Low back pain is defined as any pain or discomfort of any of the structures between the lower border of the ribs and buttock region. It can be caused by multiple different factors in desk workers such as poor posture, lack of physical activity, being overweight and psychological factors such as stress. At any time within Australia, low back pain affects 1 in 7 people. It is the second leading cause of staff taking time off work, decreases productivity levels within the workplace and has been seen to effect patients both physically and mentally
How poor posture effects low back pain:
Are you sitting for hours on end, concentrating on getting your work finished on time at a desk that hasn’t been set up for you and your postural requirements?
This is one of the main contributors to the low back pain in people who work at a desk. Repetitively being in one posture for an extended period, whether that be seated or standing can increase discomfort due to the pressure being placed on joints from an increased load, muscle fatigue and irritation of nerves.
How lack of physical activity levels effects low back pain:
For those with low back pain, there has been a link seen with pain and people with low to no levels of physical activity. Physical inactivity may lead to the spine being less flexible and strong and therefore more susceptible to injuries. When you are seated in a position for a prolonged period this places stress on the muscles and joints and increase the risk of injuries.
How thoughts and feelings effect low back pain:
There is a link between mental health and its effects on physical health. Psychological factors often linked with mental health such as stress and low job satisfaction play a big role in pain levels experienced, effects duration of healing and plays a role in the potential of pain becoming chronic. Managing mental health can be beneficial for addressing the physical pain being experienced.
Strategies to Help:
The usage of a standing desk can be a great way to change extended postures. Standing desks allow for people to change the height of the desk to be able work seated as well as standing. If standing desk is not a possibility due to financial or employer constraints, having the desk area set up in an ergonomic way that is personalised is another fantastic way to help with seated posture. Appropriate desk set up includes making sure the chair height is correct to allow for your eyes to be in line with the computer monitor and feet flat on the floor. Using an external monitor, keyboard and mouse can also ensure that you are not overreaching. This can be self-assessed or completed by an occupational physiotherapist.
Having appropriate approaches in place to help break up prolonged periods of sitting can help to reduce the pressure placed on the joints and helps to stretch out the surrounding muscles. Simple strategies such as having a timer set for every 30-40 minutes to remind you to stand up and move around for a couple of minutes can be beneficial to improve the extended sitting posture. This could also be used to swap from a seated to a standing position when using a standing desk.
Incorporating dynamic stretches such as trunk side bending and rotation as well as strength-based exercises such as wall squats and abdominal crunches, can all have an effect and are shown to reduce low back pain. These exercises are recommended to be performed as part of an exercise routine for 10-15 minutes 3-5 times per week.
Other movements that can be performed while still being seated but breaking up the prolonged spinal posture include pelvic tilts and seated trunk movements. These exercises are good for increasing the amount of movement in the back and breaking up the pressure placed onto the spine and hip joints.
5 Quick Tips for Self-Management:
- Move more – walk around while on the phone, sit on a gym ball while working for small periods
- Do activities to help reduce stress- listening to music, meditation, taking breaks
- Position your body to be pain free- use an external monitor, keyboard and mouse; make sure your feet are flat on the floor and your eyes are in line with the monitor
- Start stretching- stretches can even be done at your desk, making sure to hold for 10-20 seconds
- Take breaks- get up from the desk often
At Bodywell Healthcare our team of Osteopaths are here to provide advice as well as hands on manual therapy for management and treatment of your low back pain. If you are suffering from low back pain and would like to book in call the clinic on 9717 1200 or by heading to the website.