A Utah chiropractor explains how your work posture is causing you back pain

Looking back over past blogs that I have written about health and chiropractic, I noticed that most of the ones that I have done are usually centered around some sort of activity.  When it got cold out, I wrote about skiing.  As the weather started getting warmer, I wrote about outdoor activities such as hiking and mountain biking.

Today I want to switch it up a bit and cover the anti-activity: work.  In the day and age that we live in, computers have become a necessity with most jobs and careers.  You find less and less people who actually do physical work for a living anymore.  Most of us are sitting at a computer all day long, day after day, in exceedingly poor posture.  Then we wonder why we are hurting, because, "I didn't do anything to hurt myself."

Well, YES YOU DID!!!

You might start out the morning sitting up nice and straight, but after about 20 minutes, you look like this guy!

I love computers dearly. It is because of computers that I know that I will always have a job.  As long as there are computers, there will be people who need chiropractic care.

So, lets address a few things that you can do to counter all the damage that you are doing to your spine (and your health) while you sit at your computer.

1. Get the screen higher, and in the middle!  The lower the screen is, the more you hunch over to see it.  Especially on a laptop where the screen is typically smaller and lower than a desktop.  Ideally, as you look straight ahead, your eyes should hit the middle of the screen.  Now a days, there are work stations with 2 or even 3 screens.  I know it's tough, but put the screen that you focus on most directly in front of you.  Looking to the left for 4 hours a day can cause just as much problem as a whiplash with your head turned left.
2. Low back support!  So many people look at the picture above and would assume that the upper back is the biggest problem here.  The lower back is actually more important.  In the office, the illustration I use is quite simple.  I have someone sit in a chair and slump like they normally do.  Then, I put a roll of paper towels (horizontally) in between their lower back and the chair.  With that support, it makes it much more difficult for them to slump.  When they relax, they are still sitting fairly upright.
3. Stop reaching!  Get the keyboard and mouse close to your body.  The more you reach forward for these things, the easier it is for your upper back to follow them forward.

There are many more ergonomic recommendations that could be made, but I like to keep it simple.  Start with these simple changes and see how much your body appreciates the effort you are making. If you’re still hurting, come in to our clinic in Sugar House for a chiropractic adjustment.

~ Dr. Michael Hill, DC