Long hours of telecommuting at home are likely to cause back pain. A good posture education and improved physical condition can help us prevent it. HLA San Carlos gives you simple keys to avoid back pain from teleworking
With the recent extension of the alarm state, a significant number of people will continue to telework in conditions that, in some cases, are not the most appropriate. Confinement implies less physical activity, more sedentary lifestyle, more frequent episodes of stress and, consequently, a greater probability of suffering back pain. Dr. José Lizón, orthopedic specialist in spinal surgery and minimally invasive techniques of the hospital HLA San Carlos de Dénia, offers some recommendations regarding the place of telework in order to avoid or minimize back ailments. “For starters, the place where teleworking is to be carried out must be at least two square meters to avoid feeling overwhelmed, it has to be well ventilated and it must have adequate lighting. The light should not cause reflections on the screen and it is very important that the cables are well collected to avoid unnecessary falls and blows ”, affirms the specialist.
It is advisable that the chair is adjustable in height and have at least five support points. The armrests must be at least five centimeters wide and about fifteen inches long. Similarly, the back must be able to rest on the back of the chair, maintaining the correct physiological curvature and be able to lean back. The lumbar area must maintain the correct lordosis, so if our chair has a straight back, we must place a cushion or pillow at the level of the lumbar.
The support of the extremities is also very important because it brings neutrality to the posture. In this sense, a correct posture for teleworking is based on support the elbows on the table with a 90º angle and the feet on the floor. "If they do not arrive well due to our height or that of the chair, we can use a box or a stack of magazines", explains Dr. Lizón. We should also take care of the position of the computer screen, to avoid neck pain due to bad position. Therefore, the top edge of the monitor should be at eye level to maintain a natural, non-forced position.
The space under the table must be fairly wide for the legs, and the table must be wide enough so that the arms can be supported.
One aspect that plays a very important role in back pain is the StressSo if we have children, we will try to establish a schedule to help us with planning and, above all, with respect for working times.
