ALIGN: Practice Management Solution

Proper Posture in the Office to Avoid Pain & Injury

One of the main causes of pain or work injuries is posture, whether repeating a movement or sitting all day, posture generates changes at the muscle level that can cause injuries in a short period of time, for this reason it is It is vitally important during work hours to correctly manage our energy expenditure through movement in the office or during the home office and in this article, we are going to explain how you can do it to prevent future injuries.

Posture is defined as the position that each individual adopts during their day to day, both in movement (called dynamic posture), and when we are not in movement; whether sitting, standing or sleeping (static posture). Posture is related to the state of the musculoskeletal system, lifestyle, daily habits that the person acquires and emotions.

Good posture is based on the symmetrical alignment of the body around the axis of gravity, made up of the elements of the spinal column, keeping the head upright, the pelvis centered and the extremities positioned so that the weight of the body is distributed evenly. equitable. On the contrary, a bad posture is one in which the body does not respect that alignment and generates greater energy expenditure of the joints and muscles.

Currently there is a worldwide controversy in relation to “good posture”, since maintaining a correct posture does not exempt the appearance of pain, and on the other hand, maintaining poor posture does not necessarily lead to injuries or musculoskeletal disorders. .

So what is the root of the problem in relation to postures? Posture is directly conditioned by other factors such as: stress, sedentary lifestyle, diet and / or physical exercise that can be decisive in triggering aches and pains. Therefore, it is very important to become aware of what our position is and what we must do to correct it, if it is not adequate.

When we are in the office, long working hours of 8 hours or more of at least 5 days a week, generate a constant tension in the neck, back and lumbar area. Static posture, in this case, is the cause of short-term ailments such as carpal tunnel, neck pain, low back pain and even knee involvement. To the above, we add a sedentary life and the time we spend sitting going home by public transport or in our own vehicle, causes the wear of our joints, ligaments and muscles. Without forgetting stress, which generates chemical changes in our body that makes us feel more exhausted and unconsciously changes our posture. Does this relationship make a little more sense, right? But this can be corrected in time and prevent these injuries from perpetuating in our body.

If we use technology to our advantage, we can break the static and passive pattern during our daily work as follows:

• Place an alarm on our phone or Smart watch that sounds every 2 hours.

• Move your neck to the left and right, bringing your ear to your shoulder.

• Roll your head back and forth.

• Make movements with your hands to open and close.

• Finally, stop for a drink, go to the bathroom, make an excuse to stand up and take a few steps.

With this simple routine that we can use within the office, we can generate benefits that our body will thank us over time. to prevent injuries. Breaking with the static is the immediate solution to postural injuries, especially at the level of our spine and the muscles that are connected with it since they are the main ones in charge of maintaining and distributing our weight