Upper Back Pain in Olympia WA And Working From Home

Recently, more and more people have been working from home. This is a great option for most, but it has some unexpected consequences. More and more people are starting to experience neck and upper back pain in Olympia WA without having any injuries or making any changes to what they think is their everyday routine. So, let us look at the little changes that often go completely unnoticed but can have dramatic effects on your back.

Why You Could Be Suffering From Back Pain in Olympia WA

Imagine what your work environment looks like. Typically, there is a desk that provides enough space to hold all your notes and supplies. Your computer monitor is set to a height that is easy for you to see. Your keyboard is easy to reach and positioned for perfect comfort in your arms. Your chair is comfortable with lots of support for your lower back. You can sit upright with perfect posture as you type away at the computer for hours.

Now look at your current setup at home. Chances are you struggled to find a desk at the store because a mad rush of people cleaned them out. So, you are probably working at your dinning room table. You are probably using a laptop, so your head is pointed downward. Your hands are positioned in a way that causes your shoulders to roll inward. Your dinning chair has a back piece that is straight up and down so no support for your lower back. Alternatively, you may find it convenient to stay in bed with your laptop on your lap. You may not notice but as you are working on your laptop, your body is slowly sliding down towards the foot of the bed. This is causing your upper back to bend more and more. These positions are causing your neck and upper back muscles to work much harder than they are used to working. These positions also put a lot of stress on your spine which leads to inflammation (increased blood flow and swelling) in the little joints of the spine. Your muscle become very tight and begin to ache.

Ways we can help…

At Evergreen Family Chiropractic in Olympia WA, we can help you relax and recover from the stress put on your upper back and neck. We will show you stretches to help minimize the tension in your shoulders. We will also use adjusting techniques to help you regain flexibility in your spine. We can also give your tips to setup your home office to be a little more friendly towards your neck and upper back.

Make an appointment at Evergreen Family Chiropractic in Olympia WA and allow us to help you return to some sense of normalcy as your work environment continuously changes.

-One more thing…

Working from home takes you away from the social interactions you are used to having throughout the day. This can lead to a feeling of loneliness and can lead to an increase in stress. We recommend that you find fun and positive ways to interact with people around you. This will help with the stress that is building up in your shoulders and give you a better sense of well-being.