How to avoid back pain when working with a computer?

My online writing job has replaced my day sales job. As you can imagine, as a sales representative I spent most of my time outside. Now I am stuck in a desk behind my laptop for more than eight hours and it is causing me some back pain. Is this normal or should I see a doctor? Have you experienced the same and how can I deal with it?

 

I suffer with back pains. It is dificult to avoid when you are in the computer. I try always get up and walk a little bit. You have to keep your head up, focusing on aligning your head and neck right above your shoulders and avoid straining forward. The mouse must be close to you of course, and the chair comfotable. If you roll your shoulders back and down, and square them over your hips will help too.

If exercise and do stretches, I think you suffer less. This things for me work very fine for a problem that annoys me so much.

 

Yes, I do get occasional back pains from sitting and working at the computer for periods of time and for feeding my 10 month old daughter. You can try to ensure your posture is correct, no slouching. Making sure, you are seated on a very comfortable cushioned chair can also help. Another tip is using a pillow or another well fluffed object and place it behind you while sitting. If you have tried all these and none helps, I suggest you go see your doctor.

 

To avoid back pain while using the pc or laptop. I would recommend people to avoid using computers for a long time without a break, as it cause severe back pain. To avoid such back pain people should make it a habbit to sit straight and use a desk and computer chair which are comfortable, and avoid sitting in a position which is uncomfortable for along time.

 

It is recommended to sit with the back straight when working on PC or laptop. It is also advisable to take breaks every 1 hour in between the working sessions or even more frequently if required. People should also keep changing positions frequently and keep the angle of the screen and the neck in accordance with their comfort level. Excessive angulation of the neck increases the chances of pain.

 

i think it best to sit on a soft chair where you can relax your body well, it should also be well flelxible , that should help reduce the pain

 

I tend to spend at least 5 hours a day sitting at a desk. I used to get back pains because the chair I was sitting on was not comfortable, too tough. The chair you sit on should not be too tough or too soft, just right. If you back hurts whilst you are sitting or when you stand up then ensure your chair is suitable for you. Wooden chairs that are not cushioned at the back are very uncomfortable.

 

I used to suffer from severe lower back pain when working from my computer until I checked with my doctor. He advised me to use a rolled pillow as back support while at my desk, as well as raising my monitor to be at the same height as my head to relieve any pain from bending my neck too often. I didn't even know how much of a problem my neck was until I lifted my monitor, but it was a huge relief and virtually instant. Also as stated above, I definitely recommend getting up from your desk every hour or so, and doing some light stretching to take the edge off of stiff muscles and joints. Hopefully this helps, good luck out there.

 

@adssolsn-People who use computers working for many hours face some health problems. But it is good to understand the good practices as mentioned by the majority of guys who have replied here. I just want to highlight few tips here: Have regular breaks and walk around, sit properly and use the ergonomic chair, keep your eyes leveled with the top of the monitor and keep a reasonable distance from the screen. I hope I have helped you.

 

Sitting in an office chair for prolonged periods of time can definitely cause low back pain or worsen an existing back problem. The main reason behind this is that sitting, in an office chair or in general, is a static posture that increases stress in the back, shoulders, arms, and legs, and in particular, can add large amounts of pressure to the back muscles and spinal discs.

To avoid keeping the back in one position for a long period, remember to stand, stretch and walk for at least a minute or two every half hour. Even a quick stretch or some minimal movement – such as walking to the water cooler or bathroom - will help.

A twenty minute walk will help even more, promoting healthy blood flow that brings important nutrients to all the spinal structures.

In general, moving about and stretching on a regular basis throughout the day will help keep the joints, ligaments, muscles, and tendons loose, which in turn promotes an overall feeling of comfort, relaxation, and ability to focus productively.

 

Preventing back and neck pain whilst sitting is not an exact science, as there are always new ideas and differing opinions. There are various recommendations as to the ideal distance between your eyes and the monitor, or the perfect angle for your elbows and knees. Depending on which study you read, you will be given different recommendations.
When it comes to prevention, there are some common denominators on which most experts agree:

• take regular breaks,
• prevent your back and neck from stiffening,
• sit in a good adjustable chair that provides lumbar support,
• your feet should be on the floor or a footrest,
• your desk should be large enough to allow your forearms to rest on it when using the keyboard,
• be certain that your keyboard and monitor are at a comfortable height,
• and avoid glare from the screen.

Whilst you are sitting using a PC there are a number of things you can do you prevent back and neck problems. If, for example, your neck and shoulder on the side that you use the mouse gets sore, it's probably due the position of your arm when you use the mouse. When muscles become fatigued, they ache.
If you get soreness across the base of your neck and across your shoulder blades, it is likely that you start to slump forwards as the day goes on. Tiredness and poor posture causes your pelvis to tilt backward, your lower back flattens, and your head comes forward, in other words you become 'C' shaped, or sit in a 'slumped' position.
This 'poking chin' posture creates a lever system in the neck, with the pivot point of the lever being the base of the neck, in this 'poking chin' position the force through the neck is multiplied 3 x, and so your neck and shoulder muscles have to work 3 x harder to hold your head up.
The average weight of an adult head weighs between 8-12lb, so 12lbs of force need to be generated by the neck and shoulder muscles to hold your head up. If your head falls forward as described, the muscles now need to generate 36lbs of force to hold your head up. After a period of time, this amount of force generation will cause fatigue and pain.
To prevent this from occurring, move your chair in close to the PC to avoid over reaching, sit back in your chair properly. This will prevent your pelvis from tilting backwards as the backrest opposes it. If your feet cannot reach the floor comfortably, either lower your chair or use a foot rest.
Another very good neck exercise to stretch is neck 'retraction' or the chin tuck. This is performed by looking straight ahead and pulling your head straight back in, like trying to give yourself a double chin. This stretches the muscles at the base and back of the neck and opens and lubricates the neck joints. This is a particularly good stretch to do throughout the day. If this exercise causes pain discontinue it and consult a chartered physiotherapist.
If sitting for too long causes back pain or soreness, it may be due to the forces that occur in the spine. When you sit in the 'slumped' position as described above, the normal curve of the spine is lost and the lower spine straightens. In so doing, the force distribution is lost. For example, when sitting in the 'slumped' position there is approximately 1.5 times the amount of compressive force through your spine than in standing. This increased force may, over a period of time, fatigue the spinal muscles and cause pain, or may lead to early degenerative changes.
When you sit, it is best to sit in an upright neutral posture.This maintains the natural curve of the spine and so preventing excessive loading of the lower back.
To prevent stiffness of the lower spine in sitting, you can gently rock the pelvis forwards and backwards - sit upright and then slowly allow the pelvis to drop backwards, and then slowly sit upright again. Then can be done whilst sitting, but you must move away from the chair backrest to allow you to drop your pelvis backwards.
It is also beneficial to stand frequently (every hour say) to 're-set' the spinal tension that has built up over the last hour of sitting, and to allow the spine to regain it's normal curvature. Gentle extension exercises may help the spine to regain its normal curve.

"However, should this or any other exercise provoke any increase in lower back pain, discontinue it and consult a Chartered Physiotherapist."

 

First of all better to consult with a Physiotherapist to get the real and helpful advise on this problem . But you can follow some basic rules to avoid back pain .In working time keep your hands up,Keep your head up,Move your mouse close,Use right chair,Breath from your bally, Plant your feet,take breaks after certain times,Find the right angle,stretch your shoulders,Quite squinting and straining ,Don't cross your legs and no more tele conversation in working time.

 

As someone who also works in front of a PC all week, I can give you a few suggestions. Well for starters, make sure to take the time to stretch out your arms and legs after a few hours of sitting down. It gives you a refreshing boost when it comes to energy, and it will move your joints and muscles, which have not been moving for a long time while you were sitting down and doing work. Make sure to also drink lots of fluids, as dehydration can also cause additional muscle stress. Take a walk to clear your head, get a cup of coffee, and if you want you can even free-form dance beside your desk, just to loosen up your tightened joints and muscles. It works, trust me, I've been doing it for nearly 4 years now. Muscle and joint pain come and go, but as long as you know how to take care of yourself, those pains would be short and simple to fix.