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Broken back: How do we repair the damage the corona sleep did to our backs?

A year of working from home and a significant decrease in mobility and physical activity has taken a not-so-simple price and many suffer from back and neck pain.

A physiotherapist explains what the simple thing is that you can do to improve it

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• back pain

• Neck

• Corona

• Working from home

Walla!

health

Friday, 19 March 2021, 07:15 Updated: 07:27

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The body paid the price.

Man suffers from back and neck pain (Photo: ShutterStock)

The unbelievable year happened - the world stopped, we stopped going to offices and moved to work from home 100 percent of the time (or close to it).

And wonder of wonders, we found that emails continued to be sent and received, work meetings continued to take place (virtually) and tasks were completed.

But the price must be paid somewhere, and for many the bill came in the form of back and neck pain.

"Working from home is not much different from working from the office, we sit a lot in the office and sit a lot at home," says Anat Reshef Eldan, deputy director of the physiotherapy service at Hillel Yaffe Hospital in Hadera.

"What has changed significantly in the last year is that people have done a lot less: come out less and been less active."

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On the other hand, many people saw Corona as an opportunity to start doing things they had not done before - in terms of exercise.

"Anyone who has not done anything before, and started training in Corona, is really blessed, but it is important to do things like this gradually. If you do not do it in a gradual way, then even starting an activity, which in itself is a great thing, can lead to pain and injury. We have seen such in the last year, "she says.

After a year of working from home, you can provide yourself with a slightly more comfortable and adapted work area.

Woman working from home (Photo: ShutterStock)

Undoubtedly the biggest problem with the lifestyle change in the corona year, she says, is that people have not left home and there has been a sharp drop in their daily activity level.

"Recommendations for the recommended duration of exercise for adults speak of at least two and a half hours a week of moderate-to-high-intensity exercise. It can be divided into several times a week, but it is important to reach at least that quota," she emphasizes.

At the same time, the work from home is nevertheless done under slightly different conditions from the office and many of the injuries to the back and neck are caused due to an unsuitable work environment.

If you, too, feel that your back has been more sensitive recently or if you have started having neck pain, Reshef Eldan recommends checking and adjusting the home conditions in which you work.

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"It is important to adjust the work environment to the body in terms of sitting comfort, lighting, and it is very important not to sit for more than 30-40 minutes without moving. Every half hour get up, move a little and move the joints. "It is important to make sure that the screen you are working on is at eye level, that there is support for the forearms on the table or on the chair handles, that the feet are not in the air but are on a floor or stool and not too close to the screen."

And if you have the option, Reshef Eldan highly recommends doing the outdoor breaks.

Every exercise you do will help your back in the long run - this is the most important thing you can do.

Woman walking (Photo: ShutterStock)

The most important thing you can do to improve back and neck health and relieve pain created during this year is exercise, says the physiotherapist.

"Physiotherapists often ask us what kind of training is recommended for the back - my answer is that any exercise will do the job, provided you start it gradually and you can persevere. It has been proven in many studies that exercise is beneficial for back pain in the long run. Just choose something you Love and enjoy doing, it will help you with motivation and perseverance. "

Exercise helps prevent disease, improve mood, increase muscle mass, reduce the risk of obesity (which is a contributing factor to many diseases) and more.

But if you have started a new activity and you feel it is causing you pain, or if you have been injured during it, Reshef Eldan's unequivocal recommendation is to consult a physiotherapist.

These can help not only in treating the pain but also in tailoring the activity precisely to your needs.

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