career
Have you ever felt stiff and uncomfortable after sitting a long time in the same posture? Pain that makes your neck, shoulders, and lower back so uncomfortable?
Some may even feel numbness in their wrists and arms. If you have any of these symptoms it could be a warning that you are joining the "Office Syndrome" club. This club, once joined, is hard to leave. However, it is not totally impossible if you know how to avoid the bad habits that lead to the chronic pain of Office Syndrome.
But what exactly is "Office Syndrome"? What actually causes the pain? And how can it be treated? Let's explore!
Office Syndrome involves muscle pain caused by repeated use of the same muscles over a long period of time. The pain can occur in specific areas of the body, such as the neck, shoulders, scapula, and back, but can expand to other areas. You may feel symptoms of fatigue as well. If left untreated or not properly treated, Office Syndrome can lead to serious back problems, including slipped or even ruptured disks.
1. Poor posture
such as sitting with your back bent, sitting crossed-legged, or sitting in front of a computer for a long time without pausing to change your posture or stretch.
2. An unsuitable work environment
or equipment such as tables or chairs that are too high or too low, unsuitable for your body structure, or the placement of a computer above or below eye level, etc.
3. Stress from work
which may be due to overwork and lack of time to rest, or a toxic workplace, causing anxiety and stress to negatively affect your body.
4. Insufficient diet
due to unhealthy eating habits causing malnutrition.
5. Lack of exercise
causing the body to lose balance and flexibility, weakening your muscles and making you unhealthy.
Let's start with prevention by addressing the root cause. Adjust your working environment, behavior, and body to fit your workplace ergonomics. Make sure that you are sitting in the right position and adjust your workstation appropriately, as follows:
Your computer screen should be centered directly in front of you and positioned 15 degrees below eye level so that you do not feel the need to bend or look up to see the screen. You should rest your eyes every 20 minutes.
Place your wrists at the same level as your keyboard, with your arms close to your body and your elbows at a 90-degree angle to your shoulders.
Sit firmly in your seat, with your back upright and touching the back of your chair without leaning forward or bending.
Place your thighs firmly on your seat, with your legs perpendicular to the floor and both feet resting flat.
If you don’t treat Office Syndrome symptoms properly from the very beginning, your pain will continue and develop into a chronic condition, making treatment even more difficult. Office Syndrome can be treated through a variety of methods. If the symptoms are mild, you can try yoga to relax your muscles, balance your body, and build flexibility; or you may try Pilates exercises to strength your muscles.
But if the symptoms are severe and affect your work in the long term, you may have to try physical therapy, acupuncture, Thai massage, cupping, warm compresses, taking pain relievers, or epidural steroid injections. If the symptoms are very severe, surgery may be required. Treatment methods will depend on each individual’s symptoms and diagnoses by physicians.
Office Syndrome is something all office workers should be aware of. Anyone sitting or working incorrectly can be affected by it. If you are aware of your bad habits, you can easily fix them by adjusting your work behavior.
