Do you spend most of your day sitting at a computer, and talking on the phone without a headset? Are you using a keyboard that is too high or too low, and staring at a monitor that is awkwardly positioned? Is your mouse positioned so that you have to reach forward to use it? Do you frequently look downwards, to text or use a laptop?
These postures create repetitive strain injuries, similar to those cause by a slip or fall, except they can take months or years to accumulate. Your spine is subjected to abnormal muscular stresses, which can lead to herniated discs, headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, and many other problems.
The solution?
Change your workspace: headsets, keyboard trays, sit-stand desks and back supports are all great affordable solutions. You will be more productive at work if you are not in pain/discomfort.
Move: take short breaks to stretch, take a walk at lunch, find a form of exercise that you enjoy doing a few times per week. Your joints are better lubricated when you move, and your muscles are more flexible. Remember that your body starts to adapt to poor posture – muscles shorten or lengthen in response, and your spine becomes unbalanced.
See a chiropractor: If you find it difficult to straighten up, you probably need to be adjusted.
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