The COVID-19 pandemic has forever changed how business is conducted, with millions of Americans now working from the comfort of their home. Some workers will undoubtedly head back to the office if they aren’t already there, but countless workers will stick with a work from home schedule or have more remote work days than they did in the past.

This schedule flexibility may be nice, but working from home can present its own unique challenges for your neck and spine. In today’s blog, we share some tips for preventing back and neck pain if you’ll be working from home more often going forward.

Working From Home And Your Spine

Here’s a look at a number of different ways that working from home can challenge your back and neck, and what you can do to prevent pain from setting in:

1. Check Your Seat – If you’re working from home, you may have the luxury of choosing where you’d like to set up your office. Maybe you can get some work done from from the bedroom, perhaps you work on the couch, or maybe your strong WIFI signal allows you to work from the patio. These spots may not be as supportive for your spine compared to your office chair, so you really need to be mindful of your posture in these positions. Better yet, only work from a chair that provides ample support to your spine.

2. Practice Good Posture – Even if your chair is supportive, you need to make sure you have good posture when you’re seated. Don’t hunch forward or lean back, because this will put excess pressure on your cervical and lumbar spine. Strive to keep your head positioned directly above your shoulders and perform regular posture checks so that you can correct your posture if you catch yourself leaning or slouching.

3. Invest In An Office Chair – If you’re going to be working from home on a long-term basis, it may be in your best interest to invest in a quality office chair. Odds are a nicer office chair will be more supportive than any chair you have in your house at the moment, and that new chair can go a long way in helping protect your spine for years to come.

4. Strive To Exercise And Be Active – Sometimes it’s easy to fall into bad exercise habits if we don’t have to get out of the house every day, especially if you used to work out on your way home from the office. Still make it a point to get regular exercise if you have the freedom to work from home. You’re probably saving a little time by not having to commute to and from work, so dedicate that time to a workout. This will help to strengthen and protect your spine.

5. Talk To A Chronic Pain Specialist – Finally, if you are starting to develop some neck or back pain, reach out to a chronic pain specialist. They’ll be able to take a look at your spine and talk about the ergonomics of your work from home setup to see if simple changes can help relieve your back pain. If your just try to ignore back pain, odds are it only will get worse. Connect with a chronic pain specialist and take care of your spine today.

For more information, or for help with your back pain, reach out to Dr. Cohn and his team today.