Does Your Desk Job Hurt Your Back???

I have had some requests for a blog post about stretches you can do at your desk during the day to help relieve low back and leg pain.  Sitting all day long can place a lot of pressure on the spine and when people fatigue, they tend to slouch...it's human nature.  Your body finds a natural way to remain upright away from gravity so you don't just plop over onto the floor like jello, however, it places strain on several areas of the body and can cause increased pain in the neck and low back. Please remember that it is important to always maintain an upright posture throughout the day to reduce the risk of injury and chronic pain. Please see my post about ergonomics for your desk to see an example of this posture (http://www.mononarehabpt.blogspot.com/2012/02/work-place-ergonomics-101.html).  Today I will discuss ideas for stretches you can do at your desk to relieve some back pain and maintain movement in your spine.

First of all, it's important to make sure you get up and move throughout the day. Staying seated for longer than 20-30 minutes isn't great on your body. Please make sure you get up and walk around your desk or cubicle, or even walk to the bubbler (or drinking fountain for those not from SE WI) to give you an excuse to get up and move. When sitting too long, you may experience pain because you aren't getting enough blood flow and movement of muscle waste products out of your muscles, leading to irritation.  Your body basically gives you the signal to get up and get some blood pumping.  Moving around during the day can also help reduce fatigue.  So a lunchtime walk may be warranted to help boost energy and metabolism throughout the day!

Next, I will show you some stretches that you can do at your desk that will help maintain flexibility so you don't remain stiff from sitting all day long. 

1. Piriformis Stretch: This muscle sits right over the sciatic nerve (huge nerve that's responsible for a lot of leg and back irritation) and can get irritated with prolonged sitting.  It honestly feels like someone is squeezing and putting pressure on your buttocks and back of your hip joint if you ever experienced this pain. Take a leg and cross it over the other, leaving your ankle resting on your knee (as shown below). Lean forward at the hips while keeping your back straight and press down at your knee as it tries to rise into the air. Some will feel a stretch right away and others will need to lean further forward.  You will feel a deep buttocks/hip stretch with this. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat 2-3 times on each leg.

2. Hamstring stretch: Your hamstrings are at the back of your thighs and can get really tight from sitting during the day with your knees bent.  It is important to maintain flexibility in them to reduce your risk for back and knee pain.  Stick one leg out straight and lean forward at the hips while keeping your back straight.  You may not be able to go very far, depending on your flexibility.  Many people make the mistake of bending forward at their spine and actually miss stretching part of their hamstrings while doing so, so make sure you keep a flat back.  You should feel a stretch in the back of the thigh. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat 2-3 times on each leg. 

3. Knee to Chest Stretch: It is important to maintain mobility in the hips and spine and you can help do so by bringing one knee to your chest and holding it 10 seconds.  Repeat 5 times on each leg. 

Other things you can do are slow spine rotations from side to side, shoulder blade squeezes, pumping your ankles up and down, and tucking your chin inwards so your ears are over your shoulders.  Make sure that throughout the day you keep the blood flowing and maintain proper posture with your shoulders back, chin tucked, and maintained arch in your low back.  If you don't have a chair with a good lumbar support (low back support), you should talk to your employer about providing one.  If they don't provide any, you can easily roll up a towel and tuck it behind the arch in your low back to maintain good alignment.  After all, good posture starts from the bottom up! :) Keep these things in mind throughout the day if your body feels stiff and you seem to be getting more tired as the day goes on.  If these things don't help, you may need further intervention from a physical therapist that can assess muscle imbalances, posture, flexibility problems, and reduced joint mobility that all lead to chronic low back pain. It is important to keep a healthy back because it literally is the backbone to everything in your body.  If your back hurts, everything hurts when you move.  Those of you with back pain can relate.  If you have further questions and want to seek professional evaluation from a physical therapist, give us a call today at 608-222-2325! :)