The Problem with Deskwork

Think about how many hours we spend at a computer each day at work. Do you work in front of a screen for the entire time? Maybe a few hours? Do you typically sit for most of your work day?

There is a phase stating that “sitting is the new smoking”, and there is truth to it. We are learning more and more how a sedentary life is dangerous to our health and longevity–not just longevity, but the actual quality of our years. As we age, do you want to be able to move and do all the things you’d like? How we treat our bodies now determines the quality of our future.

In chiropractic, we are constantly seeing the damage caused by long-term sitting. Sitting for long periods is detrimental to the joints of our spines, causing irreversible damage over a lifetime. The damage doesn’t occur all at once, but rather it slowly builds day-by-day until what started as an annoying tightness in the low back has evolved into chronic, daily pain that shoots down the back of your leg, making it hard to go from sitting to standing or move around for too long before it gets too painful.

When we sit, we put about 60% more pressure on the discs of our spine than when we are standing. Joints mold and change over time based on the forces they experience. If you are a martial artist who breaks boards frequently, your bones respond and get thicker to adapt to the forces. If you sit at a computer or at home most of the day, your joints will adapt and change to manage the abnormal forces.

As a chiropractor, I speak often for local businesses and groups about ergonomics and healthy habits for the body. Here are the key tips I give almost everyone to help not only manage back pain, but to prevent it.

1. Move frequently. Our bodies can sit for long periods, but they are designed to crave movement and a variety of postures. For every hour someone is sitting at a desk, they need to get up and move their bodies for at least five minutes. Get up and stretch, move in new ways. Go to the restroom. Get a drink of water. Anything that gets you up and moving your body is beneficial.
2. Try more positions. Switch out your chair for an exercise ball for a few minutes to give your body and muscles some new stimulus. This variety allows the joints and muscles to experience different forces so they don’t get “locked in” to one single pattern. If you have a sit-stand desk, that is wonderful. Switch between sitting and standing every hour. While standing, you can also place a step under your desk to prop one foot up on it. This gives you additional positions to try to add more variety. The more often you can change positions, the happier your joints will be.
3. Walk at least 30 minutes a day. Even if you can’t adapt your work position, you can still plan time to walk for 30 minutes every day. This does a lot to counteract the build up of physical stress on the joints from sitting. One of the worst things you can do is spend eight hours working at a computer (sitting), drive home (sitting), then immediately find the couch (sitting). Try to create a walking group at work, make it a habit to walk for a bit at lunch, or spend some time after dinner walking around the neighborhood. The 30 minutes can be broken up throughout the day.

These tips help counteract the stress that builds up from office work, however if there is pain in the back or sensations going down the legs, it is important to talk to a professional. Chiropractors treat back pain every day with great success, and are the first line providers when it comes to back pain. The majority of back pain comes from chronic, lifestyle stress, and chiropractic care works wonders getting people moving and living pain-free.