Side effects of working from home on your spine health?

By Dr. Umesh Srikantha, Consultant – Neurosurgery, Head of Spine Services, Aster RV Hospital

As the world has once again normalized and many people are now working from the office. However, a majority of people continue to work from home (WFH) or follow a hybrid working format. Due to this rising culture of remote working, many people have been reporting severe back pain and neck issues. So to prevent your spine from the harmful effects of working from home, you can follow the below-mentioned tips to avoid back pain and take complete care of your spine.

Side effects of working from home on your spine health?

Lack of a proper work desk

Many people often do not have a proper work desk or sitting area at their home. Due to this back ache has now become a common problem among most people. As our human spine is unable to sustain prolonged sitting posture, therefore our back starts to ache after a short time. Many people also do not have ergonomic chairs at home and end up using either the dining table chair or ordinary plastic reclining chairs with pillows stoved in for cushion and support or a recliner. These are the most common practices followed by many people which often lead to early or permanent damage to the spine.

Poor Posture

While laptops are handy and versatile, the posture that many people adopt is a forward stoop. This posture invariably puts more than two-fold pressure on the spine after a prolonged period and causes muscle fatigue and core muscle laziness, which further causes back pain. This type of pain is commonly experienced by people who use mobile and laptops for their work for a longer period.

Lack of mobility

It is common knowledge that movement is good for the body as it increases blood circulation and improves the nutrition of the tissues. While working from home has been a boon for many people, it has also led to reduced mobility of people further causing muscle deterioration and poor bone health. Lack of exercise and movement while working from home has made several people fall prey to a sedentary lifestyle due to which many are experiencing increased spine-related issues.

Tips to improve your spine health while working from home

With the help of these below-mentioned tips you can keep yourself healthy and can improve your spine health –

• Install a good ergonomic chair and work desk.
• Take breaks while working for longer durations to ensure proper movement of the body.
• Use laptop stands to maintain the proper neck alignment.
• Exercise regularly and do head and back stretches while working.
• Ensure proper exposure to midday sunlight for 10 to 15 minutes during the day.