with carpal tunnel during quarantine, but 10 years from now, you’ll be glad you took a little bit of time every day to do some stretches to keep your body feeling good.
WHAT ABOUT MY BACK? It’s great to think about sitting up with your back straight and your shoulders down but most of us don’t even know we have bad posture until it’s too late. A good place to start is by realizing most chairs place us into a slouched position by their very nature. By changing the shape of the chairs you sit on, it will make it easier for your muscles to maintain you there. With a Backbone Cushion, we take away all the thinking for you and all you have to do is relax back and let your muscles do the work.
THAT’S IT? Well, maybe it’s not just that easy. Don’t be surprised when you still find yourself with the spinal rectitude of a sea slug. “It’s the nature of the beast. People’s posture always tends to collapse. Having back support and remembering to use it can be staggeringly more difficult than you’d expect. Research shows that it takes up to 10,000 hours to reshape a habit so expect that, with some muscle soreness and a lot of attention, this too will improve.
WHAT ELSE CAN I DO?
Luckily, being creative can have its advantages, especially in these weird times: enter…..children (yup, you read right). Per many of my patients, they find that it’s a mixed blessing and curse of working from home in that there are so many interruptions around them. But this does offer an involuntary, yet likely valuable, break in static posture. Another trick is to stay well hydrated since we rarely deny ourselves getting up to go to the bathroom.
Overall, if children and hydrating aren’t enough to get you up and moving, the best solution is to make sure you’re comfortable and well supported. The Backbone Cushion is a cost-effective and portable cushion that can attach to any desk and dining room chair to protect your spine and support it while you work. It works so you don’t have to.
Lastly, to keep your muscles hydrated, try performing a few stretches at your desk every hour, alternating when you sit and stand for phone calls or setting a reminder to check your posture. (However, even the best of my patients quickly find that apps, reminders and straps just annoyed them). Try doing these stretches intermittently throughout the day to prevent aches in your wrists, back, neck and arms (or at least as much as you can). Think of these as preventive, suggests Danielle Vernon, PT. While she uses them often in her physical therapy clinic, the goal is for you to start now and avoid the clinic altogether.
1. Wrist Flexor and Extensor Stretches
- Stand with one arm out in front of you and your palm facing the ground.
- With your other hand, gently pull your fingers of the outstretched arm back. You should feel the stretch in the underside of your wrist.
- Hold for a moment or two, then release.
- Next, keeping your arm straight, use your other hand to push your fingers and palm down and toward your body. Hold a few seconds, then release.
- Repeat with your other arm.
2. Shoulder Shrugs
- Shrug your shoulders by bringing them up toward your ears and holding for 3-5 seconds.• Roll your shoulders backward for 10 and forwards for 10
- Release and repeat routine 3-5 times throughout the day.
3. Back and Chest Stretch
Chest Stretch
- With or without a band around your wrists, keep your elbows tucked in to your sides as you rotate your arms away from your stomach
- Squeeze your shoulder blades back together as you breath in for 4-6 seconds then exhale as you let the arms come back to neutral
- Take a breath, then repeat 2-3 more times.
Back Stretch
- Clasping your hands behind your head, squeeze your shoulder blades together.
- Hold this squeeze for 5-6 seconds.
- Perform this every 1-2 hours to reduce any back tightness
Photo By Andrew B Myers; Danielle Vernon is a local Austin physical therapist & ergonomist. If you’d like further consultation, feel free to reach out at hello@backbonecushion.com
autocbbcd@gmail.com