Everything about Common Office Aches and Pains and How to Prevent Them

Many city dwellers experience muscular, joint aches and strains, while office workers frequently struggle with pain in their shoulders, neck, back and hands. Besides causing a drop in work performance and efficiency, prolonged pain may have an impact on our daily lives by affecting our mental health and sleep quality. We can avoid different aches early on and prevent them from getting worse if we can recognize the causes and symptoms of those pains. For pain relief, many experts advise stretching and doing simple exercises more frequently at the office.

Causes of common office aches and pains

Working long hours at the office not only results in muscle fatigue and prolonged strains, but also increases the risk of various mishaps. Common aches include pain in the neck, shoulders, back and hands (e.g. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome). Based on the analyses of different physiotherapists, pain can be caused by the following:

1. Maintaining the same sitting posture when using a computer or handling paperwork for long hours can result in tendon and muscle soreness and strains from repetitive motions of typing and clicking the mouse
2. Poor posture, such as rounded shoulders from elevated upper trapezius and a forward head posture, can cause tight muscles, make the pain worse and increase the risk of straining muscles
3. Working in an improper posture at home, such as using a tablet on a sofa or a bed without an appropriate work table
4. Poor postures may result from improper computer table and chair design. The typical issues are as follows:
   • The lack of space underneath the computer table makes it difficult to spread out the lower limbs
   • The lack of support for the hands from the table’s shallow depth results in strains
   • When the computer screen is not placed directly in front, the neck and back lean to one side for long periods of time, resulting in back and neck pain
   • The back curves and does not sit against the backrest

According to Physiotherapist Ho Shuk Ling Horlick, improper sitting posture and sitting for too long are to blame for around 80% of office back pain cases. While some people at first may keep their backs straight and lean slightly against the backrest to keep a proper posture, over time they may involuntarily curve their backs, which can lead to back pain in the long run. When our sitting posture does not conform to the 90-degree ergonomic angle, the quadratus lumborum, muscles located behind the abdominal cavity and between the ribs and pelvic edges, will overstretch and the back will become tight and get injured. This can easily result in back pain. It is recommended that office workers stretch every hour to loosen their muscles. They should do core strengthening exercise regularly to help prevent injury as well.

Proper sitting posture

Take a look at the tips below on how to keep a good sitting posture. Even if your posture is proper, if you maintain it for too long, you still run the risk of injury as well. So it’s crucial to take breaks regularly, like getting up to change your posture, going to the pantry for water or doing stretching exercise.

1. Select a chair that is the right height for you and a height-adjustable chair so that when you sit down, your feet can be flat on the floor and your knees, shoulders, and elbows can be bent at a 90-degree angle
2. Center your computer on the table so that it is directly in front of your body
3. For the height of the computer, the Labour Department suggests placing the monitor at a level where its topmost line of display is at or just below the operator’s eye level (about 15 to 20 degrees below the eye level)
4. Maintain a straight neck and upper body
5. Sit against the backrest to give your back some support
6. Place a footrest underneath your chair if it is too high for your feet to rest horizontally on the floor
7. Make sure there is enough space underneath the table for your feet to spread out and lie horizontally on the floor

Prevent office injury

Office workers should evaluate how much weight they can manage when moving objects, and if the objects are too heavy for them to handle, they should ask a colleague for help, advises Physiotherapist Yu Cheuk Lam Phoebe. In addition, according to ergonomics, the farther an object is to the body, the more force is required to lift it, increasing pressure on the body and risk of injury. Hence, when moving objects, try to keep it close to ourselves. Also, put frequently used objects in accessible places to reduce the need to move them around too often.

Office exercise recommendation

How about setting aside a few sessions a day to stretch or do some simple exercises at the office? This can not only relax our strained muscles and tendons and reduce pain, but can also alleviate our tense, mentally exhausted, allowing us to work more effectively and efficiently at any moment.

1. Stair-climbing
   Instead of taking the elevator, use the stairs. If you take them two at a time, you burn 10% more calories and give your glutes and quads a better workout.
2. Leg lifts
   Prolonged sitting can cause sugars to build up in the bloodstream due to limited movement in the legs and back. To get your blood pumping and use up some of that sugar, try leg lifts. Sit up straight in your seat and lift your right leg slowly it is fully extended. When your leg is parallel to your hips, lower it. Repeat ten times, then switch to your left leg.
3. Wall push-ups
   Place your hands on the wall and bend at the elbows, leaning towards the wall while keeping your legs straight. Then push away from the wall. This tones your arms and shoulders.
4. Shoulder shrugs

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