Is Your Job Causing Joint Pain?
By Sara Butler
Jobs can be a real pain – in the joints! You may be working a job just to pay the bills or be living your dream and working a job that makes you happy every single day. But no matter who you are or why you work, everyone has one thing in common: Your job could be causing joint pain. When you break it down to brass tacks, there are two basic kinds of employment in the world. Here’s how each can impact the health of your joints and how the chiropractors at The Joint can help.
Sitting All Day
The first type of job in the world is the one in which most of the day is spent sitting. You may think that sitting all day isn’t that bad for you, but that’s actually been found to be untrue. Even if you exercise after work, it won’t undo all the negative effects sitting a majority of the day can have on you and your overall health. Joint pain isn’t simply the result of using your joints too much, it’s also the result of using your joints too little.
There are many cons to sitting most of the day. They include:
- Reduced lung efficiency
- Back pain
- Arthritis
- Joint pain
- Poor posture
- Excess body weight
You must remember that your body was made to move. Sitting all day causes your muscle tone to deteriorate, creating a weakness that leads to negative effects on posture and joints. It’s important to remember to regularly get up and get moving throughout the day. Set a timer on your computer or phone to help remind you to get up at least once an hour.
Standing All Day
The other type of job requires being on your feet all day. This job has some advantages over sitting but can still cause problems down the road.
The pros of standing all day include:
- Burn calories
- Keep muscle active
- Improve posture
- Improve heart health
- Maintain a healthy weight
It seems like standing at work may have the advantage over standing in the pros category, but standing also has some cons such as:
- Swelling of the legs and feet
- Knees problems
- Lower back problems
- Muscle fatigue
- Muscle soreness
- Shoulder and neck stiffness
- Increased chance of knee and hip pain
The key to avoiding problems no matter your job is to find balance! Try not to sit too much and try not to stand too much either! Working to avoid joint pain is a full-time job and one that will require constant effort on your part. If you have questions about how to find a balance at work to help control joint pain, discuss it with the chiropractors at The Joint!
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Fort Worth, Tex.