Is Neck and Back Pain Associated with Remote Work?

Before March 2020, our colleagues might have looked at us strangely if we had done one of those yoga situations in our office, wearing our business uniforms, but now we work from home in our regular clothes.

Note: This article is from blogger Elisette Carlson, who shares her experience working from home.

There is no excuse for not moving, stretching, or doing simple exercises throughout the day. We must continue these types of activities when working from home so that work does not cause neck, back, and hip pain.

In my house, I had a room with a comfortable office and chair. But during quarantine, I left my husband to take over his work in my office while I worked in the basement and supervised our children. When the lockdown started due to the coronavirus pandemic, I was working in the kitchen, at the dining room table and sometimes on the couch, and soon I felt a nagging pain in my hip. This pain prevented me from running and cycling, and I realized that I was bending my back a lot during work, and I think you do the same if you work from a bed, couch, or other random workplaces at home.

A recent study by the Institute for Employment, which included 500 people in the first few weeks of the lockdown, revealed that more than half of the participants reported new pains and aches, especially in the neck (58%), shoulder (56%) and back (55%).

These pains prevent us from doing physical activities that promote our mental and physical health. It was difficult for me to rest until I recovered, but as with this pandemic, I remind myself to be patient and confident in treatment over and over again.

Develop a strategy for daily exercise

The human head accounts for about 8% of the body weight. When we bend down to look at our screens, both during our Zoom meetings and when we watch movies, we get a lot of pressure on our neck and back. We're probably sitting or standing in a bad position, affecting our shoulders and knees.

Matt Pippin, co-founder of the Pippin Performance platform, is someone I met through a mutual colleague, and he has helped me a lot in treating the hips. He explains that "we suffer more aches and pains because we no longer walk a lot and because regular body treatments such as massages, chiropractic sessions, stretching practice, training, yoga classes, etc., have either been completely eliminated or greatly reduced, and we are not sitting properly; more importantly, our stress levels are very high." Research has shown that high levels of chronic stress have been associated with more pain throughout the body. Pippin offers some ways to relieve these pains:

1. Corrective Exercises

It includes controlled joint rotation exercises, a series of exercises designed to strengthen your joints by working on the largest range of pain-free movements. Pippin explains: “The beauty of these exercises is that they move your three large joints, the hip, shoulder, and spine, and act as an anti-inflammatory by providing vital nutrients to the joint”.

I have started doing these exercises throughout the day, for example , trying to do them after every break in the bathroom. I am working to make it a continuous habit by combining it with another habit, and I am able to do hip and shoulder exercises while working on the computer. So I advise you to try it out.

2. Setting several alerts and reminders

Working hours can pass very quickly, especially if you are making calls and meetings on Zoom. You will not feel the time in line with the screen; however, you can set the alarm all day to wake up and do activities, and you will be much better at the end of the day, for example:

• Get around your home.
• Do corrective exercises.
• Switch the workplace if possible. For example, you might create a corner of your home to stand in, then sit at the kitchen table or in a comfortable place like a sofa or chair where your back is not bent.
• Do something to take your mind off work for 5–10 minutes.

3. Sitting on the floor

Pippin advises many of his clients to do this and recommends that they “put the thick pillows or blankets on the floor and squat down, with the computer placed on a chair or sofa. Sitting on the floor is good for the hips, and if you focus on maintaining your spine, you will train all those little muscles responsible for maintaining a good-looking posture, as well as strengthening your heart. Think of it as a small exercise as you get your job done.”

How do you sit while reading this article? Pippin offers three quick and simple examinations of your sitting position that I have adopted by setting my phone alarm every hour, and this has helped me a lot:

• Double chin: Using your index finger to push your chin, you will improve the position of your neck vertebrae, which will lead to the contraction of the deep front neck muscles.
• Sternum bones: By slightly raising the sternum (raising the chest upward), you will place your thoracic spine in a more neutral position, leading to the contraction of those muscles around your middle back.
• Rotating shoulders: When you rotate your shoulders backwards, you start moving shoulder bones that can become painful when you cramp.

Practicing Yoga

I also turned to my friend Kristin McGee, one of my favorite yoga instructors, to advise me on some breathing and stretching exercises that I can do throughout the day, which I inspired my children to practice. This is because they also relax  while working from home.

McGee recommends that you practice the following three yoga exercises as a habit before work or during the day:

1. Downward dog pose:

You can do this exercise on a mat, on the floor, or even on your desk by putting your hands on the desktop and bending your feet back until your body is parallel with the floor. You will feel a great stretch along the back of your body, shoulders, and legs—a simple exercise that makes blood flow to the brain as well.

2. Arm Raising Pose:

It can be done sitting or standing up; interlock your hands and turn your palms as you press them over your head; relax your shoulders and hands along your torso; take deep breaths; and you will feel your body stretch and energy rise.

3. Knee on ankle pose:

tight hips lead to lower back pain; this position can be done on a chair or on the floor. Put one ankle over the opposite knee, and let the knee come down from its side. If you are on a chair, keep the lower foot relaxed on the ground and start bending forward to feel the stretch. If you are on the ground, you can keep the opposite leg extended or bend it under the bent upper leg to stack the legs to stretch further, and hold both sides for 5 to 10 seconds.

McGee always reminded me to “be sure not to hold your breath while doing these exercises," so when you set a time to practice it, do some postural examinations or corrective exercises, and take a deep breath. This has a profound positive impact on the mind and body and helps to relax and reduce stress.

My hips improved when I challenged myself; I practiced yoga as much as possible, and I also enjoyed using a small massage ball (or tennis ball) and rolling my feet over it.

In conclusion

Do not sit in the same place for a long time; get out and move. This is very important for your physical and psychological health in general, and be sure to spend some time away from work and take care of yourself because health is our most important wealth.