Sitting for long periods of time in front of your computer can cause you to experience pain in your shoulders, neck and lower back. When working from home, you may find yourself spending more time at your computer in an unideal work space which is causing back pain. Keep reading to learn our top tips and solutions for preventing back pain whilst working from home.
Office ergonomics
Your work environment, including the position of your computer, the height of your desk or the shape of your chair, can impact your body. Having the right set up at home is just as important as in the office to prevent experiencing pain.
When at home, try to find a chair that supports your spine meaning the height of the chair allows your feet to be flat on the floor and knees in line with your hips. Your desk or table should be at the right height: tall enough to have room for your legs underneath the table, with your arms able to rest comfortably on the table top. Make sure there is enough room on the table or desk to avoid you feeling cramped.
Hunching over a small laptop screen may result in pain. A great way to overcome this is using a monitor, keyboard and mouse. Your monitor should be at eye level or slightly below and at least arm’s length away. If you don’t have a monitor, you could use stacked books to keep your laptop at eye level. Whilst it may be tempting to work from the lounge or your comfy bed, try to avoid doing so for long periods of time. This is because working with poor posture could lead to back or neck pain.
It’s great to keep connected to our colleagues when working from home and many people spend time on the phone to keep in touch. If available, use a headset or headphones. This will allow you to keep good posture and your hands free to keep working, preventing resting your phone on your shoulder and straining your neck.
By having the right set up for your home office, whether it be temporary or permanent, you can help prevent back or neck pain associated with poor posture or an unsuitable workspace.
Products of choice
If back or neck pain does strike, it is important to be prepared. Read our tips for relieving back pain here
Heat therapy can be a great method for temporary pain relief. We recommend Elastoplast Spiral Heat patches, providing up to 12 hours of warmth. The flexibility enhances movement and can be used for back pain, lower back pain, hip pain, neck pain and shoulder pain.
To provide extra support to the area, try Elastoplast Adjustable Back Stabiliser, which prevents injury or reinjury by compressing and stabilising the lower back. It can be suitable for relieving pain from dysfunctions such as sciatica, herniated discs, spinal stenosis and scoliosis, spondylolisthesis and more.
Stop and stretch!
Most importantly, try to get up and move around throughout the day. It is easy to get stuck at your desk for hours without taking a break when working from home, not noticing how much time has passed since you last took a break. Try to set yourself a reminder every hour to get up and move around, even if it is only for one or two minutes!
Try out some of these stretches to help keep your body moving!
Always read the label. Follow the instructions for use. If symptoms persist, talk to your health professional.
Please note that none of the above given tips or recommendations substitute medical advice. Important: consult a health professional in case of an injury or if you suspect overuse of joints or a medical condition such as a fracture. A physician should be consulted in those acute cases when the condition is accompanied by reddening, swelling or hyperthermia of joints, ongoing joint trouble or severe pain and/or are associated with neurological symptoms (e.g. numbness, tingling, loss of motion).
Although compiled with great care, please note that the tips and advice given on this website by no means substitute medical advice and treatment. If you have or suspect a health problem, consult a doctor and follow medical advice regardless of what you have learned on this website. Always read carefully and follow the instructions for use or the leaflets of our products. For further information about our products, please contact us here.
ALWAYS READ THE LABEL. FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS FOR USE. IF SYMPTOMS PERSIST, TALK TO YOUR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL.