Tips for Reducing Back Pain in Your Daily Office Job

For office workers the world over, there’s no secret that extended hours of sitting and working behind a desk tend to cause a great deal of discomfort. From minor aches to difficulty standing and walking, men and women who remain seated throughout the workday often end their shifts suffering from a number of unpleasant or downright painful conditions. As the years progress, those of us who find the bulk of our days occupied by sedentary activity such as desk jobs tend to find these issues only worsen over time.

Back doctors and orthopedic surgeons recognize that career professionals experience an elevated risk of developing complications due to their work habits. The simple truth is that the ever-accumulating amount of time that working men and women spend seated at their desks puts a considerable amount of pressure on the human spine. Combined with the potential lack of healthy behavior outside the office and the body’s susceptibility to injury as we grow older, the years spent occupying a desk job may ultimately result in cervical and lumbar problems that may, in some instances, require cervical or lumbar spine surgery.

Fortunately, in addition to regular exercise and an active lifestyle, there are several in-office best practices that can help relieve discomfort from back pain and lessen the need for back surgery. The following helpful tips can prove useful for office workers of any age in getting through the workday pain-free.

Proper Posture Goes a Long Way

Expert back pain specialists know that one of the many contributors to neck and back pain is poor posture. While we’ve been told as children to stand up straight and keep our shoulders square, not everyone keeps mindful of maintaining proper posture in their adult lives. Outside of the way slouching affects first impressions, unnatural leaning and slumping shoulders create a noticeable amount of pressure on the human spine.

One of the major issues with poor posture is that pressure caused by this bad habit is generated constantly when we don’t pay attention to whether or not our back is straightened. This results in increased wear and tear on the spine, and it is a common issue that many back doctors see day-in and day-out. Over the years, continued posture problems can exacerbate minor back pain into painful flare-ups and other issues which may ultimately require back surgery to repair.

The solution is to maintain an acute mindfulness of your posture throughout life, and those long hours at the office are no exception. It is very easy for back pain sufferers to focus all their attention on their work and lose sight of how their slouching is adding to their discomfort. Your chances of requiring surgical aid from a orthopedic spine specialist can be reduced through taking the time to straighten out your posture when working long hours.

Support Your Spine as You Work

It’s an unfortunate fact that many offices do not supply their workers with chairs that cushion spine’s lumbar region. Inadequate back support can contribute to substantial discomfort in many cases and, with extended time spent in poorly-made chairs, increase the pressure that the human spine experiences. Even those employees who actively pay mind to their posture as they work require seating that diminishes stress to spinal discs and joints.

The purchase and use of an office chair with solid lumbar support can considerably cushion the spine while also promoting good posture. Should back pain sufferers find they are unable to purchase an ergonomic chair, they can still find removable lumbar-supporting aids that can be leveraged for similar results. These seat cushions are generally very affordable and fairly effective in reducing the need for lumbar surgery.

Stand Up and Stretch

Tight deadlines and long hours at the office force workers to feel compelled to remain seated until their work is done. While this dedication to results is always appreciated by the higher-ups, it’s essential that regular breaks are taken to reduce spine pressure and avoid slouching. Whether it’s for a bathroom break or another cup of coffee to get through the day, back pain specialists advise their patients that work desk jobs to always take a few minutes every hour to stand up and move around.

It should be noted that taking the time to stretch is also crucial to further diminishing back pain and pressure. There are a number of pressure-relieving stretches that, when performed regularly, will yield a noticeable reduction in aches and pains for both the neck and back.

Seek Specialist Aid When Needed

Although these best office behaviors aid in improving spine health and keeping the workday pain-free, specialist attention may still be necessary for workers who have spent years or even decades behind a desk. Should you find that back pain remains consistent and debilitating to your work productivity or quality of life, we recommend that you request an appointment with us today. Our back pain specialists will help find you relief for those lengthy office hours.