Working from home in general and during COVID

The past 2 years have been challenging for everyone, without a doubt everyone’s work and social life

have been affected as a great number of people have moved to working remotely from home and

seeking activities which limit their exposure to Covid.

Rates of sitting and desk-work related back and neck pain at our clinic has definitely increased. This is

due to a number of things which include transitioning to less ergonomic home offices. In many cases

home offices are not well suited to supporting our backs and necks for full time work. On top of this a

general decrease in incidental physical activity is also to blame, as people are opting to stay home more

and get out less.

In terms of setting up your home office ergonomically, make sure your monitor is directly in front of you

and at eye level and your key board and mouse is directly in front at a close but comfortable distance

from your body. Your chair needs to support the natural curve of your lower back and needs to be set at

a height that allows your forearms to be level and just above the desk when using the mouse and

keyboard, while your legs cannot be obstructed by anything and feet must comfortably rest flat on the

ground or on a foot stool. You can change the height of your monitor if it has an adjustable back plate

that can change its orientation or if not by placing it on some books. If you are using a laptop you can

use an external mouse and keyboard so that you can adjust the height of the laptop screen without

compromising the position of your hands and elbows. Furthermore, investing in an ergonomic desk and

office chair that you find comfortable are very important, especially if you are working full-time from

home. A more in-depth summary of desk ergonomics can be found by clicking here.

Other simple strategies include scheduling a reminder on your phone to change position every hour

either from sitting to standing or to have a break, go for a walk or even walking while taking calls. Opt to

swap the TV for outside sometimes, this will help your mental and physical health throughout Covid.

Going for a walk outdoors for 20- 30 minutes down your street with a friend to a local park is great for

your health; it also will help you stay connected with others during these isolating times.

We are open for business at Physio Room, seeing patients one on one and in small group Pilates classes.

We also offer telehealth appointments where we provide physiotherapy services over video call and

help you manage your aches and pains remotely. This is a great way to minimize exposure to Covid and

is an effective research backed alternative to face to face consultations. Telehealth session utilize

exercise, goal setting, and self management techniques so that you can learn to manage your pain

independently.

You can book an appointment with one of our friendly physiotherapists either online

through the booking link or call 8065 1970.