If you remain seated for prolonged hours at work, you’re bound to experience back and neck pains. Of course, there are other various reasons why you may be experiencing such pains too. But a bad sitting posture may be the most notorious of all.
You can also experience back pain when you lift heavy items or by being overweight. For neck pains, the other reasons include not changing positions while you work at a desk. If you have both pains you have, it may be due to a bad sitting posture.
There are some solutions to get rid of the unbearable back and neck pains. You need to know the cause, though. Here’s how to get rid of these pains.
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1. Invest in A Right Chair
With the right office chair, you can easily get rid of back and neck pains. When looking for a quality chair make sure you look for ergonomic designs. These chairs will give you the right posture, and you will do away with the pain.
The right posture is one where you are seated upright and put no pressure on the spine. Suppose you put too much pressure on your spine. You are likely to experience lower back pain, and it can be severe at times. This chair helps you sit right with your feet touching the ground and your hands able to work on the desk.
The chair should also be able to ensure that the screen is in the right view. When you sit in a stable position without moving, you will experience some neck pain. The chair should be flexible to ensure you aren’t stuck facing the same direction all day long.
2. Stretch
You don’t have to remain in the same position all day long; that’s how you will experience back and neck pains. You can opt to move around while in the office when you have sat for long hours. You can also perform some simple stretches when you go to the bathroom to don’t interfere with others.
Some stretches you can do include:
- I-pose
This is when you sit and let your arms stretch, going up and down. Your shoulders should be relaxed and your feet firmly on the ground.
- Head Tilt
The next stretch you want to perform is the head tilt. Here, firmly sit on a chair with your feet flat on the floor. Relax your shoulders and have your arms hang straight down. Grasp the chair with one hand as the next one remains to hang.
Tilt your head on the side of the chair that your arm was hanging. Do it ten times before you switch to the other side. This stretch helps you avoid pain in your back and your neck.
- W-Pose
With this pose, stand and have your feet width apart. It would be best if you started with your arms dangling on the side – while you do this, relax your shoulders. Pull out your elbows back to the wall – they should be next to your ribcage. Now bring the back of your hands to the wall and the sides of your shoulders.
3. Use Home Remedies
When you have done all these and still feel some pain, before you go to a hospital, you can apply some home remedies. And they include:
- Taking some over-the-counter painkillers – The pain may not be a serious one, so taking painkillers may ease it.
- Apply ice – you can also opt to apply ice on the affected areas as it may just be sore.
- Avoid cradling your phone between your shoulders and neck – it tilts your neck in an uncomfortable position.
- Gentle massage – after work, you can go out for massage sessions before the pain gets severe.
- Change positions – don’t just sit the whole day without changing positions. Move around when you’ve been in the same position for long.
4. Use Pillow and Office Seat Cushions
It would be best to use the right pillow when you sleep as it can help you void back and neck pains. When you don’t use a pillow, your body remains straight the whole night and may cause it to soar.
Whether you have the right chair or not in the office, add an office chair cushion. It will bring comfort and enable you to sit in the right posture and avoid neck and back pains.
You can avoid both neck and back pain by utilizing the above methods. Most of the pain in these two areas are related, and once you have a solution for one, you can deal with both. These are the top solutions you can use to avoid these pains.
