Lots of people are working from home at the moment due to the pandemic and this may be something that sticks around long after it’s over. Business’ are starting to see that working from home can improve employee satisfaction and can benefit the bottom line of the business if rent, bills etc are smaller as a result. It isn’t all great though as we are starting to see lots of people presenting in the clinic with neck and back pain which we can reasonably attribute to their new working arrangements.
Many people working from home don’t have the luxury of a home office so are working with their laptop on the kitchen table or on the couch. Even those with designs to buy a new WFH setup aren’t able to get anything promptly, as like with toilet paper and gym equipment, there has been a big rush to get new desks, keyboards and mice etc for the home office.
Now doing a little bit of work from the couch isn’t the worst thing in the world as long as it’s not for hours on end. However, it would be ideal to try to optimise your WFH setup to reduce the risk of irritating a muscle or joint and needing to come into see us in the clinic.
Here are some tips to optimise your WFH setup using a desktop computer:
If you’re using a laptop, here are some specific tips for your home setup:
If you’re not able to get a laptop stand as shown in the picture above, use some books or a box to prop it up to the right height. Getting the optimal setup is great and should really help you feel better at the end of the week, however it is most important that you continue to move regularly! If you can move get up and move every half an hour, you’ll stay on top of those aches and pains and your neck and back will thank you for it. This may be as simple as standing up and having a stretch, going to the bathroom or getting a drink of water. Whatever it is, get your body moving regularly as that’s what it is made to do and it’ll feel a whole lot better at the end of the day!
(schematics from posturite.co.uk)
