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Working In An Office Causing Your Pain?

Whether you are working in an office or working from home this blog post is for you. We will be able to give you tips to help reduce the aches and pains caused from your office setup. Even if you have been working in an office for 20+ years or just starting out. Find out the common aches and pains that other like you suffer from and how to fix them!

What are the common aches and pains in office workers?

Here at Cardy Sports Clinic, we see a steady stream of workers who are either still in the office or working from home. No matter what your current work environment, there seems to be a theme with what you all are complaining of. Whether the company you work for has provided you with the best equipment or not; there is a definite pattern with the two working environments.

  • Neck Pain
  • Lower Back Pain
  • Tension Headaches
  • Leg Pain
office pains
Working in an office causing your pains?

What is Office Syndrome?

This is an ache and pain type syndrome labelled as office syndrome, however, it can affect anyone that sits and uses a laptop or any other device. Prolonged period of sitting at a desk or on a device will increase the risk of suffering from office syndrome. Typically, offices and working environments in general, carry a lot of stress. Unfortunately, we aren’t able to swat away stress like an annoying fly, instead it accumulates and builds up the tension in the muscles. Scroll down to learn how we can help reduce the aches and pains.

Could my posture cause my pain?

This is a heavily argued point in the healthcare industry. There are some areas of the healthcare industry that still stick to the “Posture is linked to Pain”. However, there isn’t a one shoe fits all in this world, so why do we assume that every person should have the same posture. The true cause of your pain is unlikely to be related to your posture, instead, putting yourself into an unnatural position or overstretching for a lengthened period of time is more likely the cause.

An example of this will be related to screen usage. Whether you are in the office or at home, you more than likely have multiple screens to use at any one time. Commonly, you spend the majority of your time on one screen (usually on your left) whilst operating the mouse with your right hand. If this is you, does the right side of your neck/shoulder ache or give you pain?

Office Syndrome

Does my office setup affect my aches and pains?

More than likely, yes. Where you have your main screen positioned, screen height, chair height and the length of time you stay seated, will all affect your aches and pains. Many companies have a department where they can give you advice on your setup. So get in contact with a head of department for example and ask the question. Did you know a lot of businesses have a health allowance for you? This means that you can come for a Deep Tissue Massage or Sports Massage with us, and you claim it back from your company.

How to reduce the pain from working in an office?

The best thing to do is to get yourself moving. Take regular breaks throughout the day to get up out of your chair and have a little stretch. Shake your arms about, touch your toes, move the hips or just stroll about your house. All of this will help! Sometimes the aches and pains are a little more difficult to shake off. In this case we recommend getting a Sports or Deep Tissue Massage. We have helped so many office workers already so what are you waiting for!

Office Workers Aches and Pains

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Why Do I Have Neck Pain and Shoulder Pain?

Since Covid hit back at the start of 2020, we saw a huge increase in clients suffering with neck pain and back pain. Many had been sent to work from home, or had been furloughed. This meant they were no longer using their nice comfortable desk and work setup. Therefore, an increase in muscle pain and change in posture was seen. Honestly, the best thing you can do when suffering with neck or shoulder pain is to book in for a deep tissue massage. You will see a significant change in your pain straight after one session!

What can cause my neck pain?

Within the neck region, there are a variety of different structures that can be affected. Typically, your pain will be caused by the muscles, unless you have suffered a significant injury from a car crash etc.

  • Poor Posture
  • Poor Work Environment
  • Lack of Breaks When at a Laptop
  • Sleeping Awkwardly
  • Whiplash
  • More Serious Pathology

The best way to determine what is causing your pain is to seek professional advice. Try to avoid aggravating the neck problem further and rest it. If you think it is caused by your current work environment you can do a few things to ease this.

  • Contact the company your work for. Tell them that your current working arrangement isn’t suitable. Following this, they should put in place a plan to improve your setup or, alternatively, provide you the help you need.
  • Take plenty of breaks throughout the day, get up and get moving.
  • Try to avoid looking down at your computer throughout the day. Have the computer at eye level if possible.
neck pain

My pain is in my neck radiating down through my shoulder, why?

Within the neck and shoulder area there is a large muscle called the trapezius muscle. This runs from the upper back up into the neck and along the shoulder. When this muscle is tight, it can put pressure onto the nerves that run around the muscle down into the arm. This type of neck and shoulder pain is very irritating and can cause a lot of discomfort for you day to day. The best thing to do is to stretch and keep moving. Alongside your stretching, get yourself a treatment with a professional and watch your pain disappear.

I have been suffering with more headaches, how can I ease this?

Tension headaches are a horrible thing to suffer with. These headaches never seem to end, feeling more like a migraine and nothing seemingly easing the pain. Tension headaches have a variety of different causes, therefore, which cause is affecting you?

More than likely, this is due to poor posture or muscle tension. Often, stress can be the cause. It is hard to control the areas in your life, externally, that give you stress. However, you can help yourself with your posture and muscle tension. Get moving, get stretching and get your muscles working better for you. You will find this is much easier to do as a preventative method. When you are suffering with a tension headache you should take painkillers and try to stretch as much as you can.