When the world began working from home because of COVID-19 in March 2020, it was unclear how long many of us would be hunched over on our laptops on couches, bar stools and kitchen chairs. Yet now, about a year into the pandemic, our bodies might be paying the price.
Out of necessity, many new work-from-home warriors quickly created remote work stations during the early days of the COVID-19 crisis, improvising with whatever was handy. But some of these workarounds have led to poor ergonomics and aches and pains, say chiropractors and other health care professionals.
And similar to how poorly fitting shoes are hard on your feet, that workspace you constructed on the kitchen island or dining room table
can lead to neck and back pain — and impact your overall well-being, especially the longer you work from home.
‘Kind of stuck’
“Not everybody’s going to want to spend a bunch of money for their home office when it might not be staying that way, and most patients are set up typically just at a kitchen counter or a kitchen table,” said Jeff Covault of Columbus Chiropractic West in Columbus, Ohio.
“People are mentioning just being kind of stuck.”
When the American Chiropractic Association posted a survey on its Facebook page in April, 92% of the 213 respondents said that patients
reported more neck pain, back pain or other musculoskeletal issues since the stay-at-home guidance began.
At the office, most people have a comfortable desk chair, monitor and keyboard set at just the right ergonomic level, but not everyone
has the budget to make those additions or adjustments at home, said Covault, who runs the practice with his wife, Katherine. Neck and upper back pain are the most common complaints related to desk work, and working from home also has contributed to worsening pre-existing back pain, Covault said.
A typical course of chiropractic treatment might include adjustments, soft tissue manipulation and therapeutic exercises that can be done at home, he said. Prolonged sitting and the inability for many to get up and walk around their homes while working remotely because of other household members also working remotely or kids taking online classes have exacerbated the problem, Covault said.
Make sure to move
Even perfect posture doesn’t guarantee being pain-free, he said. “If you’re sitting in good posture for eight hours a day, you’re still going to have aches and pains … If you can walk around, walk around. If you can stand up, stand up. If you can kneel down at your desk, do something — just don’t sit consistently because no matter what, that consistency is going to be a problem,” Covault said.
Jose Santos, a physical therapist at OhioHealth, does regular ergonomics assessments on his patients, helping to make them more efficient in their physical workspace. Santos said while sitting at a desk, be sure to sit all the way back, leaning into the chair to prevent rounded shoulders, with feet flat on the floor. Eye positioning is also important – the head should be centered with the computer monitor to prevent neck strain, and the keyboard should be underneath the elbows, as working uphill can cause muscle tenderness. Using a headset or speakerphone when making calls also can prevent a “cranked neck,” he said.
The 20-20-20 rule
Santos said kitchen chairs weren’t made for eight-hour work days, so changing positions every 30 minutes, and doing microstretches — like using your opposite hand to stretch your wrist both forward and backward to unlock joint stiffness — are key.
Finding a chair with a little bit more cushion is a good idea, too. “Don’t wait until you have pain to do it,” Santos said. “The more you plan out your day to kind of build it around, the more preventative it is.”
Santos said he also teaches the 20-20-20 rule: For every 20 minutes spent looking at a computer screen, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds, as squinting and eye fatigue can contribute to headaches and back and shoulder pain. Tucking your chin toward your chest to stretch your neck can also help relieve upper back pain by remolding the spine into its natural position, Santos said.
Covault said it’s important to remember that pain can be treated. “I just try to make sure they realize that they’re in control of it and
we’ll get them to where they are comfortable,” he said.
