DOES YOUR BACK OR NECK HURT FROM SLOUCHING ALL DAY?
Most of us have unfortunately had to adjust our work schedules and normal lifestyles as a result of the havoc wreaked by the pandemic. Life as we know it has changed and our bodies are feeling the effects! Sitting at home constantly, whether you’re working remotely, or homeschooling the kids, can cause way more damage than you may be aware of. Many of us are noticing that our posture has been negatively affected because of hunching over computer screens during Zoom meetings or having to make do with improper office equipment at home. If you’re suddenly experiencing neck or back pain, the underlying cause may be due to poor posture! You’re not alone, and it’s never too late to get your pain condition under control. Contact ReQuest Physical Therapy in Gainesville and Newberry today to learnmore about how physical therapy can help relieve painful symptoms developed during quarantine. The Most Obvious Cause of Neck & Back Pain... If you’re lucky, this might be the very first time in your life that you’ve experienced back or neck pain! In many cases, we can sum it up to one common factor: hunching/slouching somuch while working at home during quarantine. Take a second to evaluate your current posture as you read this. Are you slouching at your desk? Leaning over to read it? These are both things that people do subconsciously, and they don’t even realize the effect it has on their posture. Your posture affects how your body moves - whether you’re sitting, standing, walking, running, jumping, or performing pretty much any other task throughout the day. Below is a list of things you can do each day to make sure you’re maintaining proper posture, and therefore, decreasing your chances of developing neck and back pain: • Create an ergonomic workspace. One way to reduce the chances of developing poor posture is to make sure your at-home work environment is ergonomically designed. We don’t know when the restrictions will be lifted, so it’s time to start putting together your own ergonomically designed workstation! You should have a chair with good lumbar support, and your monitor should be at eye level to reduce strain and craning your neck forward. • Get up and move around! Remaining in the same position for a long time can cause your muscles to become tense and fatigued. Youmay even experiencemore severe pain if you’re in a slouched position! Take breaks during your workday to get up and take a walk or do some stretches.
• Do some mini-exercises. Exercises such as child’s pose, planking, or bridges can help you maintain good posture during your breaks from work. This in turn decreases the amount of stress placed on your neck and back for long periods. Physical Therapy at ReQuest Physical TherapyCan Help Your Back or Neck Pain! Physical therapy is extremely effective at treating neck and back pain. There are many methods available to relieve symptoms, such as hot/cold packs, massage therapy, and more. These techniques improve blood flow and restore circulation to the affected area, thereby reducing swelling and inflammation. If you’re feeling pain in your neck or back and have a sneaking suspicion that it’s a result of poor posture, have no fear. At ReQuest Physical Therapy, our physical therapists can help improve your posture, and alleviate your pain symptoms with these three steps: 1. Diagnosing your condition: We conduct thorough physical examination tests and look into your medical history to diagnose a herniated disc and rule out other conditions 2. Treating your condition: Your physical therapist’s treatment goals for your condition focus on relieving pain and inflammation in your neck or back, and alleviating compressed nerves. Your physical therapist might use various techniques including stretches, massages, joint mobilizations, therapeutic exercises, andmodalities such as cold laser therapy and electrical stimulation. 3. Preventing your condition from recurring: Your therapist will also teach you how to improve your posture (ding ding ding!) and body mechanics, improve the strength and conditioning of your core, and enhance spinal health through healthy lifestyle changes, such as increasing physical activity and improving nutrition, to ensure that you don’t find yourself suffering again in the future from back or neck pain. Ready to Make Some Improvements? It’s difficult to deal with all of the new lifestyle changes during this pandemic, however, it’s important to keep your health front and center. If you’re experiencing neck or back pain from leading a sedentary lifestyle during quarantine, help isn’t far away. Our physical therapists at ReQuest Physical Therapy are more than happy to assess your condition and create a treatment plan for your pain symptoms, whether they’re caused by poor posture or something else entirely!
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