Aching when on the job…at your desk?

When your back or neck is aching, 10 minutes into the job…you may be wondering, “Why me?” Does there come a point when you aren’t able to trick yourself into thinking, “I can get used to this…This is what I signed up for when I become an adult…sit at a desk, no more sunshine, this desk and cubicle…are all mine. ” It’s time to stop and re-evaluate. Yes, we did earn that desk. Yes, we earned that rolling chair. Maybe even yes, we earned that private office. But do you wonder if your sedentary life if slowly killing you…ache by ache? Day after day of low back pain? Neck pain?

Ergonomics is the application of good body mechanics within the work place or within the task. There’s no dimmer switch that comes with age that tells us, “Hey you, you’re 30 now? Okay, you deserve THIS much back pain. What? 35 now? Let’s slide the dimmer switch some more, into even more pain.” Age doesn’t have to come with pain. I tell my clients, “Motion is Lotion” for the geriatric population. Motion to the joints work to lubricate the joints, especially with some types of arthritis. But for the ones in their working prime…who are in their 30’s to 59’s…you can likely chalk it up to poor posture as you’re logging in 8 hours a day to earn your bread.

When I say posture, do you imagine balancing a hardcover book on your head as you walk down a corridor? Please don’t. Ergonomics is about restoring the natural curves of the spine when we’re seated, as well as when we’re moving. In the spine, we have three natural curves…it’s not about keeping everything straight like a beam of wood. Three curves, from lowest to highest: Lumbar curve, Thoracic curve, and Cervical curve.

Quick Tip: break up the hour block of sitting with any of the following…with a trip to the water cooler, throw out paper in the recycling bin that’s two floors away, save a Dixie cup on your desk to refill for water break-a visual reminder, switch your highlighter with another highlighter in the supply room. It really doesn’t matter why you get up and move, as long as you get up and move once an hour. A lot of people opt for a standing desk or a yoga ball chair. For most people, it’s the easy and minor changes that stick. It’s the easy and minor changes in routine…that win out and become the new routine.

Quick note: ears over shoulders, shoulders over hips, unlocked knees, and standing at ease with the arch of your foot, without ankles caving into the shoes/floor. Can you do all these things and take a hundred breathes without thinking about it? Ergonomics has to do with placement of your work station’s electronics; these include but are not limited to the monitor height, the mouse, the keyboard, the chair and desk heights.

A little known fact: posture isn’t just about correcting the posture through thought. Knowledge of the rehabilitative sciences, i.e. my field of study and wellness services, aids in strengthening muscle groups to correct muscle imbalances that pulled joints out of alignment. Think of the spine: the spinal column is much like a series of joints that rely on the muscles to keep them in place when we aren’t consciously correcting for posture. Keep in mind, the muscles can just as well keep the joints out of alignment.

And there we have it: why a consult and sessions in ergonomics can work to reduce pain in your work life.

Quick Tip: it matters how we sit when we drive…A posture can either help you or harm you. You decide. Proper body mechanics for when we engage with the task of driving is just as important…unless you commute.

Written by Jeannie Tso on September 25th, 2021