Gradual and insidious Working from home becoming a real pain in the neck for some
If youâre working from home and reading this, chances are youâre not doing it right.
Twenty months into the COVID-19 pandemic, working from home has become the norm for many people, and crashing Zoom calls isnât the only pain theyâre dealing with.
Calgary physiotherapist and clinic director at Lifemark Physiotherapy Aspen, Jonathan Reimer told Global News heâs seeing a lot more patients with posture-related injuries. He attributed that to poor home office working conditions and a lack of proper ergonomics.
Read more: Hereâs what the future of work looks like after COVID-19
âWe were always seeing a number of neck and low back injuries related to prolonged office work. But what weâre seeing now is an increase in numbers of those types of injuries,â he said.
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âWhat weâre often hearing is stories like people are working from a recliner, or with a laptop or tablet computer, or people are working at their kitchen table with just a regular chair pulled up to the kitchen table.â
Reimer said if youâre using a laptop thatâs not at the ideal height ergonomically, then youâre likely tilting your head forward and putting a lot of pressure on the base of your neck.
âThe problem with posture is very gradual and insidious. You donât know that youâre having problems until you kind of reach this tipping point. And all of a sudden pain and dysfunction will present, but itâs been a long time in the making.â
He said poor postural alignment puts a lot of stress on the discs in the neck and in the low back and if those discs fail and herniate they can create a significant nerve impingement, which can take months to heal.
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âWe can be dealing with half a year to a year for recovery. And plus, itâs very uncomfortable, and it will disrupt your sleep, your recreational activity, your activity of daily living, itâs a very uncomfortable scenario to be in.â
Get up and moveReimer said one big thing thatâs missing for many at-home office workers is regular movement.
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âA lot of people describe the scenario that in their workplace they were up and away from their desk to the photocopier, to talk with other colleagues. Thatâs just not happening as theyâre spending hours in a stationary position and not generally being aware of their posture,â he said.
He suggested working movement breaks into your workday every 30 minutes or so, along with a few other steps to prevent pain and injuries:
Reimer says as more companies move toward making working from home the standard post-pandemic, people should consider proper office set-ups.
Read more: Nearly half of Canadian workers think working remotely could hinder career growth: survey
âIf your companyâs amenable, itâs not a bad idea to discuss with them whether or not you can have a workplace ergonomic assessment. Many companies are investing in ergonomic assessments within their workplace, but now, if the homeâs becoming the new workplace that might be a good thing to see if the companyâs agreeable to doing that.â
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Ergonomic solutionsâUncomfortableâ is a common word customers use to describe their home office setup when they show up at Source Office Furnishings, according to director of sales James Sheppard.
He said theyâre seeing an uptick in sales of ergonomic home office furniture since the start of the pandemic.
âPrior to the pandemic, a lot of our business involved working with corporate or head offices. Now, we frequently work directly with customers on their home offices,â he says.
âWeâre seeing new customers whoâve never shopped with us before â" or who havenât shopped for a home office at all â" which is exciting because we can introduce them to all the customization and personalization available to them.â
Ergonomic options are available for those working from home. Getty ImagesSheppard says chairs are one of the main pieces customers are looking for, along with height-adjustable desks. But the customizable options are endless, with accessories such as keyboard trays as well as accessories to manage technology and monitor arms so you can position your tools exactly how you need them.
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Read more: Queenâs University expert says pandemic blurred line between work and rest
Sheppard echoes Reimerâs advice to take breaks and move throughout the day, but also adds itâs important to disconnect at the end of your workday.
âSometimes we spend our personal computer time and work time in the same space, so itâs important to have a routine or trigger to take yourself off work mode and enjoy the rest of your day.â
© 2021 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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