Work from home. The spine suffers

Spine

At the time when Covid-19 took over the world, the homes of many office workers became their workspaces as well, where they had to find a place for both a desk and a computer, as well as a chair, and adequate lighting had to be provided. A person must be able to balance all this in a manner that does not harm the back, as well as the overall health of the person.

What is back health affected by?

Not all people can allocate space for the development of an office of the right size and ergonomic requirements at their homes. This means that most of the equipment that is already present at home: table, chairs, lamps are adapted for the needs of long hours of work. Unfortunately, if you spend time in awkward positions for a long time, there is a risk of running into various health problems. One of them - back pain, if left untreated, can cause various other health complications.

It is important to know that the vertebral column is the mainstay of the human body. The functioning and health of other organs greatly depend on how healthy this support mechanism is.

Factors that affect back health:

incorrect, inappropriate load,
injury,
various diseases and other factors.

The main causes of back pain:

injury,
physical overload,
tension of the muscles of the back,
degenerative processes of the vertebral column (ageing),
weight gain and others.

Arranging the work environment at home

Even in a well-equipped office that meets all the requirements, after a long time spent at the computer, a person feels tired at the end of the day, the neck muscles are tense, the back is painful and the head is heavy.

When working from home, the risk of getting into similar and even more serious problems is much higher. As it is known, many office workers are now forced to work at an ordinary kitchen or room table, to sit in an ordinary chair and put up with the lighting in the room, which is often insufficient and inappropriate.

In order to protect the vertebral column and health in general, care must be taken to provide a suitable work environment at home, as well as physical activities.

The first rule to be followed to avoid harm to health is to adjust the desk and chair accordingly, rather than to spend the business day on the couch with a computer on the knees.

Main conditions for a proper work environment:

the compatibility of the chair and the table must ensure that the legs of the person sitting are bent at a 90-degree angle and the feet are placed firmly on the floor or on a special pad,
the top of the computer screen should be at eye level,
the distance to the computer - approximately 60 cm,
the back is straight and supported against the back of the chair, while sitting,
the keyboard is placed straight in front of the person, not sideways,
when writing, elbows are bent at an angle of 90 degrees or more.

Care for eyesight

When working with a computer for a long time, lighting is important for the well-being of the eyes. Often, the natural light shining through the windows is not enough, therefore additional artificial lighting must be considered, because insufficient lighting creates additional strain on vision, as well as increases fatigue and reduces emotional well-being.

Artificial lighting can include both ceiling and table lamps.

The most important things to know about artificial lighting at the workplace:

the light source must be situated out of direct human sight,
the work area must be adequately lit,
the lamps must be covered by diffusers to receive a homogeneous distribution and to prevent glare,
light falling directly on the computer screen or into the eyes of a person must be prevented.

It is important to move regularly

Considering all the conditions for setting up a work environment at home, it is also important to remember that from time to time you need to get up from your chair and do some physical exercise. Even a walk to the kitchen for a glass of water can serve as one of the breaks for movement. It is also worth standing up from time to time, approaching the window and looking into the distance for a few minutes to allow your eyes to rest.

When taking a longer break, those living in apartment buildings can go for a walk up the stairs to promote lymphatic drainage. There are also special exercises for office workers, which are also recommended at home to relieve the shoulders, neck, vertebral column and other parts of the body. It is recommended to divide these exercises into exercise groups performed every two hours. And it is great if you can plan your work in a manner, where, during longer breaks, you can take a longer, more intensive walk, or go jogging or swimming in warm weather.

In addition to the above-mentioned measures for the stabilisation of the back, when working with a computer, it is recommended to use special back supports and correctors, which are made by combining elastic and stabilising materials, thus helping the back and shoulders to maintain the correct posture.

And another thing to remember when working from home is the ventilation of the premises to create a pleasant micro-environment. Lack of oxygen, excessive heat or cold is a cause of discomfort to a person, which in turn reduces their ability to work.

Photo by JP Lockwood on Unsplash