At our chiropractic clinic here in Manhatten Island, NY, we see countless people who work at a desk all day coming in complaining of back pain. It’s extremely common, and one of the most usual reason why people are sick from work.
These so called “desk jockeys” complaints are largely triggered by many stressors combined due to minimal activity. Sitting for too long, particularly in bad posture settings, puts all kinds of pressures on the back thus leading to injury.
One solution that has been introduced to the office over the years is the standing desk, which sets a worker in the standing position when operating their computers and so on. It has many benefits over sitting, but believe it or not, it too comes with its own problems. Why? Because standing for prolonged time can also put pressures on the wrong areas of the spine.
So what is the solution?
Think back to the good ol’ days. No way back. Think back to the days of taverns and saloons where there stools were uncommon at the bar. What was at the foot of the bar? Normally a rail that wrapped from one end of the bar to the other.
Why was that there?
It was there to provide the drinker an alternative posture while drinking at the bar. They could alternate their feet and so provide rest for each.
Similarly, for the standing work station, consider putting something underneath the desk so that you too can put your foot up and rest every now and again.
In fact a recent study looked at this very issue and concluded that a footrest approximately 10% of the height of the person would be sufficient to provide a significant reduction in lower back pain and muscle fatigue.
So if you spend a lot of time at a standing work station, consider this solution too. And if you still sit at a desk all day, look into a standing desk, or even adding a vertical extension to your desk so that you can spend some time in a standing position and alternate between the two. It can help.
Suffer low back pain? Contact us now. We have three simple ways you can make an appointment at our Back and Body NY chiro office:
Call now on (212)371 2000 or text (315)873-3095 or email us at
Yo**********@Ba***********.com
