Why working at a desk can cause you pain... and what you can do about it!

Working at a desk all day is becoming more common and although it has some benefits over a physically active job, there are problems that can come with sitting down for too long. These are particularly worse if you’re working at a computer and have little chance to get up and move throughout the day.  Don’t worry, there is lots you can do to fix problems and to prevent them happening again.

I regularly see the wide range of problems that are caused by working at a desk and have been an expert at identifying them. However, you may be surprised by a few of them, because they can include:

• Headaches
• Neck pain
• Shoulder pain and muscle tension (your shoulders can feel like they’re up by your ears)
• Elbow/wrist pain and repetitive strain injuries
• Low back pain
• Poor posture (this translates into everyday life)
• Injury from over-exercising after been sedentary (that evening gym sesh could throw up some problems that have been building throughout the day)
• Stress-related symptoms
• Muscle cramps
• Digestive problems, such as constipation and heartburn (yes, really!)

Does this sound familiar? Now, what can you do about it? The best place to start is getting to the cause of the problems- desk posture and the amount of time spent there. These are actually quite easy to resolve with some simple ergonomic advice.

Take a look at your desk and assess how things are set up. Is everything within easy reach? Are items spread around your desk evenly, or are you always turning to one side in particular? Adjust the support of your chair so you can sit upright comfortably with the back of the chair supporting you. Your feet should be flat on the floor and your forearms should comfortably rest on the desk with your elbows at just over a right angle.

Image

For this part, you may need to ask someone to look at your posture as you’re sat and then you can do the same for them! If you work at a computer, bring the keyboard forward so your arms can stay relaxed and not have to reach out. Adjust the screen height so the top of the screen is level with your eyes and it’s about 30cm away. You want your head level, not looking up or down, plus your neck relaxed.

If you find yourself squinting at the screen, pushing your head forward or getting headaches, visit your optician for a checkup. Eye problems , such as short-sightedness, can cause you to adjust your posture and it may be a simple fix with glasses or lighting changes.

No matter how good your posture is, sitting for hours on end will inevitably cause pressure to build up in the spine, particularly the low back. Get up and move around every 20 minutes, ideally. If this isn’t possible, then simple stretches and movements while seated are the next best thing. Why not try this routine out?

If you need more motivation to keep moving, you can download apps onto your computer that will give timed reminders to stop and take a break. You can even set them to lock the screen for a few minutes if you ignore the reminders!

Earlier I mentioned that problems can build up throughout the day, then be aggravated by exercising. This is all to do with poor posture and how you use your body. If you spend eight hours sitting all scrunched up, then suddenly load your joints and muscles with weight or use them strenuously, it’s very easy to overdo it and strain a muscle or sprain a joint. The way to avoid problems is to solve your desk posture, move more throughout the day and then absolutely always warm up before exercise. Avoid strong, static stretches and stick to gentle movements of joints. Arm and leg swings followed by ten minutes cycling with low resistance is usually enough to gently warm up muscles and raise your heart rate to prepare them for a strong workout. Do strong static stretches after the workout to aid recovery.

If problems have built up over time, Osteopathy is a great way to fix them. I always get to the cause of the problem, use hands on treatment to relieve the pain and then give exercises to prevent the problem returning. Hands on treatment includes massage into the soft tissues, stretching muscles, gentle movements into joints and joint manipulations.

Generally, there are tighter areas of muscles that need to be stretched and then other muscles that need to be strengthened with exercises. This will reduce the risk of problems reoccurring.

These exercises are all tailored to the individual and can be altered over time as symptoms improve.

So you’re now equipped with the knowledge to reduce problems occurring from working at a desk. Try changing your posture and adding the gentle exercise routine and see if it helps. For any specific problems please get in touch and I’m happy to discuss whether Osteopathy would be suitable for you.

Which tip will you be trying today?

For the next few weeks I'll be sharing my tips on making life working at a desk easier. Including tips for digestive problems, how to reduce stress-related symptoms causing you pain and more details on working out after a hard day in the office.

Zoë Clark is a registered osteopath trained at the British College of Osteopathic Medicine in London.

Practicing in Howe, near Norwich (01508 558373) and Burston, near Diss, Norfolk (07543 557746).