Chiropractic care goes far beyond seeing your chiro when you need an adjustment. To maintain a healthy spine, it is essential to pay attention to your posture. Working from home comes with its fair share of challenges for many people. In an office, most desks and chairs are ergonomically designed to ensure proper posture. In a typical home office, desks can range from smaller adapted dining tables to coffee tables or proper desks. Some may have adjustable office chairs while others use hard-backed chairs.
It is also far too easy to move out of your regular workday routine. When you are busy, you may end up sitting for long periods of time, putting pressure on your back. You may find yourself with a sore back after working in bed or on the couch with a laptop. You may get bombarded with work, homeschooling and other tasks, forgetting to stretch out your back, neck and shoulders.
The best way to keep your spine healthy is to follow a few basic chiropractic care steps on a daily basis. Keep reading to find out how you can prevent problems when working at home.
Chiropractic Care for Remote Workers
Before we get started, it is important to note that these tips are designed as preventative or maintenance measures for optimal spine health. If you are experiencing any pain, make an appointment to speak or meet with your chiro rather than letting things get worse. If you have no injury or problems, the following tips will help you maintain spine health.
Sit properly at your desk.
The ideal posture when sitting at a desk is to keep your feet flat on the floor with knees bent and hips a bit higher than the thighs. Your calves should not be touching your chair and your arms should be bent at 90 degrees. Your shoulder blades and the base of your spine should be touching the back of the chair. Your eyes should be level with the top of your computer screen so that you look straight ahead. Your spine should be in neutral, without hunching or arching.
Do regular stretches.
When you take a break for tea or lunch or you get up to go to the bathroom, do some basic stretches. Reach your arms up to the sky and stretch upwards as far as you can go. Roll your shoulders back and forward. Do some gentle neck rolls. Do a few spinal stretches at the waist on each side. Don’t push your body or stretch to the point of discomfort. Instead, listen to your body and stretch gently. Even a quick minute can help keep your spine, neck and shoulders from tensing up.
Avoid sitting for too long.
On a similar note, make sure that you take those breaks throughout the day. Sitting for too long is never good for your back. If possible, try to keep your work hours as close to the hours you have in the office. Take breaks at the same times you would in the office. You can set up alarms for a morning tea break, lunchtime and afternoon tea break if you are worried that you will get caught up in work without getting up. There are also apps that remind you to take breaks.
Whether you are working from home on a short-term basis or you plan to work remotely on a full-time basis, we hope that these tips help. To schedule an appointment for routine or urgent chiropractic care in Durban and surrounds, contact us today.