Pain in the Office
In my previous experience as an in-house pain management specialist, I was shocked by how commonplace pain was at the workplace. The top 3 reasons cited by employees tended to be:
Poor office ergonomics
Unbalanced bag during commute
Stress
Most of the times, I would do several joint mobilizations, soft tissue releases, and prescribe them exercises. These are done very much with most clients. However, with office-related pain, there is one more component which is especially important: ergonomics.
Thanks to COVID-19, we are all familiar with ergonomically friendly office furniture. However, sitting in the same position on the most ergonomically ideal office furniture is still a brewing pot for lots of pain. So here’s my top 3 pieces of advice for office-related pain:
Set a 59-minute timer every hour: when that alarm goes, get up and move for just 1 minute. You can stretch, grab a drink, go to the toilet or bend to continue your work if need be, because it is actually just a minute. Having no movement at all for hours on end, is probably the worst thing to do to your body, in terms of pain.
Change sides: if you carry a handbag on your right shoulder on the way to work, swap it to the left on your way home. If you place your phone, cup and tissues one side of your desk, swap it up to the other side every other week. These changes allow both sides to take turns to work and rest.
Have a goal: having something to look forward to do after work is so important. It helps you get through the day, week or that stressful month. That deadline now seems less deadly I hope!
There is a whole lot more to pain management with office-related pain, but I do hope the information helps you start your journey towards work with a lot less pain!
Got more questions? Feel free to contact us and we’ll be happy to answer your questions!