Back Pain: The Simple Fixes!

By Alicia Kwan−

If you’re currently struggling with chronic or recurring back pain, then you’re far from alone. Millions of people experience back pain on a daily basis, and even pain in the wrists, neck, and other joints. However, while some of us owe our back troubles to rigorous workouts or heavy lifting, many people with these issues work office jobs and lead relatively low-key, semi-sedentary lifestyles.

With more and more of us working jobs that call for long hours spent behind a desk or logged in front of a computer, our choices in office furniture are becoming more important than ever before. In fact, most office workers can trace their back and joint discomfort directly to their chairs in particular. Let’s take a closer look at how you can make sure your office chair helps instead of hurts.

Choose an Ergonomic Chair

Most standard office chairs weren’t necessarily designed with proper back support in mind. Without sufficient support, it’s virtually impossible to work long shifts at a desk job without developing chronic back and joint issues. Switching out your current desk chair for an ergonomic option can help.

Ergonomic office chairs are specifically designed to promote long-term back health as they comprise features that encourage and maintain good posture while working. They also provide better overall support than ordinary desk chairs; however, it’s important to make sure you see your office chair as an investment in both your health and productivity.

Don’t simply buy the cheapest chair you can find at the nearest office supply store. Invest in a solid name brand option from a good vendor with an excellent reputation. Take the time to shop around a bit and learn about the choices available to ensure you’re getting the best possible choice. Last but not least, your new ergonomic chair should come with a warranty or a manufacturer’s guarantee to help protect your purchase.

Be Sure Your Chair Is Properly Adjusted

Although making the switch to an ergonomic chair will definitely aid your back woes, it’s important to understand that in order for the chair to do its job, it needs to be adjusted properly. Determine what your body’s relationship is to the working surface of your desk or workstation. When seated with your forearms resting on the surface in front of you, your arms and bent elbows should form 90-degree angles. If not, adjust the height of your chair.

You should also double-check the position of your legs under the desk. When seated, place your fingers underneath one of your thighs toward the front of your office chair. If your thigh is too tight against the chair for you to be able to do so easily, you should consider looking into a small foot rest so that your legs rest at the correct angle.

Don’t Forget to Move Around

Even with the best possible desk chair and perfect adjustments in your corner, you’ll still need to be mindful of other factors if you’re truly going to make back pain a thing of the past. Sitting for long periods of time even under perfect circumstances will cause muscles to seize and your back to tighten up or even cramp after a while.

Try to get up once every 30 minutes or so to keep this from happening. If possible, do some light stretching, especially for your back and hamstrings. It can also really help to take a short walk even just to the break room, the restroom, or the coffee machine once or twice a day as well. Not only does this keep your muscles in good working condition, but it will also improve circulation.

In the event you can’t get up (or are so “in the zone” with your project that you don’t wish to), you can perform some simple stretches while sitting at your desk. Shifting the exact positions of your legs, arms, and torso occasionally provides a great amount of relief.

At the end of the day, it goes without saying that back and joint pain can put a real crimp in your productivity and sense of wellbeing. However, making smart office chair choices can definitely change that for the better.

Established for 27 years, Rosier Commercial Furniture is a leading provider of stunning contemporary office furniture, balancing stylish design with comfort and unparalleled quality. Aside from their line of individual products, Rosier also offertailor made office fit out solutions, custom designed for clients with specific requirements. Visit their site here: http://www.rosiercommercialfurniture.com.au/