Preventing Back Pain when Working From Home (Working From Home Tips series 1/4)

Preventing Back Pain when Working From Home

The world has recently forced us all to make many unplanned changes to the way we work. With around half the adults in Basingstoke and the south-east now working from home, there have been many adjustments to make. The shift to home working has had a lot of impacts on our lives.

One aspect has been finding a suitable place to work. With sofas, kitchen islands and even beds being part of our new office setup, it is no surprise that people are noticing new or worsening back pain ever since the lockdowns began.

Nearly half of all adults in the UK experience back pain every week. Around 10% of people suffer from severe back pain in Basingstoke and across the county too. So you’re certainly not alone if you’re suffering or feeling like you need a helping hand. Changes in the way you work and your lifestyle may be the cause of your back pain, but you don’t have to suffer through it. There are some steps you can take to improve your situation.

Get Moving

It might seem counter-intuitive at first, but one of the best ways to deal with back pain is to get moving. When you were working in the office, you probably had to get up and move around for all sorts of reasons. For instance, going to meetings or having a chat with a colleague. Now that all these things are happening through your computer, you’re probably not getting up and moving as much as you used to.

Try planning in breaks to your day where you will get up and move around. These short breaks are useful not only for your body but your concentration as well. If you need a task to complete, you could load the dishwasher or put the laundry on. It doesn’t matter what you do so long as you get your body moving at regular intervals through the day.

Strengthen Your Core

Your core muscles are a key set of muscles to consider, even though they aren’t all located in your back. These muscles provides support and stabilisation for your back. If these muscles become weak or tired, it leaves your back at higher risk of injury.

Taking some time to work on core exercises into your daily or weekly routine can reduce your current back pain and prevent it from reoccurring in the future. Some good exercises for this include the Plank. Crunches and bridges may also help.