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Can Sitting at a Desk Cause Body Aches?

Working from home or working in an office may not seem like a labor-intensive profession, but it can still take a toll on your body. Research shows that approximately 82% of workers spend most of their workday sitting down, and 65% of them develop musculoskeletal pain. If you have experienced pain from sitting at a desk, there are ways you can alleviate your discomfort and prevent pain in the future. Check out these tips from Michigan Center for Regenerative Medicine.

Why Your Body Hurts from Working at a Desk

Sitting for prolonged periods of time puts pressure on your hips and lower back. Most desk workers sit in hunched positions throughout the day as they stare down at their keyboards or computer screens. This can lead to neck pain, upper back pain, shoulder pain, and more. This could be said for any job where your body is in the same position for long periods of time. Mechanics may develop similar pain from bending over vehicles or laying on a hard floor when they work underneath them.

When you start to recognize how much time you spend in one position, it’s easy to see why your body is acting out! Now, we need to figure out how to treat the pain you have and avoid it moving forward.

Common Body Aches from Desk Jobs

Some of the most common pains from working at a desk include:

  • Back pain and spinal pain
  • Hip pain
  • Hand and wrist pain (carpal tunnel and arthritis)
  • Neck pain
  • Shoulder pain
  • Elbow pain

If you’ve experienced discomfort for more than three months, you may be suffering from chronic pain. This can turn into a vicious cycle where work creates more pain, and pain makes it difficult for you to work. The earlier you intervene in the cycle, the easier it is to treat and overcome high-impact chronic pain.

How to Prevent Office Work Pain

The best way to prevent muscle pain from a desk job is by adjusting your posture and changing your position. If you have the option to get a standing desk, consider using that for part of the day to change the position of your body. You can sit for part of the day, stand for part of the day, and still get your work done.

You may also consider setting timers on your phone reminding you to stretch or move around every 30 minutes. Ideally, you should spend a few minutes away from your computer each hour to let your brain reset, your eyes take a break, and your body transition to a new position.

You could take this one step further by getting an ergonomic office chair or seat cushion. There are many styles to choose from, so you may need to try a few out before you find one you like.

When you get home, try to sit in a completely different position to relief pressure on your joints. You may lay sideways on the couch or watch TV in bed. If you find yourself hunched over scrolling on your phone, change positions. That will likely heighten your work-related pain.

How to Treat Work-Related Pain

Treating work-related injuries is one of the key services we provide here at Michigan Center For Regenerative Medicine. Most people associate work-related injuries with blue-collar jobs, but office jobs can lead to just as much pain.

We utilize minimally invasive procedures and targeted pain treatments to address your pain directly at the source. Our approach does not include long-term medications or surgeries with long recoveries. Each treatment is personalized to fit the person’s unique needs and lifestyle. We’ll take your job into account and help you make an informed care decision!

If you’re interested in joint pain treatment or muscle pain treatment from Michigan Center For Regenerative Medicine, contact us at (248) 216-1008.

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