Work Ergonomics

Ergonomics at Your Desk

At Dr. Phillips Chiropractic, Nutrition and Wellness in San Antonio, we hear a lot from patients about how their sedentary jobs cause them to feel back pain and discomfort throughout the day. It may seem strange that simply sitting at a desk for a long period of time would have an adverse effect on your health but, according to the Mayo Clinic, inactive or desk jobs can greatly contribute to lower back pain, especially if you’re not using proper posture or good back support.

ergonomics

Understanding proper ergonomics is a crucial step toward reducing or eliminating your painful back issues and we can help you to do that.

When You Should See a Chiropractor

Minor back pain often goes ignored by office workers. This is a mistake. Minor aches can easily turn into major pains if they are left unaddressed for a long period of time. If you’re unsure of whether you should seek solutions for back pain, ask yourself these questions:

  • Do you feel sharp pains in your lower back, hips or thighs?
  • Do you feel numbness in your back or legs?
  • Do you feel tingling in your back, legs or feet?
  • Is it difficult to stand up after you’ve been sitting for a long time?
  • Is it difficult to bend down?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, chances are that you should visit a chiropractor to help identify the problems with your back and to get suggestions and/or treatment on how to remedy the situation.

Suggestions to Alleviate Pain & Discomfort

Part of working with a chiropractor entails the treatments you receive in the office as well as the homework that you will be advised to do in order to enhance the treatments and expedite healing.  To help avoid the ongoing discomfort of lower back pain, here are some of the most important ergonomic practices to incorporate into your daily routine:

  1. Adjust your chair so that your back is fully supported and your knees are at a 90-degree angle when sitting down. The chair position should feel comfortable without straining the muscles or joints and there should be very little pressure felt on the legs.

  2. Sit close to your keyboard so you don’t have to overextend your arms to type.

  3. If you’re using a mouse, move it within close reach.

  4. Plant your feet on the ground instead of crossing your legs. This helps to promote good blood circulation.

  5. Keep your head up as much as possible and avoid hunching over.

  6. Take stretch breaks.

  7. Adjust armrests so elbows remain close to the body.

  8. Don’t cradle the phone between your ear and neck. This causes major neck strain.

Schedule An Appointment With Us Today!

If you find that you're experiencing discomfort and pain from repetitive movements and poor habits in your workplace, schedule an appointment with us today! We will help alleviate your pain caused by poor work ergonomics and give you the advice to incorporate safer ergonomic practices.

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