People who sit at a desk all day may
find themselves using poor posture that results in back pain and neck pain.
If you’re like many people, you
probably spend much of your day sitting at a desk. This sedentary behaviour
puts you at increased risk for spending prolonged time in poor posture,
potentially causing pain and discomfort.
Whether it’s a temporary thing or
you’ve suffered for many years, it can be truly debilitating. And the problem
(amongst many) is that it affects almost everyone at some point in our lives.
It could be with us because of an injury (old or new), it could be a symptom of
old age, it could even be because of bad posture at work. It’s a hugely common
problem, but that doesn’t mean that people immediately know how to deal with
it.
Thankfully, though, there are some
good ways that back pain can be at least relieved, if not removed altogether.
Here are just a few ideas that don’t involve popping painkiller and making
things worse by trying to simply ignore the pain.
Sleep Right
Just because you’re comfortable it
doesn’t mean you’re doing the right thing for your back, and although you might
drift off into a nice, peaceful sleep, you’ll potentially find that your back
is screaming for help the next morning. These bad sleeping habits need to be
broken as soon as possible to enable you to sleep and wake refreshed; you’ll be
amazed at the difference it makes. What are these bad habits? Well, one is
sleeping on your front with your head turned to one side. That puts undue
pressure on your neck as it’s twisted unnaturally, and for a good few hours at
that. That neck pain then travels down your spine and suddenly, everything
hurts. Another bad sleeping position is anything that involves more than one
pillow. Again, your neck will be bent unnaturally. One pillow should be enough
– if it’s too soft, invest in a firmer one, not more soft ones to pile on top.
To keep your spine – and therefore
your back – happy, lie on it at night. Yes, it might make you snore, but far
better to snore than be in pain, right? If you can’t manage to lie flat, then
lying on your side works almost as well.
Have A Strong Core
You’ve probably heard of your core,
and you’ve probably heard that it can be strengthened, but did you know that
strengthening it can reduce or eliminate back pain? Your core muscles support
your back, so the stronger they are the better your back is able to be held.
This will also help you to maintain a good posture, which is crucial when it
comes to comfort and pain reduction. Don’t just rush headlong into an exercise
routine or gym session that you think will do the job though; it’s far better
to take your time and do your research first, otherwise, you could do yourself
more harm than good. An even better idea is to join a class that specialises in
core strengthening so that you know for sure that you’re doing the right thing.
Massage
Massage is a great way to both prevent
and reduce the pain associated with back problems. It works by unwinding and
relaxing the muscles in the back, which improves flexibility and therefore the
back won’t get so stuck in one position, which is one way that pain can be felt.
According to The Massage People London regular massage keeps you a lot more
flexible and back pain will be much less likely. If you do suffer already,
massage can definitely reduce the pain you’re feeling. It’s a wonderful,
natural way to feel better.
Bad Posture And The Benefits of Massage
Poor posture is something that affects
more and more of us these days; so much of our lives are spent slumped over
laptops and slouched in chairs playing on mobile devices. Massage can have a
huge benefit if your back, neck, shoulders, or even arms are affected by
sitting the wrong way – it can undo a lot of the damage that is done. But
what’s even better is, once the massage has taken place, you really need to be
aware of how you’re sitting or walking or even standing, and try to correct
your posture as much as possible. Here’s how.
Sit Well
It’s not just a case of sitting in a
chair and hoping for the best. If you want good posture and you don’t want to
suffer any pain (even if a good massage can reduce it substantially), then make
sure that your back is properly supported by ensuring that your hips are as far
back as they can go. A cushion can help here. Keep your feet absolutely flat on
the floor, and check that your knees rest level with your hips. They can be a
little lower, but not too much, and certainly not higher. If you need a
footrest to achieve this, go for it. Then set up your desk or the area around
you so that everything you need is in easy reach – you should twist to reach
anything.
The Chair
Using the right chair, or a chair that
is correctly adjusted can save putting too much strain on your back. Play
around with the height, tilt, and of course the position of the chair back
until you find a way that makes you most comfortable. If you have armrests,
your shoulders need to stay relaxed when you use them – it can sometimes be
best to remove the armrests altogether to save any problems occurring.
Remember, when your arms are on your desk, you should be able to rest them and
form an L shape at the elbow.
Your Computer
If at all possible, place your
keyboard so that it is directly opposite your body. Your wrists should be
straight to avoid damaging them, so you might need either a wrist support or a
stand for your laptop, depending on how you are sitting. Your mouse needs to be
close by so that you don’t have to reach in order to use it.
The screen on your computer needs to
be situated so that the very top of the monitor is around two inches over your
eye level. This stops you from looking down and constantly bending your neck.
If you are using a laptop that has a keyboard and a screen connected, it will
be worth investing in a separate keyboard so that you can optimise the position
of each part.
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