If you ask the employees around your office about what kind of problems they might be having, you will find out that one of the most common issues is back pain. The common reason to this problem is the nature of the sedentary occupation. Sitting way too long in your office chair is bound to have an effect on your back.
In this article, we are going to discuss some of the most frequent causes of back pain, and things that you can do to deal with them appropriately.
The causes of back pain
What are the most common causes of your employees’ back pain? For starters, it’s the sedentary occupation, but also bad posture, stress, and poor physical conditioning. It could also be some of the internal issues such as kidney stones or osteoporosis.
The sedentary nature of working in an office makes people sit in their chairs for half of their waking hours, so it’s not a surprise that back pain is such a frequent problem. Improper distribution of body weight when sitting is the main reason that lower back pain appears. Sitting for an extended period of time is problematic even if you do regular exercise.
Emotional and psychological issues can also be a cause for back pain. People that don’t score well on psychological tests are more prone to show symptoms of back pain. There is a variety of natural methods where mind and body work together in order to alleviate the pain.
Conventional medical services also tend to present a problem. The reason to this is the fact that a lot of doctors tend to prescribe medications without a closer examination of the issue. The various side effects of these medications are a thing to worry about. Painkillers and similar meds need to be left as a last resort and used only under medical supervision.
How to prevent back pain
It’s always best to prevent the pain than to fight it once it’s already an issue. There is a variety of methods and practices that you can encourage and follow in order to do that.
Slouching and bad postures are a common cause of back pain. Next, to just not looking good, it creates a bad habit and leads to further issues as a result. Encourage your workers to exercise at home, and learn how to sit properly in their office chairs.
As an employer, you need to provide your employees with proper chairs that they can adjust according to their needs. Every good chair has to have robust lumbar support. A good exercise that can further help in this is to tilt your head back, suck your stomach in, and rotate your pelvis upwards.
Stretching before doing physical activities helps. By properly exercising this way, you make sure that your muscles are ready for the activity at hand. This way, you become more flexible, and there is less chance that you will hurt yourself.
Provide your employees with quality water coolers for offices or make sure that your canteen is stocked up on bottled water. Drinking the necessary amount of water makes you less stiff by raising your intervertebral disks. You should also promote a no-smoking policy, as it’s another factor that may lead to back pain.
Finally, wearing comfortable shoes with low heels is essential for proper blood circulation and coagulation.
How to treat back pain
Chronic back pain tends to be quite an issue amongst your employees and is a frequent cause of sick leaves. There are various ways that you can treat this problem.
The first thing you can do is encourage your employees to exercise at home. By doing this regularly, spine muscles are strengthened, which is beneficial for back pain. If the pain is concentrated in the lower back, it is a great idea to take up swimming or aerobics. Another option is to sign up for a yoga class, or go to the gym and take up one of the programs that have an approach suitable for your issue. You can consult with your instructor, or another specialist, to learn to want works best for your back.
You could also promote less sitting amongst your workers. When you sit in one position for too long, it tends to result in back pain. You should encourage your employees to take frequent breaks, and use that time to, for example, take a walk. To reduce the time spent sitting, you could implement standing desks or higher surfaces. This will make their bodies adjust to the change and strengthen their muscles. Make sure that you give them options so that they can adjust according to their needs.
Proper breathing is another technique that works wonders for your back. It’s a good idea to learn breathing exercises that can be practiced at home or at work. These exercises are meant to boost your blood circulation, and in effect, take care of your back pain.
Finally, it is essential that you consult a professional about your issue. Experts at Canning Chiropractor Perth say that a lot of problems can be avoided if you seek professional help on time. If you ignore your pain, don’t treat it properly, or worse, take wrong advices, you can make things much worse than they were, to begin with.
In summation
As there are various causes of back pain, there is also a number of ways to prevent and treat it properly. The best advice is – if in doubt, best consult a professional for helpful advice on how to deal with the problem. Back pain can certainly have a detrimental effect on your employees’ productivity, so make sure that you help them deal with it the right way.