Working from home or remotely has been wonderful to many. It saves our working time, which we had to spend on commuting. However, in the case of many, the home office is not really an office. It is usually the couch, the bed, or the dining table. Though this feels cosy initially, it is a quiet and deadly risk to our bodies. Our sitting positions in these settings may cause chronic physical issues. Poor ergonomics in remote work environments may cause chronic pain, muscle injuries, and other severe problems with health.
This article will detail how poor ergonomics and bad posture in remote workspaces may cause severe problems with health. It will also provide simple and feasible actions to correct working arrangement and safeguard your health.
The Silent Threat: How a Slouch Becomes Chronic Pain
Sitting on a couch or a bed and using a laptop twists your body into unnatural postures. Not only is this a bit uncomfortable but it is actually terrible on the structure of your body. Our body structure is designed to be supported in a particular manner. When we are sitting in a hunched position, their spine becomes straight. Our shoulders are rolled forward and our neck is protruding forth. This unnatural posture exerts much pressure on our muscles, ligaments and nerves. It is a bad way of carrying a heavy weight throughout the day.
In the long-term, such persistent strain may cause a phenomenon known as myofascial pain syndrome. It is at this point that your muscles develop tight and painful knots also known as trigger points. The knots may lead to pain that you experience in another part of your body. As an example, you may have headaches because of a knot in your upper back. The suffering may be persistent and extremely difficult to eliminate.
Long time poor posture also predisposes one to a herniated disc. The discs are cushions that look like soft cushions between the bones of your spine. The pressure on these discs is uneven when you are not straight on your spine. The squishy core of a disc may then protrude or rupture and butt against a nerve nearby. This may result in excruciating pain or a pins and needles sensation or even weakness.
Repetitive Strain Injuries: The Unseen Epidemic
Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSIs) form a set of health issues that arise when an individual repeats the same motions, which strains a section of the body. A comfortable chair and keyboard are some of the ways of avoiding these issues in a normal office. However, when things are not done in the right way at home, the dangers are very high. A lot of individuals are developing new aches and pains through the most basic activities such as typing and clicking.
Carpal Tunnel syndrome and Tenosynovitis
When you use a laptop that is resting on a low table, your wrists are normally at an awkward angle. This may compress the primary nerve in your wrist leading to carpal tunnel syndrome. The symptoms are numbness or tingling sensation, weakness and pain in your hand and finger. Tenosynovitis can also be caused by typing and operating a mouse with bent wrists. This is where sheaths of fluid surrounding your tendons become swollen. It is a very sore swelling which renders it difficult to move your hand and fingers.
The Text Neck Hazards
Hours of staring down at a screen is a habit and it is horrible to the neck. It is referred to as text neck by people. Your head itself is 10-12 pounds. With each inch that you move your head forward you add a great deal of weight to your spine. When you lean your head forward even 15 degrees, it is as though you are carrying a 27 pound weight on your neck. Bend it 60 degrees and you can feel like you are carrying 60 pounds! This continual tension may lead to tense muscles, headaches, or in extreme situations may even burn out the discs in your neck and pinch nerves. It is a highly prevalent issue that may cause chronic pain in case of neglect.
Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs): A Long-Term Toll
MSDs are a set of injuries and issues that have an impact on the areas of the body that we use to move. This includes our muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves and bones. Although there are MSDs which may occur instantly, most of them are chronic issues which accumulate over the years due to recurrent physical strain. They are a large cause of chronic pain and disability in those who work at a desk, particularly at home with an untenable setup.
The Inflammation Role
Bad posture and sitting in one place long leads to a situation where your body feels in a continuous state of low-grade swelling. When your tendon and muscles are stretched all the time, the natural reaction of the body is to develop inflammation in order to attempt to repair the harm. However, when the strain is present all the time, then the swelling does not get a chance to subside. This causes a vicious cycle in which the pain and tissue damage only worsen. It is this relentless swelling that forms a major foundation of why individuals develop things such as tendinitis (swollen tendons) and bursitis (swollen fluid sacs around joints).
Degenerative Disc Disease
As we stated, bad posture may result in herniated discs. However, long before the latter event occurs, the lopsided pressure on your spine has the potential to accelerate a natural aging process known as degenerative disc disease. This is where the discs which cushion the bones in your spine begin to fall apart. It may lead to persistent back pain, stiffness and lack of mobility. It is gradual, and can be greatly aggravated by years of sitting in a bad position. It is an illness that can severely reduce the quality of your life.
From Problem to Prevention: Simple Steps for a Healthy Home Office
The positive outcome of this is that all these issues are preventable. You do not have to have a fancy and expensive office to establish a healthy working space. All you have to do is to be smart in the way you have things arranged. Minor adjustments can bring massive improvements in the way you feel about your body at the end of the day. The body is the most important to be active and happy.
The Three Pillars of a Correct Set Up:
Chair Support: The best thing you can do is a chair that supports your back. When you are sitting on a dining chair, you may place a pillow or a rolled-up towel in the lower back curve. You must have your feet flat on the floor and your knees at 90-degree angle. Your feet should not be on the ground, so put a footrest or a pile of books under them. This maintains your spine in a neutral healthy posture.
Lift Your Screen: The screen of your computer must be at eye level. This prevents you bending your neck forward. In the case of a laptop, you can elevate it with a stand or a pile of books. By doing it, you will require an independent keyboard and mouse. This enables you to type with straight and neutral wrists which is essential in preventing RSIs.
Mindful Movement: Being seated in a perfect position is not good when you stay there too long. Use a timer to remind you to stand up, stretch and walk around at least every 30-60 minutes. A few stretches of your neck, shoulders and wrists can help you avoid stiffness and pain. There are numerous simple and easy stretching exercises on the web which you can do even at your desk.
Making the Most of What You Have: Ergonomics on a Budget
It does not cost much to make a healthy and safe working space at home. There are simple things that you can use to make great changes.
- DIY Laptop Stand: Place your laptop on a stack of books or a shoe box to bring it to an ideal height. This little trick will help your neck to avoid a lot of pain.
- External Mouse: A separate mouse, even a plain one will be far better on your wrist than using the trackpad on the laptop all the time.
- Supportive Cushion: Rolled up towel or a special cushion to support your lower back can make a usual chair much more supportive and comfortable.
- Alternate Workstations: In case you have to work in the couch or the bed occasionally, do your best to restrict the amount of time you spend in these places. Do simple activities in another area and revert to your ergonomic workstation when you have to do some heavy work.
Conclusion
To work at home is such a great idea, but with the freedom comes the burden of taking care of our bodies. Poor ergonomics in remote working conditions is a bet that we risk with our future health. Everyday stresses of a poor setup can accumulate over the years to become severe, painful, and life-changing conditions. With this knowledge of the risks and with the smart, easy modifications to our workspaces we can avoid a future of chronic pain.
There is no need to sacrifice much in the future to maintain and safeguard our physical health and remain productive and enjoy the fruits of remote work. Our bodies are our best tools and they should be taken care of even when our office is a few steps away our bed.
