Working from Home Ergonomics
Photo credit: Yasmina H (@yasmina)
With everything going on in the world right now, many of us have had to adjust to the new reality of working from home for the foreseeable future. However, working remotely seems to have had mixed reviews; some miss the separation of home and work life and their ergonomic office setup, while others have embraced the opportunity to work in the comfort of their own home while wearing pajamas. Regardless of your opinion, working from home has the potential to wreak havoc on your body and health. So let’s talk about some common conditions that can appear after switching from office to home work life, as well as what you can do on your own to manage these symptoms!
Neck and Shoulder Pain
Neck and shoulder pain can be a fairly common complaint for people when working at a computer with a poor ergonomic setup for a prolonged period of time. This is usually due to muscular and postural changes in your neck, which can be broadly referred to as upper crossed syndrome. More specifically, upper crossed syndrome refers to the tightening of the chest and posterior neck muscles (specifically the upper traps and levator scapula) paired with the lengthening and inhibition of the scapular and deep neck flexor muscles. This mismatch can cause postural changes in your neck and shoulders, which has the potential to lead to significant pain and discomfort.
Carpal Tunnel
Carpal tunnel syndrome is likely a phrase you’ve heard of before, but what’s actually going on? Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve in the front of your wrist becomes compressed or impinged, causing symptoms like numbness, tingling, weakness, or pain into your wrist or forearm. It is most common for these symptoms to appear primarily on the palmar aspect of your hand and into the first 3-4 fingers. This is usually associated with prolonged repetitive motions, specifically during tasks like typing, writing, or playing video games.
So what can you do to fix or prevent these issues?
Steps can be made at home to improve your work station setup. These can include:
Adjust your computer and seat so that the screen is at eye level, preventing you from constantly looking downwards. Additionally, adjust your seat so that your feet can be placed firmly on the ground and your arms at a comfortable level
If possible, try using computer monitors and keyboards instead of a laptop (there are also vertical mouses that you can get that can help as well)
If you are stuck with using your laptop, try using an external keyboard and/or mouse. This will allow you to raise your laptop to eye level while keeping your arms in a comfortable position
If you are sitting in a chair with poor lumbar support, try adding a small pillow or towel behind your low back to keep the proper curvature in your spine
Every 30-60 minutes, make sure to stand up, stretch, and move around for a couple minutes
If you’ve been experiencing neck and shoulder pain as a result of working from home and haven’t been able to find a solution, come on in and let one of our Physiotherapists help you get moving and feeling better! Call us at 780-424-4804 or send us a message to book your appointment.