Tips and Tricks to Eliminate Back Pain at Work - Omnigel
Back pain is a growing problem in India and all over the world. Many occupations like nursing, teaching or routine office work can be held responsible for back pain. Let us understand what causes back pain and how to treat it.
Exerting Force: If your work requires a lot of physical activity, including lifting heavy objects frequently, it could cause back pain and injury. For example, if you are working in a store where you need to shift and transfer heavy goods without support from machines or trolleys, this can harm your back and cause pain.
Repetitive Movement: If your work involves repetitive movement of twisting or rotating the spine, back injuries are likely. For example, if you are in the nursing or teaching profession and need to bend, turn and twist, making your actions almost repetitive, it can trigger backache.
Inactive Desk Jobs: If your job requires you to sit at your desk continuously and your activity level is low, poor posture can contribute to back pain. For example, if you are sitting at a desk for a long period without taking breaks or standing or walking, it could gravely injure your back and cause intense back pain.
Back pain comes naturally with aging, obesity, and a poor lifestyle. Let us look at the best possible ways how to reduce back pain.
Eat healthily: Your diet should be calcium and vitamin-D-rich. Adding these nutrients to your diet will prevent bone degeneration. Bones tend to get brittle and weak from osteoporosis which causes bone fractures easily. This also leads to back pain.
Exercise regularly: Including some form of exercise in your daily life is healthy. It could be anything from yoga to aerobics, swimming, walking, or any exercise that stretches the muscles of your back and abdomen. By exercising regularly, you strengthen your muscles and bones, and decrease the risk of falling and injuring your back.
Quit smoking: Smoking causes your blood vessels to constrict, which reduces blood flow in the lower spine. This leads to the weakening of the spine disk, which in turn results in slow healing from back injuries. Coughing, which goes hand in hand with smoking, further aggravates the problem.
Maintain correct posture: Be conscious of your posture when you stand. Ensure that the weight in your feet is evenly distributed. Do not slouch. While sitting, a good posture comes from a chair that supports your feet and lower back. Adjust the chair's height so that your feet touch flat on the ground and your thighs can be parallel to the floor. While sitting, your wallet and phone should be removed from the back pocket to relieve extra pressure on the lower back.
Lift correctly: Lifting posture should be maintained strictly. You should tighten your stomach muscles and bend your knees. Lift the object and hold it close to your body. When standing up from the lowered posture, use your leg muscles to lift yourself. Keep the natural curve of your back and do not twist when you are lifting the object. Ask for help while lifting heavy objects.
Improvise repetitive tasks: If your work involves lifting, use a lifting device. If you work on a computer, ensure that the monitor, keyboard, mouse, and chair are positioned at the right height and distance. If you need to be on call while working on the computer, use Bluetooth speakers to replace the handset. You should avoid unnecessary bending, twisting, and reaching. If you are required to carry your laptop home regularly with your purse and briefcase, don't overdo it and try lightening your load.
Periodically change posture: If your work demands prolonged sitting hours, change your posture periodically by taking walking breaks, or stretching muscles to relax and relieve tension.
