Long hours typing away, staring at a screen with infrequent breaks for coffee.
Sound familiar?
Modern life has many of us working in incredibly sedentary jobs.
We lie down and sleep, drive to work, sit at work, drive home then do it all over again.
When simplified down it’s easy to see why back pain and neck pain are the leading causes of people missing work and costs companies millions in absence every year.
How to Help Neck Pain at Work
But what can you do if you get back pain or neck pain at work? What can you do to change these patterns?
1. Keep an Activity Diary
This has become increasingly easy with smartphones and fit bits. But, in order to see how much you are moving, it’s best to track it.
I know some people won’t like to track their activity but I think anything that reminds you to move more can’t be a bad thing!
2. Create Accountability
Why not partner everyone up in your office and get them to walk to each others desk and back every 30 mins? (Or even do a lap of the building).
You could also encourage everyone to attend a weekly pilates or exercise class at work.
3. Simple Neck and Back Movements
While there is no single movement or stretch that will “cure” back pain, unlike many internet Physio’s/chiros will claim, there are some movements that will help.
For the Lumbar Spine
a) Use your bed for this stretch. Lie on your front, with your hands by your shoulders, push through your hands while keeping your hips touching the bed.
b) Lean back over a counter with your hips fixed onto the counter.
For the Neck
Sit on your hands and tilt your ear to your shoulder, try not to rotate the head.
4. Prioritise
If you want to create change, maybe get fitter or get rid of your back/neck pain then it needs to be a priority in your life.
So make time, invest and be consistent and change will happen. If you’re finding it difficult to do on your own come and see us and we’ll help you every step of the way.
Can one of our amazing physios help you?
If you have any aches or pains, would like a program for work or any activity or sport, please don’t hesitate to get in touch on 01285 238240 or 07427 442103.
Or drop us a message on any of our social media channels…
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You can book an appointment or speak to a physio here get in touch
Let us help you to prevent, recover, re-gain your movement and be pain-free!
Why not check out our What Hurts? page. We have advice for each part of the body and free guides to help you to be pain-free – simply Click here.
Thanks for reading…
George