«Workplace ergonomics and an upright posture can make a positive contribution to back health, but their influence is often overestimated. It is more important to counteract monotony and a general lack of movement. »
Fabian Kosir, Physiotherapist
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23. November 2020
Working from home as a challenge for your back and neck
Since the coronavirus pandemic has kept us in check, more people are working from home than ever before, given the circumstances. There is often a lack of movement and ergonomic workplace design. Emails are answered on the couch, conference calls take place at the kitchen table and documents are sorted on the floor. Of course, this has consequences, as the complaints about back, neck and headaches are getting louder and louder.
An insightful conversation with Bethesda physiotherapist Fabian Kosir on how to get through the home office period without pain.
Mr Kosir, what is the general state of our back health?
Even without coronavirus and working from home, around 80% of people suffer from back pain at some point in their lives - men and women are affected in roughly equal numbers. Around 90% of them suffer from non-specific back pain, i.e. back pain for which no specific cause can be found. This can be very painful, but is not dangerous.
What are the triggering factors in the home office that lead to back pain?
Lack of exercise is a general, significant risk factor for back pain. In the home office, daily movement is reduced in many areas. On the one hand, there is no commute to work, which many people do at least partly on foot or by bike. On the other hand, there are often no breaks and when you do get up, the path doesn't go any further than the kitchen. The body and back like variety: sometimes sitting, sometimes standing, sometimes walking, etc. A cardboard box on the desk alone can make it possible to stand at work to generate more variety.
Fabian Kosir, Physiotherapist
Many people are currently worried about their job or their health. Can this have an impact on back pain?
Yes, absolutely. Existential worries and stress can lead to tension. Stress can also exacerbate pain.
Can back pain caused by working from home be prevented with targeted stretching exercises?
That is an option. Even simple exercises, such as stretching your hands upwards, can help to loosen the shoulder girdle.
What do you recommend if someone suffers from back pain due to working from home?
If there is no clear trigger, such as a fall, then it is usually harmless back pain. As long as feeling and strength are not restricted and the pain is bearable, you can wait and see. The pain usually gets better in the first three weeks and slowly disappears. If this is not the case, a doctor should be consulted.
If the doctor then prescribes physiotherapy, what exactly should patients expect during a session?
This is very individual and is customised for each person. First of all, patients are examined again by the physiotherapists. This forms the basis for the information given to patients about their limitations and self-management. The examination is also the basis for effective and efficient treatment planning.
Is there anything you should bring with you to physiotherapy?
The willingness to do exercises regularly. This is essential for the success of the treatment.
So co-operation from the patient is an important point?
Absolutely! If patients come up with their own ideas and suggestions about what would be good for them and become active themselves, that's half the way to recovery.