Back Pain at Work: Causes, Prevention, and Treatment
commonly searched question amongst employees is, "How can I stop my back from hurting at work?" This question has been asked and is still being asked by employees in different industries, like employees in the construction industry, factory work industry, and even office workers.
Back pain is never blissful and can do much more than make doing your job an arduous task. If care is not taken, it can develop into a more critical health condition.
Below, we'll go over the causes of back pain at work, how to treat it, and how to prevent it.
Causes of Back Pain at Work
everal factors contribute to that incessant and throbbing pain you get while working. Some of them result from your daily actions or behaviors, while others result from other factors like your body condition, working equipment, and so on.
Some common causes of back pain at work include:
1. Doing repetitive activities
Engaging in constant receptive tasks will make some muscles in your back more used than others. The ones in constant use may start weakening from overuse, thus causing pain, while there might be stiffness in the other parts that are not frequently used.
Repetitive actions that can cause back pain include typing and clicking. However, if they are now activities like moving or lifting loads that involve you twisting and turning your spine, you are at a higher risk of having back pain.
2. Using too much force
When you exert too much force on activities involving your back and spine, you are bound to develop back pains sooner or later.
3. Bad posture
Working or sitting with a bad posture can cause pains in different parts of your body, including your back, shoulders, hands, and legs. Working in a bad posture is also frequently linked to working with bad work equipment. For example, if you use a work setup - including chairs, tables, keyboards, and mice - that doesn't properly support your body structure, it will tell on your body.
This is why investing in ergonomic work equipment is essential - more on that later in the article.
4. Body condition
Your body's physical condition also plays a role. Several disposing factors like old age, poor physical condition, obesity, and eating and exercising habits will also have a say in whether you'll experience back pain or not.
Although some of these factors, like age, are beyond your control, you can control the others, such as your eating habits, exercising daily, and watching your weight.
How to Prevent Back Pain at Work
reventing back pain at work will require some measure of intentionality on your part. However, by following some of the suggestions below, you can prevent back pain at work and make it a thing of the past.
1. Minimize repetitive tasks
Performing repetitive activities in uncomfortable positions is one of the major causes of back pain.
While you can't outrightly let go of those tasks, you can minimize them or at least modify them so that they don't affect you too much.
2. Practice healthy living
Your eating and daily habits influence your health condition a great deal.
Ensure you consume a healthy diet. For example, eat lots of fruits, reduce junk and eat meals rich in nutrients like vitamin D and calcium that support bone health.
Stay away from unhealthy habits like smoking and high alcohol consumption - they reduce blood pressure which can inadvertently lead to weak bones and spinal degeneration.
Exercise daily, especially if your work involves staying in a position that may cause stiffness in some parts of your body.
3. Watch your posture
Your posture is of utmost concern when it comes to preventing back pain.
Pay attention to your posture at every given time and ensure you work in a good posture.
If your work involves a lot of standing up, ensure your weight is always evenly balanced on both legs.
Before you lift, ensure the load is not too heavy for you. Hold the object close to you and ensure your knees are straight when you rise with the load.
On the other hand, if you sit for long hours, ensure your chair supports your spine and keeps it in a straight position. You can use pillows or rolled towels to help you achieve this.
Your legs should be balanced on the floor, and your work equipment should be placed in ideal positions.
Your monitor should be at your eye level, and other work equipment like your mouse and keyboard should be within easy reach so you won't have to stress your body anytime you need to use them.
4. Invest in Ergonomics
Ergonomics is the science that deals with the usage and production of equipment that supports and balance the body's posture.
Ergonomics can make a world of difference in your physical health when utilized properly.
Premium ergonomic equipment like the ProtoArc EM01 mouse and EK01 keyboard are designed to balance your posture and keep your body parts aligned with each other to minimize pain and contortions.
What's more, they come with additional features like backlit illumination keys and sleek designs to make work easier and more fun.
How to Treat Back Pain at Work
Here are a few pointers on how you can treat back pain at work.
1. Use a cold or hot compress
Depending on the type of pain that your back is giving off, you can use either a cold or hot compress to bring relief.
Cold packs or compresses can relieve hotness, relieve inflammation, reduce stiffness and cause numbness.
A hot compress can increase blood flow and reduce tension.
2. Take frequent breaks
Taking breaks every 45 mins or hour can help relieve and prevent back pain by an appreciable level.
3. Do stretching exercises
Stretching exercises will help keep your muscles loose, increase blood flow, reduce stiffness, and relieve back pain at work.
Wrapping Up
ack pain can make even the simplest of tasks difficult and painful. Fortunately, you don't have to do much to prevent and treat them.
By engaging in some lifestyle changes and investing in ergonomics by using premium ergonomic equipment, you can make back pains at work a thing of the past and enjoy your job more.
