Don’t Suffer At Home: Get Rid Of These Three Remote Work-Related Injuries
2020 has been one of the toughest years in a century, bringing with it a global pandemic that has shifted the lives of everyone. One way in which this has happened is through the displacement of workers from their physical places of employment to the confines of their homes.
For many, the daily scenario changed from moving around the office and at times going for a quick snack at the cafe down the street, to mainly sitting or lying around at home while working. Given that not everyone has a home office, those of us working from home are now forced to choose between sitting in a hard-backed dining chair or sitting on our beds with rounded backs, just to get our work done.
And what are we using during all these hours to complete our jobs? Our laptops of course! This is not good at all, since laptops were designed to be used for a few hours at a time, for mobile warriors or frequent flyers to get work done.
Consequently, the number of physical injuries have increased rapidly. This is backed by statistics that show that since working from home this year, 41% of American professionals have reported new or increased back, shoulder, and/or neck pain.
So let’s look specifically at three of these resulting injuries that chiropractors have been getting increased reports on and have had to treat since the onset of the pandemic:
- Tech neck — According to the experts, tech neck comes about from working on your computer or looking down at your phone. Doing this causes the muscles in the back of your neck having to contract to sustain your head. Now, picture being in this position for hours! Can you imagine the strain your neck is under all that time?
- Muscle strain — This one’s also known as a pulled muscle and happens when your muscle is overstretched or torn. Sitting in front of a computer for too long leads to fatigue, overuse, or improper use of the muscles in your lower back, neck, and shoulder, and is one of the major causes of muscle strain.
- Carpal tunnel — Two of the leading causes of carpal tunnel are high blood pressure and fractures or trauma to the wrist. Contrary to popular belief before the pandemic, working from home can be very stressful.
This is especially true for teachers.
Imagine having to virtually teach a class of about 50 students who don’t always cooperate, taking registration, ensuring everyone is paying attention and participates, evaluating, and having to report to your superiors. The most likely result? High blood pressure, leading to carpal tunnel. And if you’re a writer who spends countless hours at the keyboard typing away then your wrists would feel the pressure.
Now, think about someone with a condition like diabetes or thyroid dysfunction, or who is pregnant or menopausal. The odds are higher!
Note that these are just three of the many injuries that have spiked since remote working has become the new norm. Degenerative disk disease and teeth fractures are also among them.
So, how can these issues be fixed? The answer, of course, lies in ergonomic wellness. Look around for a company that specializes in the same, especially in the production of therapeutic office chairs. So, instead of sitting on your bed or in a hard-backed chair, staring at your laptop for hours at a time, and risking all these physical complications, you can complete your work in more safety and comfort.