Office Comfort – How to make sitting in an office from 9 to 5 more of a comfort zone for you and your body

So you have an office job and spend at least 40 hours a week sitting in front of your computer? And your shoulder/neck area is in knots, or your lower back hurts? Don’t worry. This does not mean anything is getting damaged or your body getting “worn out” from work.

Most of us who work in offices will experience back or neck shoulder pain at some time. Usually the pain is not due to anything serious and settles within a matter of days or weeks. It is simply that muscles and muscle groups that are not physically challenged might shorten or become weaker, others will become tense or cramped. This is only natural if you spend a lot of time at a desk, but can be avoided if you are proactive about your own health and fitness.

What many people don’t know: your work environment (be it the position of your computer, the height of your desk or the ergonomic shape of your chair) only has a very slight influence on how your body reacts. So forget blaming your office chair. It’s not your chair, it’s probably you!

Of course it is always a good idea to make your work environment as pleasant for you as possible. But what really matters in preventing back, neck and shoulder pain is using your own potential in order to strengthen your muscles. Work out to counterbalance your monotonous or non-use of muscles. Also, watch out for psychological stress factors and try to avoid them. Factors such as stress or loading yourself with too much work of responsibility can greatly contribute to tenseness. If you experience strains and pains, observe yourself and see when they come up.

You might find that if you are following an activity that is exciting and interesting to you, pain is much less likely to occur, whereas in times of stress or discontentment, be it personal or work-related, pain might increase.

So the key is for you to find out: What can you do to me more pro-active about preventing pain? We have compiled a few helpful tips for you.

MOVE IT! If you must sit at your desk for an extended time, change position often and give your back a break by standing up and walking around every hour or so, or doing some exercises. Take every chance you can get to move around, Choose the stairs over the lift. You will find a choice of exercises tailor-made for office situations and extended periods of sitting in our video library.

A list of simple do’s and don’ts that will help you deal with back pain and let you get on with your life.

It’s too late for any adjustments as your lower back is already in pain, or your neck/back/shoulder area in knots from, say, a day of strenuous typing and stress? Then try a Hansaplast Heat Therapy as first measure to relax those muscle groups.
Heat increases the blood flow, relaxes tissues and can improve your mobility.
Apply a Hansaplast ABC plaster which provides sustained intense heat and at the same time blocks the transmission of pain.

Please note that none of the above given tips or recommendations substitute medical advice. Important: consult a health professional in case of an injury or if you suspect overuse of joints or a medical condition such as a fracture. A physician should be consulted in those acute cases when the condition is accompanied by reddening, swelling or hyperthermia of joints, ongoing joint trouble or severe pain and/or are associated with neurological symptoms (e.g. numbness, tingling, loss of motion). For further information regarding Hansaplast products, please contact us via email on phc@beiersdorf.com. Carefully read the instructions for use given in our products‘ packages.