Work 8-10 hours a day at a desk or on your feet? Spending a third of your day at work can be a huge contributor to neck, shoulder, wrists, lower back, and leg pains. There are a few things you can do to let your work space work for you.
S.A.D. (Sit All Day) Worker:
The typical sit all day worker can have any types of pain from typing, other operations, or sitting at a computer for hours on end. Every S.A.D. worker should take a break from the computer at least once an hour to stretch, get some water, use the restroom or any excuse to get out of the chair. This can help relieve lower back pain and promotes the movement your body craves.
Support your body. Wrist and lower back cushions are highly recommended to obtain a good posture.
Watch your angles. The perfect body posture is called “free posturing”, which allows the desk area to move freely to reach optimal comfort. If this isn’t possible, having your elbows, hips, and ankles at 90 degrees while maintaining your monitor at eye level can help maintain a good posture to reduce overuse pain.
Middle back and neck exercises are ideal for relieving work pains. Exercises like anterior neck exercises, wall slides , and thoracic strengthening can improve the overall structure to sustain through the long hours.
A sit all day worker should also insure the seat isn’t pressing on the back of the leg that could be causing compression on the sciatic nerve, which could lead to pain and numbness in the legs.
S.A.D. (Stand All Day) Worker:
The typical stand all day worker has lower back, knee, ankle, and possible feet pain. Every S.A.D. should take a break from standing at least once an hour by sitting, lying down, and stretching of the legs and knees.
A stand all day worker can do anything work activity like standing, walking, or lifting heavy items. To safely secure the body during work, previous pains have to be addressed first. If a preexisting pain in the knees or ankles exist, joint supports should be worn during these times.
Proper lifting techniques should always be taken into account. Back braces should be worn during lifting. A common misconception is that a back brace will allow the user to lift more which isn’t true. The lifter shouldn’t lift any more than usual.
Shoes are extremely important for foundation support. Improper feet support can not only causing ankle problems, but can cause problems in the neighboring joints.
Maintaining body fitness and flexibility is ideal for a stand all day worker. Some manual laborers have the assumption that exercises are done throughout the day to complete work tasks. The problem with work tasks is that it is routine and the body can easy become accustomed to making the same pushing, pulling, and lifting maneuvers. When working out, try targeting muscles that don’t get addressed at work and include flexibility to get muscles loose and healthy. Feel free to contact Dr. Ashley 954-372- 7795 to discuss specific ways to help with your work pain.