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MY Ergonomic Advice
Facts You Should Know About Low Back Strain
It’s no easy dealing with lower back strain from time to time, and I think anyone can agree with it. 8 out of 10 people have this dull ache in the back, either from waking up in the morning or probably due to an unhealthy sedentary lifestyle.
So what does low back strain feels like? If you feel this pain and stiffness in the back, in the buttocks, legs, and back of the thigh, and sometimes it worsens when you bend or stretch, then you probably are experiencing a low back strain.
We may have these myths on our head on the causes of how we get the lower back strain, but to dig deeper into the issue, we’ve written down a list of causes and simple at-home treatment you can do to ease yourself with these back troubles.
3 Major Causes of Low Back Strain
Extreme Physical Activity. Gym buffs and those who carry a lot usually experience the low back strain from time to time. Too much stress, especially when you’re lifting something heavy, can form tiny tears in a muscle, known as a muscle strain, which is a very common form of back injury. Learn some proper ways of lifting heavy load without causing pain the back.
Poor Sleeping Position or Inappropriate Mattress Bed. There are two types of mattresses in the market you should consider depending on your preference. However, for those experiencing low back strain, it’s highly recommended to get a memory foam mattress and avoid sleeping on your stomach as much as possibl
Try These Back Exercises at Home for Remote Work Relief
With the COVID-19 pandemic, the home office has become the only office for many workers. Some are leaning into the comforts of home and sitting down on the cozy couch or bed with a laptop for the day. Unfortunately, long hours in these positions can cause back pain.
The advantage, however, of working in comfortable clothes and a private space is that you can do back exercises at home to provide some relief. We’ll start below with tips for pain prevention and continue with a back pain exercise plan you can work into your new routine.
Advice for Work from Home Pain Prevention
Aim for proper posture. It may be tempting to sit on the sofa or even in bed, but selecting an ergonomic chair and desk is best. Sit with feet flat on the floor, legs at a 90-degree angle, and head, neck and spine aligned. Adjust the monitor so that your eyes align with the top – avoid angling head and neck downward, as this puts strain on the back.
Avoid being sedentary. Get up and move for a few minutes every hour. Even better, use a height adjustable desk to switch up your body position while you work. Proper posture for standing work is similar to that of seated work – just bring your legs into alignment with the head, neck and spine.
Exercises to Relieve Back Pain
The focus of many of these exercises if strengthening the core, so they’re beneficial for anyone. Even if you aim for correct posture, back pain can still creep in. Try these back exercises at home to heal, recover and strengthen.
-Partial Crunch
For partial crunches, lie on the floor with knees bent and feet flat. Use your hands to support the back of your neck, or cross your arms over your chest. Inhale, and
Back Benefits from a Standing Desk - and 5 Tips for Making the Switch
A very common ailment of office workers is back pain. Sitting at a desk all day at work puts unnecessary pressure on your spine and can lead to discomfort and injury. But trading in your traditional workstation for an adjustable standing desk can reduce that pressure and help to increase the health of your spine. Read on to find out why your back can’t stand all that sitting.
Sit or Stand – How Does Position Impact Your Spine?
Sitting for extended periods has been shown to shorten and harden abdominal and hamstring muscles. At first glance this change might not seem related to the spine, but the imbalance that it causes impinges on the rest of the body’s core, reducing spine alignment and muscle symmetry. Standing helps strengthen muscles in the core and legs – essential to general strength and to preventing spinal injury.
Slouching is also much more common while sitting, and dipping your head toward the computer screen can cause neck and back pain and eventually impact your spine’s curvature. Performing repetitive tasks, particularly while seated, puts stress on muscles and joints and increases the risk of back and neck injury such as spine misalignment, pinched nerves and degenerative discs.
One advantage of an adjustable desk – whether used for sitting or standing – is the ability to customize its height and provide an ergonomic advantage for your body, promoting good pos
Using Proper Lifting Technique to Avoid Back Injury
Back pain is a complex condition that continues to pose a significant health burden on individuals, employers, and society as a whole, despite a range of interventions that have been developed to reduce its impact. In fact, it has been estimated that up to 80% of the population will experience back pain at some point during their lifetime, and up to one thirdof the population suffers from some type of back discomfort at any given time. Not only does back pain interfere with daily routines, recreational activities, and work productivity, it’s also one of the most common reasons that people seek medical attention.
Causes of Back Pain
While some cases of back pain develop gradually over time due to issues such as poor posture, repetitive strain, or uncomfortable working positions, many cases develop after a specific incident, such as bending or lifting awkwardly, or lifting a heavy weight. Therefore, one of the best ways to prevent back injury is to use proper lifting technique, especially when lifting heavy objects.
Proper Lifting Technique
Many people believe that they know how to lift correctly, and are surprised when they suffer a back injury when performing a simple lift. It’s therefore important to review proper lifting techniques from time to time to avoid injury. To begin, before you attempt a lift, you should check your surroundings to ensure that it’s safe to begin your lift. There should be a clear path for you to carry the object, and make sure that you know exactly where you are going to put the object down. Additionally, avoid walking on uneven or slippery surfaces when you are lifting or carrying an object as this only increases yo
The Painful Relationship Between Obesity and Back Problems
While lower back pain is one of the most common disabilities worldwide, the underlying cause behind back pain is not always cut and dry. Lower back pain is rarely caused by a serious medical condition. It is far more common for back pain to be the result of lifestyle factors, such as activity level, posture, and age. Another factor that’s gaining attention as obesity rates rise around the world is the connection between back pain and weight gain.
Many people who are overweight or obese and experience back pain don’t realize that their excess weight may be causing their back pain. Yet there is a clear relationship between body mass index (BMI) and back pain.
One study found that people at a normal weight had the lowest risk for back pain, while people who are obese had the highest risk for back pain and were the most likely to require medical intervention. Another study conducted in 2017 by University of Tokyo Hospital in Japan reviewed medical data for 1,152 men between 1986 and 2009. The researchers found that a person’s BMI directly correlated to their rate of back problems.
Back Pain and Obesity: What’s the Connection?
While there is general consensus that a connection exists between back pain and obesity, researchers disagree about the causal relationship. Some believe the cause-and-effect is simple: extra weight pushes the pelvis forward, which places more strain on the lower back.
Other researchers believe that explanation is too simplistic, and doesn’t account for differences between people, even those of similar age, weight, an
To Overcome Your Back Pain, You Need to Understand It
Do you experience chronic or periodic back pain? If so, you’re not alone: over 80% of Americans will experience some form of back pain during their lives, and 31 million are suffering from back pain at any given time. In fact, lower back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide, and one of the most common reasons for missing work. That’s not surprising when you consider that half of all working Americans will experience back pain every year.
So what’s causing this epidemic of back pain, and what can we do about it?
Causes of Back Pain
The spine is one of the most complex and interconnected anatomical structures in the human body, and because it is subject to so many daily stressors, it is also one of the most prone to injury. It is often difficult to locate the origin of back pain because it is made up of so many different bones, vertebrae, joints, ligaments, nerves, discs, and muscles – any one of which could be causing or exacerbating the pain. The overlap between these different anatomical structures also makes it hard for your brain to differentiate one from another to locate the origin of the pain.
Some of the most common causes of back pain include:
- Muscle or ligament strain/sprain
- Spinal nerve compression
- Lumbar herniated disc
- Degenerative disc disease
- Arthritis
- Sacroiliac joint dysfunction
- Compression fracture
However, most cases of back pain are mechanical or non-organic in origin, meaning that they are not caused by a serious underlying medical condition. If you’re experiencing back pain, you migh
5 Effective Treatments for Lower Back Pain
What would you guess is the most common reason for missing work is among Americans? The flu? The common cold? Those are up there, but in fact, back pain is one of the most common reasons given for missed work. It’s also the second most common reason for visits to the doctor’s office, following upper-respiratory infections.
If that number seems high, so will this one: over 80% of Americans will experience back pain at some point during their lifetime. And that number is rising. Since 1998, the percentage of Americans who report experiencing back pain in the last three months has risen from 29.5% to 33.7%, and 30% of those say it impacted their ability to work. Americans spend $50 billion every year on treating back pain, and $100 million in indirect costs – such as lost wages and productivity.
The culprit behind back pain isn’t hard to identify. Most cases of back pain are non-organic, meaning they aren’t caused by serious medical conditions such as inflammatory arthritis, fracture, or cancer. Here’s a hint: Of those who experience lower back pain, 54% report spending the majority of their workday seated. The primary culprit of our growing back problem is our sedentary lifestyle.
If you’re one of the 33.7% of Americans who have experienced back pain within the past three months, we have some tips for how to cope with or even eliminate the pain. Try these 5 effective treatments for lower back pain.
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Yoga
Yoga is trendy right now – but it’s not all about cute yoga gear and
Stress and Back Pain: 8 Ways to Get Relief for Both
Most people think of back pain as a physical issue, but stress and negative emotions often contribute. If you’re stuck with ongoing discomfort, or even disability, knowing how to address the emotional side of pain can help you change the situation.
Pain sufferers often overlook or avoid emotional contributors to pain because of pressure to perform, shame about emotional challenges, and a lack of support for developing emotional health.
Thankfully, the situation is changing. Groundbreaking work by physicians like Dr. John Sarno has shed light on the connection between emotion and pain and provided relief to thousands.
The growing popularity of emotional intelligence and mindfulness practices has also been shifting attitudes toward emotions, and new scientific findings are providing physical proof of the mind-body connection.
Solutions for Reducing Stress and Relieving Pain
So let’s look at a few simple ways to get started taking some of the emotional weight off your back.
1. The TMS Approach
In his bestselling book Healing Back Pain, Dr. Sarno described a new diagnosis for chronic pain, which he termed Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS) and a simple approach to resolve it.
He believed that ongoing emotional stress, especially unconscious anger, causes the body to tighten, which prevents your muscles from getting enough oxygen. When that happens, you get pain.
He found over many decades working with thousands of patients that simply by understanding their condition as emotional, they often got better.
Bad Posture Leads to Back and Neck Pain
Do you suffer from back or neck pain? If so, you are not alone. University of Carolina researchers found that 80% of Americans will suffer from back pain in their lifetime with losses of over $100 billion a year stemming from decreased worker efficiency and healthcare costs. Back pain appears to be on the rise, especially with the advent of technology. Children grow up hunched over phones and tablets playing games only to grow up finding themselves hunched over their keyboard at work. According to the European Journal of Pain, there is a correlation between age and back pain, with a 13% increase in chances of death for those with chronic back pain in later life.
Posture Pump states that most back and neck pain is attributed to poor posture. Since the neck and spine are connected, a problem in one area can lead to problems in the other. When you are slumped over your computer you are putting a lot of pressure on the muscles in your neck and back leading to aches and pains. Spine Health confirms that this long exposure to poor posture puts unneeded stress on one’s joints, muscles, and spine leading to further pain.
The importance of good posture is clear for our health and well-being. What is the ideal posture then? The Cleveland Clinic states that one should sit
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