Have you experienced low back pain or neck pain at some point in your life?
Do not despair if you have, for you are part of the two-thirds majority of those reading this article who have suffered from low back pain (LBP) at some time in their lives!
In our IT city of Bangalore, more people than not spend much of their working hours sitting at a desk. This contemporary reality has made LBP the most common and expensive cause of work-related disability in people less than 45 years.Work-related neck pain (WNP) does not lag far behind, with similar prevalence rates.
So why is it that LBP and WNP are so common?
Physical stresses on the back and neck may be due to excessive stress on a normal back or normal stress on a weak back. The prime culprit is long hours of continuous sitting, since this overloads the shock absorbing discs between the vertebral bones and tires the back muscles.
Poor workplace ergonomics and inadequate attention to proper posture make a bad situation worse. If you are overweight, perform little or no physical exercise or are under work-related stress, you are even greater risk of LBP and WNP. Add to that long commutes and poor roads, working at odd hours and the remaining leisure hours spent on mobiles and tablets, and you have all the ingredients you need to produce persistent LBP and/or WNP even if you are otherwise perfectly healthy!
But I do a desk job, so how can I help myself?
The good news is this common nuisance can be prevented by following a few simple steps.
Rule number one is that all sitters must move around!
Frequent, short breaks work better than infrequent long ones, and simply following the dictum of getting up from that chair and moving around or stretching your back and neck for thirty seconds every fifteen to twenty minutes will save much inconvenience from LBP and WNP.
Step two is to get your work environment right, with ergonomic seating and desk design, monitor set at about 15 to 20degrees below eye level and placing a wireless keyboard and mouse at a comfortable reach to minimise neck strain.
Step three is to follow the mantra of half an hour of moderate physical exercise five to six days a week. Swimming, being a horizontal activity and yoga, being the mother of stretching exercises, top the recommended list of exercises to prevent LBP. Simple back and abdominal stretching and strengthening exercises, neck isometric exercises and core strengthening will get you ready to cope with the stresses of your desk job and improve your productivity.
Work from home when possible, share a ride or use an office cab instead of driving, spend more leisure time outdoors and do not forget to pay attention to the basics of a healthy diet and restful sleep and quite literally you will be “back in business”.
Dr. Hemant K.Kalyan
HOD & Consultant,Departments of Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine,Manipal Hospital,Bangalore
Chief Consultant, OssiCare
This Article was by Invite and published in the Economic Times dated October 3, 2017