Keeping Your Workstation Back-Friendly
By Stepy Kamei
Whether you work from home, at an office, or in a fast-paced environment involving a lot of physical activity, it's important that you make sure you're taking care of the health of your back and spine while at work. After all, you're more than likely spending a significant amount of time at work. Unfortunately, this can mean that the likelihood of developing any sort of back pain, stiffness, or tension will increase if you don't have a back-friendly working environment. Keep on reading to learn about the steps you can take to make sure your working environment doesn't end up causing any back pain!
Making an Ergonomic Work Station
One of the best things you can do for the health of your back and spinal column is ensure that your workstation is ergonomically-friendly. For instance, if you find yourself experiencing soreness in the back, or tightness in the neck and shoulders, after a long day at work, you may need to readjust some aspects of your working environment.
If you work at a desk, take the time to evaluate your furniture, and the areas you spend the most time in. Assuming you spend a significant portion of the day at a desk in front of a computer, this is where you should aim your focus. Invest in a comfortable, padded chair with lumbar support for those long periods of sitting down. You should also make sure your computer screen is at eye level, so you aren't craning your neck in unnatural positions in order to view the monitor. Over time, this can lead to overstraining the muscles in your neck and upper shoulders, causing aches and pains in the area. Finally, if your job does involve a lot of sitting, be sure to take frequent breaks to stand up and stretch, if not walk around. Not only will this regular movement encourage blood flow and keep you feeling alert and energized, but it will also discourage stiffness and tightness in the muscles and joints along the spinal column.
If your work environment involves more movement or even heavy lifting, be sure to be mindful about your activity. Be sure to lift heavy objects by squatting down and bending your knees for support, rather than straining your back and fighting against gravity. You may also want to invest in supportive shoes which provide comfort, traction, and stability throughout the day, to avoid any sort of strains, falls, or other injuries.
Visiting a Chiropractor on a Regular Basis
In order to really make sure the health of your spinal column is in tip-top shape, be sure to see a chiropractor on a regular basis. Even just one session of chiropractic care can bring about relief from aches, pains, and stiffness which may be affecting you from head to toe. However, many people experience a greater sense of overall well-being by seeing a chiropractor on a regular basis. This is because chiropractic care is a holistic healthcare plan meant to provide preventative care for the entire body, in a natural manner. Chiropractors are trained to use gentle manual manipulation techniques in order to correct any subluxations, or misalignments, they may find along the spinal column. These misalignments often lead to aches, pains, and stiffness throughout the body, but regular chiropractic care can prevent these health ailments from impacting you.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Mansfield, Tex.