Managing and Preventing Back Pain

Posted by Mindwell | 18th Apr 2011

Back pain may not sound like much to people who have never really expierenced it before, but the condition can and will disrupt anyone’s life! To contol and/or prevent back pain you should reduce the activities in your daily life that could lead to back pain.

Good back care should consist of a comprehensive set of measures. These may not on their own prevent back pain but as part of a comprehensive programme can make a difference to your daily life!

Reducing the activities in your office that could lead to back pain

Chairs, Desks, Phones & Computers
Chairs and Desks should fit you and your duties, especially if you have to spend long periods of time behind your desk. Common methods for reducing the chance of developing discomfort and pain are as follows:

• The height of your chair should allow you to have your feet flat on the floor and your upper leg horizontal or slightly sloping down.

• The back rest of your chair should give you sufficient support, especially in your lower back. The back rest should not pinch into your shoulders.

• The height of your desk should be just below your elbows when you are seated with your elbows in a 90° angle.

• If you are using arm rests, make sure they do not hamper you in moving your chair close to your desk.

• The top of your computer screen should be at eye level at about an arm's length distance.

• The keyboard and mouse should be within easy reach. When typing, the keyboard should be placed so that you have your shoulders relaxed, your elbows at a 90° angle and your wrists straight.

• When using a laptop, connect your laptop to an external keyboard and/or monitor.

• If you find that you are on the phone regularly – get a headset. This way it prevents bad habits like clutching the phone between ear and shoulder, which can lead to neck pain.

Bear in mind that these are just guidance notes and you should ensure you feel comfortable when seated behind your desk.

Breaks
A good way to stay comfortable and prevent back pain is to get up regularly and move around. Get up from your desk and make yourself a cup of tea, go over to talk to a colleague instead of emailing your message. Learn a good stretch sequence that you can do at the desk. Eg. Chair Yoga! All these small breaks can make a big difference in your comfort.

Some examples of stretching at your desk:

Stress
As a result of stress, your muscles become tense, you are less likely to take a break and you pay less attention to your comfort. All this can increase your risks for developing discomfort and back pain. Managing stress should therefore be part of any programme that is aimed at enhancing your health and well-being. Click here for stress management tips

Working hours and duties
Long periods of repetitive work can be detrimental to your well-being. You should carefully plan your working day, alternating duties to break up your day. This can make a big difference to your well being. It can also help prevent Repetitive Strain Injury.

Physical activity
Increasingly organisations offer employees the opportunity to take part in fitness or exercise classes. Take advantage of this when it is available or make your own arrangements. Not everyone may be able to go to the gym in their lunch breaks, but a brisk walk is easy to include in your daily routine. Walk or cycle to work, or when this is not possible take the bus and get off a stop earlier and walk the rest. In the beginning this may all feel a big effort, but once it is part of your daily routine it is a great way of getting some exercise. Staying active and exercising is very important in reducing your chances of developing back pain and many other diseases!

Ergonomical assessment
A comprehensive ergonomical assessment of your work place can be very useful when having to cope with back pain at work. Your HR department or occupational health department will be able to tell you how you can arrange an ergonomical assessment of your work place. If this is not available in your organisation, you could also seek the advice of a physiotherapist, occupational therapists or ergonomist.

Tags: exercise, RSI, stress managment, Wellness at work