Ever wondered why these desk posture related problems are trending these days? It’s not just restricted to the corporate world but people working in different work environments are also dealing with body stiffness issues.
The challenges we encounter with long work hours, particularly those spent sitting at a desk in front of a computer for eight to ten-hour shifts, or even longer are the major culprit for the body stiffness.
With the rise of remote work, we’ve conveniently forgotten to take regular breaks. With this being the norm, some physiotherapy solutions in Sydney can come handy for managing the stiffness and pain.
One may experience several health issues that can arise from prolonged sitting desk jobs or long office hours, notably it is the pain caused by constant wrong posture.
We are so engrossed in the work that we get oblivious of how our posture is. For instance, after sitting for hours in the same posture or after prolonged screen time, you may find it difficult to turn your neck.
You might also struggle to perform three-point checks while driving, after an eight to ten-hour shift. Such basic functional activities decline due to prolonged sitting in one posture. Essentially, you end up using a single group of muscles in a particular position, it leads to activating some trigger points which are your source of pain.
Let us understand this in detail. Our muscles are attached to the bones, which pull on joints or create a compressive feeling. This is like a chain of events, starting from immobility and prolonged sitting.
As a result, symptoms like pins and needles in the hands and arms, as well as pain that radiates from the neck, which then flows to the mid-back, and then towards the hands, can develop.
At Procure Physio, we value movement and aim to alleviate pain and restore mobility. Imagine your body as a car; if you don’t move it, it accumulates problems. Any machinery will start jamming up, just like our body, which too is made of levers and pulleys.
Movement acts like grease for our joints and muscles, preventing stiffness. If we don’t use our bodies, we start jamming up. To control this, we need to keep moving. Our bodies are designed to move and it loves movement.
We can easily avoid these problems by implementing some simple strategies:
1. After every 45 minutes to an hour of sitting in front of a computer or desk, set a timer or use a simple reminder to get up from your chair.
Schedule regular breaks for tea, water or toilet as the need is. These allow you to move around and stretch your body. The whole idea is to not get stuck at your desk or glued to your computer.
2. Make a habit of doing these stretches while simply sitting on your seat:
- Roll your shoulders up and down in circles
- Move your neck up and down and to the sides every hour.
- Standing march
- Book open stretch with your arms.
- Rock 5 times to your sides simply while sitting on the chai
3. Find ways to move, such as placing your printer or scanner away from you to create a reason to get up.
4. If you have chronic neck, thoracic, or shoulder pain, consider using a trigger ball. It’s a small ball you can keep at your work . You can use it as a personal massager anywhere. Just need a ball and a wall to release trigger points before they build up to the point where you need dry needling, massage, or see a therapist.
If you need a tailored program or are in a severe situation where you can’t regain mobility and have limited neck and thoracic movement, we’re here to help. Book an appointment or call us, and we’ll take care of you.
