While you might think that office jobs are safer for your back than those that involve heavy lifting, it is not necessarily the case. While physical jobs such as construction work or warehouse work carry a high risk of one-off incidents, sitting at a desk all day can also be incredibly harmful to your back.
As humans, we evolved to stand on two feet. People joke that teenagers will evolve to have outsize thumbs. The truth is our bodies are not well adapted to modern office life. That is why sitting at a desk and screen all day causes so many injuries.
How can you reduce the chance of back injury in the office?
Back pain can be debilitating and affect your whole life, not just the hours you spend in the office. Here are some things you can do to reduce the chances of it:
- Get up regularly: If you work in something like a call center, leaving your desk may be frowned upon. Yet getting up frequently to walk around is essential to maintain good back health.
- Stand up: Consider asking your employer for a standing desk. They are better for you than sitting down all day.
- Custom-fit your desk: The correct desk and chair height are essential. Set your monitors at eye level to avoid the need to look down or up, which places extra strain on your neck and back.
If you are suffering from back pain, which you think is due to work, seek legal advice. You may be able to claim workers’ compensation insurance. Back injuries due to sitting at a desk can be hard to trace the causes of because they accumulate over time but the effect of them can be just as devastating as a one-off injury.