On average, one in four employees in Germany has to deal with back pain occasionally or even daily. If the pain dominates everyday working life, productivity also suffers. The following tips show how to protect yourself from an aching back.
Sitting is the main cause of back pain
From typical office jobs to long-distance truck drivers, a high percentage of the population in Germany works in a predominantly seated job. If movement at work extends primarily to typing on a keyboard, physical ailments can develop from this rigid posture over several hours. Back pain appears at the top of this list. This pain, which can also radiate to the shoulders and neck, is caused by tense muscles in the back. A second reason results from a forward bent posture. Over the years, this sitting posture also promotes the development of pain in the back.
Medical science’s understanding of why back pain occurs more often in some occupations than others is also paving the way to prevent the development of back pain. Some employers are taking an aggressive approach to this issue, offering employees classes to learn healthy sitting postures. It’s also never too early to start these preventive measures to avoid developing the first twinges years before retirement.
Massages help to loosen the tense muscles
Starting the end of the day with tense muscles and back pain often upsets the entire plan for the day. One measure that already relaxes the muscles at work is a massage. Most people are familiar with massage pads for the office chair, among other things, for this purpose. The dozens of balls or small rollers massage the skin and also reach the muscle tissue due to the pressure when leaning back. If the rollers are made of wood, however, the resulting degree of hardness should be considered, which is not perceived as pleasant by everyone.
Another alternative can be found in the use of massage rollers. These rollers are somewhat reminiscent of the swimming aids offered to children to stay afloat. For the massage, it is enough to lean against a wall with the massage roller in your back, where you can create a massage effect by moving your back up and down. A few minutes are enough to loosen the muscles, so that a coffee break, for example, can be filled with two activities in the future.
New furnishings can be just as helpful
In order to prevent unhealthy sitting posture, the furnishings in the office should also be considered. If it is a home office, it is quite simple to make changes. These changes can include simply not sitting at all. With a standing desk, it is possible to perform the usual office tasks while standing. It is important to look for a height-adjustable desk when making your selection. This detail makes it easy to adjust the standing desk to the user’s body height.
If a large part of the working day is spent standing, the posture is regulated and the spine is less likely to be bent into a curved position. Moreover, owning a standing desk by no means means never sitting again at work. If the feet start to hurt, it is no problem to use a chair and thereby vary according to the shape of the day.
Not all seating promotes back pain
The desk is not the only piece of furniture in the office that must withstand critical evaluation to prevent back pain. The classic office chair also does not necessarily offer optimal conditions for the back. Knee chairs can prove to be an alternative. On these chairs no sitting, but a kneeling position is taken. This posture encourages keeping the back straight, although there is no backrest on these seats. Protect yourself from back pain, for this reason, may also require a visit to the furniture store.
