Back pain is a common work-related health problem. One big cause for this is the amount of time we spend hunched over screens on our desks.

Causes of work-related back pain

Computer-related back pain is normally caused due to three common problems.

Wrong chairs

If your office chair doesn’t support your back and body properly, the resulting poor body alignment can exert unhealthy pressure on various areas of your spine. This can lead to pain in your back, neck, shoulders, and even arms.

Improper posture

The spine’s natural position is upright with a slight curvature. Leaning too far forward, hunching, bending the head too low, or dangling the feet can all lead to improper posture and spine issues.

Inactivity

Sitting in the same place, without moving, for more than twenty minutes can give rise to back pain since it reduces the flexibility of your soft tissues. Many people who experience back pain spend prolonged sitting, usually in front of a computer every day.

Can back pain be prevented?

To avoid computer- or work-related back issues-

• Use an adjustable desk
• Keep the screen at your eye level
• Place the keyboard at a height that allows your elbows to rest at your sides, and the forearms to be level with the keyboard and parallel to the floor
• Adjust your chair to keep your feet flat against the floor
• An ergonomic chair can hold your spine’s natural curve
• An ergonomic keyboard can support a natural hand-wrist position
• Take short breaks when you are working for a long time at your computer
• Every half an hour, you can do stretching exercises at your desk
• Stand and move around as much as possible