In recent decades, shifts towards technology and virtual communication have led to a significant increase in screen time and sedentary behaviour worldwide. In Australia, nearly 44% of workers aged 18-64 report their job as ‘mostly sitting.’
Sitting itself isn’t bad or dangerous, and it is often unavoidable when we have busy and demanding jobs. However, 40% of reported musculoskeletal injuries in Australian office settings are related to the spine (ie neck or back pain). The causes of this can be addressed with some simple, science-based strategies.
Joint/muscle Stiffness + Inflammation Explained
Sitting for long periods of time results in more systemic inflammation. When our muscles contract, this helps improve our post-meal uptake of glucose and fatty acids from our bloodstream. If we are not getting regular muscle movement throughout the day, this leads to elevated glucose and triglyceride levels in the blood stream which triggers an inflammatory response.
Our musculoskeletal system is designed for regular movement, moving our joints often throughout the day promotes the release of synovial fluid in our joints to keep them lubricated and feeling less stiff. Moving our body also promotes blood flow to our muscles helping to deliver nutrients and reduce that feeling of stiffness or achiness that comes with a lack of movement.
Here are a few movements you can try at the desk to get your body moving to reduce inflammation and muscle/joint stiffness. Aim to do 10-15 of these every 30-60 minutes:
- Shoulder shrugs: Focus on breathing out and relaxing the shoulders between each rep. You’ll be surprised how rarely you let your shoulders completely relax.
- Shoulder blade squeezes: Pretend someone has a pen in between your shoulder blades and you’re trying to squeeze it. Keep your arms still.
- Seated pelvic tilts: Aim to drive the movement with your abs and lower back, keeping the shoulders as still as possible.
What about your posture?
Posture is often blamed for work-related neck or back pain. There is yet to be conclusive scientific evidence to say that there is one position or posture that is superior to others. Sometimes, I find that spending too much time trying to sit upright with a “perfect” posture leads to pain and fatigue because we are working so hard to maintain the same position.
For a new pain or injury, posture usually matters more and it can be manipulated to offload painful structures. For example an acute back pain episode involving injury to the facet joints will not do well with long periods in an upright, extended position.
My second tip for reducing work-related back pain is: it’s usually best to try to move between a variety of sitting positions throughout the day.
Slouch, sit upright, lean left, lean right. Just keep moving! If your job feels quite hectic and you think you’ll forget to move, you can even try using a rolled up towel to support your lumbar spine and swap this in and out throughout the day to keep your back position changing.
Staying fit and healthy
A sitting-based job means it can be sometimes hard to get into a routine when it comes to exercise. It’s important to find an exercise routine that works for you. Aim to mix up your week with a variety of resistance exercise and cardiovascular activity. Adding a few exercises to strengthen the muscles that support your spine is also recommended!
As a minimum, every week aim for 2-3 hours of exercise that gets your heart rate up and feels challenging, alongside 2-3 sessions of resistance exercise at home or in the gym.
If this is hard to achieve for you- things such as joining a class-based gym, finding a workout buddy or signing up to a fun-run can be a catalyst for consistency and motivation.
By keeping regularly active, you enhance your overall metabolic health, reduce systemic inflammation and create a stronger, more resilient body that is less likely to feel the negative effects of your office-based job.
Even if you’re not in pain, seeing a physio or exercise professional can help you setup an exercise plan that meets your needs.
When to see someone for your pain?
This can be an important question to understand the answer to when soreness becomes something that needs to be addressed. I generally recommend seeing a professional when the pain ticks one of the following boxes
- You have tried some of the above strategies and things are worsening or stagnant
- Your pain is preventing you from working to your full capacity (your job or household tasks)
- Your symptoms are impacting social engagement with friends and/or family
- You’re struggling to exercise at your desired level or frequency
A professional can help you to modify your plan specifically to your needs and symptoms, to address the underlying causes behind your symptoms in the long-term.
If you are looking for a physiotherapy or exercise professional to address your back pain issues with, the team at Base deal with these problems every day. Book using the link at the top of the page and we’ll see you soon!
References:
Safe Work Australia. (2019). Work-related musculoskeletal disorders in Australia. Safe Work Australia. https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/system/files/documents/1912/work-related_musculoskeletal_disorders_in_australia_0.pdf
Slater, D., Korakakis, V., O’Sullivan, P., Nolan, D., & O’Sullivan, K. (2020). “Sit up straight”: Time to re-evaluate. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 24(3), 197-206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2020.02.006