There’s no denying that work-from-home setups can cause a great deal of stress relief for busy parents or individuals but they also cause physical discomfort for many people. The pandemic saw an unprecedented rise in the number of people working from home. Even with the lift of COVID-19 restrictions and into the post-pandemic era, many are still working from home. It’s a trend that comes with many comforts, no commuting, and a very relaxed dress code.
On the other end of the spectrum, work-from-home effects related to backaches and sprains have increased significantly. This is attributable to poor posture and sedentary lifestyles commonly adopted by many people. Unlike working from the office, chances are people’s work setups don’t offer the same level of support, as people are moving much less, putting their body at risk of musculoskeletal injuries and discomfort. Here are some common aches and pains and tips to help individuals stay pain-free while working from home.
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Backache
Typically, people find the most convenient places to sit, such as couches and beds, where they hold awkward postures for an extended time, which ultimately places excess stress on the mid and lower back. For instance, leaning forward to type increases the compression on the lumbar vertebrae, exacerbating back problems.
Solution: Besides ensuring your back is supported in an ergonomic arrangement, try to get up every 30 minutes, even if it’s just to stretch to engage your core and back muscles. Specialists recommend consciously lengthening your spine to avoid slouching by using a standing workstation that allows you to transition between sitting and standing.
Hot and cold gel packs for back pain relief are also a convenient and flexible solution for soothing or relieving sore muscles and pain making it easier for busy professionals to tackle their day.
Neck Pain
The position of people’s computer monitors may contribute to poor posture, increasing the force your head places on your cervical spine and muscles. This leads to neck pain, stiffness, and tension headaches that may worsen at the end of a long day.
Solution: To promote good posture, position your screens at eye level and periodically stretch your neck muscles. Take turns moving your right ear toward your right shoulder on each side and slowly extend your neck upward and downward so that your chin lies on your chest.
For pain relief, Rapid Aid’s Gel Neck & Shoulder Wrap is the perfect choice for loosening muscles and improving stiffness.
Shoulder Ache
With more people hunching over their laptops and home keyboards, shoulder ache ailments are increasingly common.
Solution: Practicing good posture by relaxing shoulders and maintaining head level with ears at the level of the shoulders can make the biggest of impacts. Consider incorporating heat therapy or our therapeutic oat bags to soothe pain and relieve cramping or aching muscles.
Wrist Pain
Repetitive hand and wrist movements usually involved in typing make individuals more susceptible to wrist pain, often interfering with their ability to perform their daily duties comfortably.
Solution: Take breaks and incorporate stretches that eliminate the stress in the joints and muscles in your hand. An effective treatment for wrist pain is using Rapid Aid’s Joint Pain Pack to relax muscles and eliminate pain.
Sore Eyes
Staring at the glare of a computer screen for too long makes your eyes tired, causing eye strain, headaches, and sleep problems.
Solution: Take frequent breaks using the 20-20-20 rule suggested by the American Optometric Association. Take a 20 second break to look 20 feet away and hold for 20 seconds. Also, seek natural light and set up your desk so the window is perpendicular to it.
Alternatively, our gel bead eye masks can be used to relieve eye strain/itchy eyes that come from staring at digital screens all day.
If prolonged pain makes it difficult for individuals to move throughout their day, it might be time to seek medical help from a physical therapist or specialist to help improve mobility.
About Us
The pleasures of working from home shouldn’t come with aches and pains. We have plenty of pain relief solutions available no matter what or where the aches and pains are hurting the most. Browse our products to learn more information on their benefits and features.
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