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Save Your Back at Work!

By Sara Butler

Chances are you spend 40 hours or more at work every week – and that probably doesn’t even count your commute! Musculoskeletal injuries and back pain is very common in office workers and there are a lot of reasons why. Here are some of the more common work-related injuries for office workers and what you can do to avoid them.

Common Workplace Injuries

If you think just because you have a desk job you can’t be injured at work you should think again! There are several very common injuries for office workers, including:

  • Tendonitis
  • Tendinosis
  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
  • Neck and shoulder stiffness
  • Back pain
  • Neck pain

Circulatory issues

These injuries can be caused by staying in one position for too long, poor posture while at work, awkward work positions, and repetitive motions. But there is something you can do to thwart these injuries and it’s something called workplace ergonomics.

Your Chair

One of the most important factors to your work health is the chair you sit in all day long. If you sit too low or too high in relation to your desk or computer screen it can cause strain or fatigue in the muscles of your shoulders, back, neck and even your legs. If the back of your chair is not adjusted correctly it can cause you to slouch and that increases the strain and stress on your back and shoulders.

When you sit in your chair your lower back and shoulders should rest comfortably on it and the back should be positions at a 90- to 110-degree angle. If your lower back doesn’t touch, you can roll up a towel or a t-shirt to place between your back and the chair to offer support.

Your thighs should also be parallel to the floor and your knees should be slightly lower or in line with your hips when you’re sitting – that’s how you know the height of the chair is right.

Your Computer Monitor

The height and position of your computer monitor can make or break your neck, upper back and shoulders. If it’s too high or too low it can cause muscle stiffness and tension which can lead to pain. You should make sure your eyes are at the same level as the top line of text on the screen. This will help you maintain a neutral neck position throughout the day. If you can’t adjust the height of your monitor you should stack boxes or books under it to help bring it to the correct height.

If you have other questions about how you can reduce the stress and strain on your body at work, talk to your chiropractor about it during your next visit to The Joint Chiropractic.

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