Medical Advice from a Back Pain Doc near Me in West Orange
August 06, 2021
How to Take Care of Your Back When Working at A Desk All Day
Humans are not designed to be in a seated position for extended periods of time. Our bodies are made to walk, run, and stand, but a large part of today’s jobs, be it in an office or at home, require sitting on a chair for several hours every day. This puts a lot of extra pressure on the spine, which is why it is very important that you make sure your workspace has the proper ergonomics to support your back.
Many modern offices are aware of that and provide employees with the right type of desks, chairs, and technology to avoid back discomfort, but if you work from home, you need to take care of that aspect yourself.
Not taking care of your posture when you are sitting all day can lead to acute back pain, but it can also promote the development of a wide range of back conditions, including chronic pain, sciatica, shoulder pain, and herniated discs.
To help you avoid back problems that may come from sitting for extended periods of time, Dr George Hanna, a board-certified back pain doc is here to give some expert advice.
Whether you work from home or from an office, if you start feeling pain while sitting at your desk, it is a signal that you need to adjust your position, and most probably your workstation as well. However, if this does not help the symptoms improve, it may be time to search for a ‘back pain doc near me in West Orange’ and schedule an appointment at your latest convenience.
Set up your workstation right
If you are working in an office, you probably have a desk and a chair assigned to you. Most of these modern desks are built at the same height, which means they can be too high or too low for many people. The ideal height for a desk is 28.5 inches. However, because some individuals are taller than others, the correct height is believed to be between 25 and 30 inches.
If the desk is too tall for you, a higher chair and some additional support under your feet if they don’t stay flat on the ground may help. Make sure you adjust your chair so that it offers both lumbar and shoulder support, to help your back relax.
If you work from home, don’t set up your workstation in the bedroom, or more precisely on the bed. This position makes your neck lean forward, which can lead to pain and discomfort. If you don’t have a desk, the kitchen table can be a temporary solution, but make sure you at least get a comfortable chair, to avoid slouching.
Learn about ergonomics
Ergonomics may seem like a dull topic, but it is actually a science we need to be thankful for, as it studies the way people interact with their work setting. In many instances, people believe it’s their office furniture that is causing them back problems when the real issue is that they don’t use it right and don’t take ergonomics into consideration.
Laptops are one of the biggest enemies of the spine, as they require you to sit in an unnatural position, with your shoulders slouched and your neck forward, to be able to type and keep an eye on the screen simultaneously. If you happen to work on a laptop, consider plugging in an external monitor, which can be adjusted at the proper height. Ideally, when working at a computer, the distance between the monitor and your eyes should be about 18 inches and your elbows positioned at a 90-degree angle. By making these small changes, you can strengthen your back and improve your posture.
Alternate between sitting and standing
In the healthcare industry, there is still disagreement about whether it is preferable to work sitting or standing, with benefits and drawbacks to either. Some research suggests that standing workstations are better than sitting desks, while others demonstrate that sitting in the proper position is far more helpful.
However, most back doctors believe that being able to shift from sitting to standing while working is beneficial to musculoskeletal health. As a result, many office workers are now requesting adjustable workstations so that they could alternate between sitting and standing when they feel the need to.
If you don’t want to spend your money on an adjustable workstation, consider putting your present desk on lifters when sitting gets too painful. Another alternative is to raise only your display so that you may work and stand at the same time.
Regardless if you choose to work while standing or while seated, you should always make sure you watch your posture. Your ears, shoulders, and hips should be parallel, to preserve the natural curvature of the spine. If you fear you may be slouching throughout the day, set a reminder to adjust your posture every once in a while.
Do regular exercises
We all know how easy it is to stay pinned to your desk for multiple hours at a time, and that is not healthy for your back at all. Similarly, if you are working from home, you may also be tempted to switch from sitting at the desk to sitting on the couch, which is not good for your back either.
What can help reduce pain and discomfort is regular exercise, which comes with a series of health benefits that are not limited to your back. Working out helps your heart stay healthy, strengthens the muscles so that they provide more support to the spine, avoid overuse injuries, and improve lung capacity.
If back pain starts growing in intensity and makes it difficult for you to sit all day, it’s time you schedule an appointment with a back pain doc near you in West Orange. Dr George Hanna was trained at Harvard Medical School and has some of the best back specialists in West Orange working at his pain centre, ready to assist you in finding the best-suited minimally invasive treatment options out there. And, because we know costs can sometimes be an issue, we accept a variety of medical insurances, including Medicare. Call our West Orange, NJ Pain Center today or any of our conveniently-placed New Jersey and New York clinics!
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Meet Our Team of Back Pain Specialists
All of our Pain Doctors in New Jersey are Harvard Trained and Board Certified in Pain Management
Back Pain Doctor Clifton & West Orange NJ
Dr. George Hanna
Dr. Hanna is a Harvard Trained back specialist in New Jersey and New York. He serves as Medical Director of Pain Management.
Back Pain Doctor Clifton & West Orange NJ
Dr. Laura Lombardi
Dr. Lombardi is a Harvard Trained back pain treatment doctor, currently seeing patients in Clifton and West Orange, New Jersey.
Back Pain Doctor Clifton & West Orange NJ
Dr. Shane Volney
Dr. Volney is a Harvard Trained back treatment doctor seeing patients in the NJ areas of Clifton & West Orange, and in NYC.
Back Pain Doctor Clifton & West Orange NJ
Dr. Michael Nguyen
Dr. Nguyen is Harvard Trained and Board Certified in Pain Management. His pain center accepts major medical insurances and Medicare.
Dr. George Hanna
Dr. Laura Lombardi
Dr. Lombardi is a Harvard Trained back pain treatment doctor, currently seeing patients in Clifton and West Orange, and Paramus New Jersey.
Dr. Shane Volney
Dr. Volney is a Harvard Trained back treatment doctor seeing patients in the NJ areas of Clifton & West Orange, and in NYC.
Dr. Michael Nguyen
Dr. Nguyen is Harvard Trained and Board Certified in Pain Management. His pain center accepts major medical insurances and Medicare.