Chiropractor tips for working from home
By: Sarah Regan
With all the recent work-from-home changes, there have been many challenges, one is difficulties maintaining good posture. With your "office" set up different than usual, you may have found that poor ergonomics have resulted in the neck, shoulder, wrist, and low-back discomfort. We can rid ourselves of these problems by optimizing the way that we work. We spoke with R. Alexandra Duma, D.C., DACBSP, a sports chiropractor for Team USA at FICS. If you need extra help sitting up straight throughout the day, take advantage of the posture-supporting products available today. BackEmbrace is used to change poor posture by holding the user in a more vertical and biomechanically appropriate position. Setting up your workspace for optimal posture. Head upright, aligned with shoulder Eyes looking at the top third of your screen (raise your laptop if needed, with books or a box underneath) Elbows above the desk at a 90- to 110-degree angle, letting your forearms rest without raising your shoulders (a pillow underneath you can help). Shoulders relaxed, avoid hunching Wrists in line with your forearms Hips, knees, and ankles at 90 degrees while seated Feet on the ground or under a mat Use a chair with some lumbar support (even a pillow behind your back works, if not using an ergonomic chair) Try to alternate between sitting and standing somewhat frequently.
Stretching
The hip flexor, psoas stretches: Hip flexors conform to the new position, so they are a great option if you are sitting for the majority of your day. Pectoralis stretches: The more with sit at our computers, the more our shoulders begin rotating inward, which negatively affects the pectoralis muscles this makes the muscles tight and shortened. This may lead to chest pain, neck pain, and even numbness and tingling into the upper arms. Knees to chest: If you’re feeling tight, this stretch is can help relax hips, thighs, and glutes, and stretch the low back. Cat-Cow: A great option for mobility exercises for the whole spine to help move your cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. Chin-tuck stretch: If you have "forward-head" posture, you can do this every time you think of it to keep your head where it should be. Keeping your posture in mind can leaves a lasting impact on your overall health and well-being, as well as your productivity while working from home. Setting up your space properly, standing throughout the day, and stretching it out, you can absolutely improve your posture—and your body will thank you for it!