How to Avoid Getting Injured By Your Office Setup Over Time

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[et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”]However comfortable, the setup of your office is likely to cause health complications at some point, including back pain and strain, shoulder pain and even carpal tunnel syndrome. To avoid injuries related to your office setup, ensure such a setup supports your daily activities without leading you to the road of pain. Physiotherapy in Ottawa is an effective way to help prevent and treat injuries related to an office setup. A physiotherapist can assess your posture, provide advice on how to improve your current setup and suggest exercises to help improve your posture, strength and flexibility.

Here is how to avoid some of the complications that may arise from your office setup:

Preventing lower back pain and strain

Long sitting hours in the office will make you start to slouch. If you are sprawling most of the time, it is likely that your lower back is not supported. With an adjustable chair in your office, you can set your arms at an angle of 90 degrees when placed on top of the table or your computer keyboard. Your lower back must fully rest on the back of the chair. 

Preventing shoulder pain

A burning-numbing sensation may develop in your shoulders due to strain on your upper spine. Two things will lead to strain on your upper spine hence shoulder pain:

  • Low computer screen forcing you to bow your head to keep an eye on the screen
  • The gravitational pull on your elbow, which makes them feel heavy 

Here is how to remedy these two causes of shoulder pain:

  • Do not adjust your chair when you constantly bow your head to look at your computer monitor. Instead, elevate your monitor. You can stack books to achieve this. When you can see the screen while looking straight ahead, it means your screen is at a good height
  • Rest your elbows at an angle of 90 degrees by adjusting your armrests 

Preventing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome results from excessive or repetitive wrist movement, which causes pressure on the median nerve inside your carpal tunnel. Consequently, your wrists may start to swell, ache, and send tingling sensations up and down your arm, reducing your work productivity. 

The overall cause of this problem is the unnatural positioning of your mouse as you scroll through text on your computer. To remedy this, consider having an ergonomic mouse and keyboard in your office set up to allow your wrists to rest at a slightly out-turned angle, which is more natural. 

Preventing injury by standing and moving around

Historically, a sedentary way of life has never been part of us as humankind has had to move around in search of livelihood. Your body is not designed to sit down for more extended periods, yet your current job may require you to sit for 8 hours at a desk. To avoid injuries associated with this shift in lifestyle, take a 10-minute break every hour to stand, walk, stretch or move around to counter muscle or joint strain. 

If you start to feel pain due to your office setup, contact Apollo’s team for Physiotherapy in Ottawa today. We will assess your pain and help you adjust your office setup accordingly to help prevent further injury. [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column]
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