Your back pain isn’t always caused by a chronic condition like fibromyalgia, degenerative disc disease, or spinal stenosis. Sometimes, your back pain stems from your habits, and one of those habits may have to do with what you do at the office.
Poor Posture and Back Pain
If you don’t sit up straight with your neck held high when you work at your desk in the office or at home, it could be the cause of your back pain. Certain positions are known for contributing to back pain.
Bending Forward
If you lean slightly forward when you’re at your desk, you may be stretching muscles in your back continuously and putting unnecessary pressure on your neck.
It’s not just the stretching that causes this issue. When you lean forward, you don’t engage the smaller muscle groups in your back. For example, you’re not engaging your multifidus – the triangular muscles that provide stability and control when you bend. With less structures supporting your upper body weight, there is undue pressure on certain parts of the neck and back, which ends up causing pain.
Looking Down
If you look down to review and fill out paperwork frequently, have your screen set below eye level, or are currently working from a laptop on your lap, it could be causing your neck and upper back to hurt. While these positions may feel comfortable in the moment or simply be the easiest way for you to work, they are not ergonomic.
You’re stretching the muscles in your neck as you repeatedly look down. While a few minutes at a time won’t bother you, looking down for hours at a time could stress the muscles in the area and end up giving you aching neck pain.
Shifting Your Weight Sideways
If you sit with your body slightly leaning to the left or right, you’re putting stress on the muscles in your back. You’re also putting your spine in an awkward position. Many people don’t notice this issue until pain symptoms appear in the back and they analyze their working habits that could be responsible for it.
Sitting Too Much
Even if you have good posture, if you sit for prolonged periods, you place pressure on the tissues in your lower back. This can cause you to experience back pain, particularly in your lower back. If you’re obese, you place additional stress on your back. Weakened core muscles can also contribute to back pain since you’ll rely more on the ligaments for stability as you sit.
You could also worsen current back problems when you sit all day at a desk. For instance, if you have degenerative disc disease, you place additional pressure on your discs when you sit frequently. The same concept applies if you have a herniated or bulging disc. Similarly, when you have sciatica, you place additional pressure on the sciatic nerve when you’re sitting all day.
Choose One of Our West Lake, OH Back Pain Specialists
If you are suffering from back pain and feel your work habits may be responsible, come in to see the experts at Orthopaedic Associates.
Our practitioners understand that back pain doesn’t always stem from a medical condition. Often, your lifestyle is either causing or worsening it. Therefore, we will thoroughly evaluate your habits and determine the root cause of your back pain.
Call (440) 892-1440 to make an appointment. We look forward to serving you soon!
