Working from home during Covid-19

Written by - Nicky Darroch, MOBO Massage

Have you been working from home during Lock Down and continue to do so

One of the most common complaints I hear currently is neck, shoulder, upper back and lower back pain, well the whole body really!!

The vast majority of people aren’t getting the same opportunity to leave the house and go about their normal daily activities as before; we are missing out on those small movements that we took for granted. We have been really isolated from everything that we do normally in our day to day live from walking to transport, taking the kids to school, walking to the next meeting or another colleague’s desk; all of these small activities get our muscles moving. Things are now better, but for some, they will either not go back to the office or only be going in a couple of days a week or fortnight!! Our days now consist of sitting at the dining table as a make shift desk opening the next Zoom meeting, and this is probably going to be to norm for alot of us from now on. We are now in a better position after being able to open up, but I am still seeing clients with these ongoing issues.

Setting up the home office is important for our posture and to help reduce pain from our new work location. Making a few small changes can help reduce the strain, including:

– Using a rolled up towel or a small pillow against the lower back will help with lower back pain, adding this support will help keep an arch in the lumbar spine – Investing in a good ergonomic desk chair is extremely beneficial, ensuring we are sitting correctly. – Whilst sitting at your desk, keep both feet on the floor, thighs parallel to the floor, with your knees at hip height. To achieve this you can use a box or some books to create an elevated foot rest. – Ensure your computer is at eye level, you can use a box or some books to raise your computer screen to help bring the screen up to eye level. This will help to bring the neck back into alignment which will help reduce the strain, tension and headaches. – If you are on zoom meeting alot, invest in a wireless devices like a headset or headphones, this will stop you from tilting your neck and aggravating the neck and shoulder issues.

It is really important to keep active, getting up stretching and moving, doing a home workout or going for a walk. This is so important for our mental health, even more so now, than ever! Getting up and moving at least once an hour will make a major improvement on your day, go get a small glass of water, this will encourage you to get up to fill it frequently.

Doing a few stretches every few hours or when you are starting to feel the tension build up are very easy and very relaxing. Here are some easy exercises you can do yourself:

Neck stretch: – Place your hand underneath your leg or your chair, which acts as an anchor, and use your opposite hand to gently pull your head towards your shoulder. Repeat on each side a couple of time and hold for 10-20 seconds

Chest stretch: – If you have a foam roller lay on it length ways along the spine, keep your knees bent with your feet flat on the floor. Place your arms out to the sides, with your palms facing up, relax and feel that stretch through the chest. If you don't have a foam roller, don't worry, grab a large towel and roll it length ways and follow the steps above. Lay on this for as long as you want.

Shoulder squeezes: – Roll your shoulders back, relax your shoulders, your chest open, squeeze your shoulder blades together by pulling the shoulders back and down, you’ll be able to feel the muscles between the shoulder blades working, squeeze and hold for 10 seconds and repeat 3 times.

Back extension/Cobra pose: – Start by laying on your stomach, with your hands flat on the floor at chest height, slowly raise your chest off the ground slowly, straightening out your arms, keeping your hips on the floor. Repeat if comfortable. If you have any pain, please stop.

Thank goodness! I am so happy and relieved to let you know that I am now allowed to treat again. If you need to see me, click on the Book Online button and get yourself sorted!