Tell me your best tips to get rid of back pain because of an office job

[WatermelonSocks]

Good morning

I'm so happy that I found a great job after being a SAHM for more than three years. But my back strongly disagrees! I went from being on my feet and moving around almost all day, to being glued to the chair apart from lunch and coffee breaks.

Yesterday especially was awful as I had a dull ache throughout the day and ended up losing sleep at night. Please help me with any tips/products that can stop the pain from sitting to happen again.

P.s I do back stretches every night before bed.

I swim and do pilates to keep back and neck pain at bay. Have you done health and safety assessment on your work station. It's very important.

Change the height of your chair regularly and...sorry to say it but yoga.

When you say you're doing back stretches....what do you mean? Are you following a proper routine or what? Better to do them as soon as you get home and not before bed...so your body has a chance to readjust with you walking around.

Visit an osteopath they can see and weak areas and help you strengthen them

I started going before covid and it was wonderful

Sounds as though your work station may not be correctly set up. Do you have occupational health or health and safety who can help you? Your eyes should be level with the centre of the screen. You may need to lower your chair and get a foot support. Are you sitting properly in the chair? I.e. not slouching or crossing your legs? If everything is set up right you might need a standing desk instead.

Do you have a proper office chair?

I second a (good/recommended) osteopath OP.
I saw one 2 or 3 times a couple of years ago and the stretches she gave me means my bad shoulders and back have disappeared completely!

Exercise - cardio and pilates.

Workstation set up.

If your back is already painful after a short while of sit down work it may be that the issue was already there when you were AH. If it’s bad enough to keep you awake would get checked out.

Osteopaths are v costly and there is plenty of good, free info online on exercise for back care.

Get a standing work station.

Go for a good walk at lunchtime every day

you do need to get up regularly, dont be glued to the chair or screen

adjust the chair, screen & keyboard

exercises and stretches focussing on the core

get up at least once an hour

if you are on the phone a lot use a headset or earbuds

have an eye test

and keep your back warm

Doesn't really help but since I stopped working in an office (now work in retail), I have never experienced back pain. My DH WFH and is constant back pain ... fortunately he is retiring next year ...

Yoga ball chair and stand-sit desks have been revelations for me. (Plus regular exercise and stretching as others have said.)

You can also get bike and treadmill desks to keep moving?

Yoga

I took up running during lockdown and the pain I was getting from wfh went away

If it's your lower back, google 'anterior pelvic tilt'.

In short, imagine that your pelvis is a bowl of water, and change your posture so that you pour water out of the back. You'll have to engage your 'coughing muscles' in the front of your abdomen, and these will give the support your lower back needs.

Child pose every half an hour. Forward bending back stretches are very bad for your back. Do superman with core strengthening exercises instead.

Take up 1 minute jogging every hour before and after work and increase gradually.

Take up swimming and running and schedule it in so there is no excuse as to why you do not do it, even if slow and not for long at first. Minimum it needs to be weekly so it needs to become a part of a ritual you do like doing the laundry.

Make sure you are as low as you can be on your BMI for your height as excess weight can cause damage.

Identify where the pain is coming from and Watch YouTube videos for exercises for back and posture.

You do not need to pay for expensive help on something that self help and good practice can fix.

@YourenutsmiLord

Get a standing work station.

This

Pilates has made a huge difference for me. But also just generally remembering to regularly get up and move!