Working from home used to be very much a rarity but the Covid-19 pandemic has made it the norm.
Amid rising cases in the Republic of Ireland, deputy chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn has once again reminded employers to allow anyone who can work from home to do so.
While there are numerous benefits to working from home, there are some issues as well.
Dr Tony Accardi, president of the Chiropractic Association of Ireland (CAI), spoke to BreakingNews.ie about how workers can avoid back issues linked to remote working.
Dr Accardi said members of the CAI have reported an increase in individuals with neck and spinal complaints in the last six months.
He said many of these cases may be linked to working from home, however, some cases can be attributed to people having more time to address pre-existing complaints due to the pandemic.
Dr Accardi outlined several factors that could contribute to back issues for people who have found themselves working from home full-time.
“Employees have been moving far less while working from home, they are not getting their 10-30-minute walk from home to the Dart or car park to work, they are not getting up from their desk to meetings on the other side of the building throughout the day,” he said.
“They walk from the kitchen to their work station and sit in one spot for hours. All of this has a high potential of creating lower back complaints. Then you have parents that are trying to work and care for, or teach their children, these employees are getting up and down like a yoyo; this could cause a high degree of tension in the lower or upper spine.”
Dr Accardi warned that days of lost work in the future could be the result from back issues arising from remote working.
Prolonged periods of sitting are one of the main issues, and Dr Accardi said desks that allow people to sit or stand are crucial.
While a small number of workplaces have introduced these, he said even fewer were made available to workers in private homes.
“I do not think full-time employees will be able to work exclusively from home in the future. The back complaints will eventually create too many lost days of work. Back pain is already the leading cause for disability worldwide,” he added.
Tips
Dr Accardi shared the following checklist for setting up a back-friendly remote working station at home:
- Find a supportive chair for your height, your knees should be at the height or slightly lower than your hips, sit with your low back firmly into the back of the chair.
- Place your laptop/keyboard on a desk/table of a suitable height. Hands should be slightly lower than your elbows, when placed on the keyboard.
- Adjust the speed of your mouse in the accessibility link in your settings so that the cursor goes across the screen quickly. Avoid moving your entire arm to move the mouse, this will create upper back pain.
- Do not flex your neck to look at your screen. Laptop screens are classically too low, especially for tall individuals. Consider purchasing a separate keyboard and mouse and raise your laptop onto books so that you are looking straight ahead at the screen. Looking down at a screen will produce neck strain which could easily lead to headaches and other ailments.
- Take periodic breaks, you will feel better and be more productive.
- Never work on a laptop while sitting in your bed.
