Making WFH life easier with better posture
By: Tanya Edwards
There’s a pretty good chance you’re reading this while sitting on the couch, hunched over in a chair, or lying in bed. With most everyone working from home right now, it seems this is a very common thing to do all day long. Unfortunately, the new way to work isn’t all that ergonomic in many cases, and it’s giving a lot of people back and neck pain.
“People are — a lot of times — working in spaces that aren’t ergonomic,” explains Dr. Ron Riesenburger, neurosurgeon and director of the spine center at Tufts Medical Center. “A lot of people have makeshift offices. They’re using chairs without proper support, without proper cushioning. And I think a lot of times they don’t even have a desk.”
If back pain isn’t a chronic problem, but something that’s flared up from a new working- or studying-from-home situation, what can you do to get some relief?
“I highly recommend frequent changes of position, rolling back of shoulders, and wearing postural braces around the house,” says Dr. Amir Vokshoor, diplomate at the American Board of Neurological Surgery. “It’s important to be cognizant of posture at all times with possible use of technology to remind us on a periodic basis to change posture to counter the kyphosis [rounding of the spine] that we are prone to.”
Check out some of the best products that might help you while you’re home!
A seamless posture corrector for WFH
A posture correcting device is an easy and simple way to prevent a sore back.
Designed to be worn while working or sitting, this posture corrector is a doctor favorite. “I recommend it to my patients who struggle with maintaining proper alignment,” says Vokshoor. “Unlike so many posture correctors on the market, BackEmbrace has uniquely adjusting straps that are extremely effective in retracting the shoulders.”