How to Alleviate Back Pain at Your Office Job

Sitting at a desk all day can wreak havoc on your body, which may come as a surprise. A combination of factors, such as ergonomics, pressure on certain parts of your back, furniture, and others, can lead to pain that makes sitting, standing, walking, or even lying down uncomfortable. 

Our providers at all 7 locations of Pain Consultants of Atlanta see patients with back pain, and a significant percentage of those patients have jobs that involve much sitting. We work to help all of our patients manage pain so they can live comfortably, and sometimes, that means helping people who sit at work understand why they have pain and what can help. 

In this post, we discuss some of the things you can do to avoid pain and some of the treatments we’ve used to help people with back pain related to office work. 

Ergonomics

The International Ergonomics & Human Factors Association (IEA) defines ergonomics as “the science of work.” That’s a bit of a broad definition, and most people are talking about how their body is positioned when working. Things such as the height of your chair, the position of your keyboard, and your posture can enormously impact your pain level. 

Back pain among office workers is very common and is often due to poor ergonomics. Poor posture or bad positioning of the body and equipment can even damage the structures that make up the spine over time. 

When sitting at your desk, your feet should be flat on the floor and your knees bent at 90 degrees. While typing, your elbows should be bent at 90 degrees, and your upper arms should be parallel to your spine. Your screen should be at eye level so you don’t have to look up or down to see it. 

Those are the basics of good ergonomics, but if you get those positions right, you will likely be far more comfortable than if you don’t. Making sure your chair is the right height, your feet are flat, and you’re not straining your neck while you work are among the most important things you can do. 

What causes pain

When you sit for hours at a time, pressure on the muscles of your back and the discs between your vertebrae can lead to pain. If you slouch, the ligaments in your spine can become over-stretched. 

Nerves, such as your sciatic nerve, can become compressed, which causes pain that may be intense and feel either like an electric shock or a dull ache. If the discs in your spine are under pressure for too long, they may become herniated. 

Treatments for sitting-related back pain

We encourage you to ensure you have the right set-up for work and correct anything causing pain. It would help if you also took regular breaks to move and stretch. 

If you can use a desk that allows you to sit or stand, standing for some time each day may be helpful to avoid pain. If your pain is acute, using hot and cold packs or over-the-counter pain relievers can be helpful. 

In some instances, we’ve provided treatments to people with chronic pain due to sitting. Some of them include: 

Intracept®

The Intracept® procedure addresses vertebrogenic pain, which involves structures between each vertebra and disc. When delivered appropriately, this procedure can offer long-term relief. 

Selective nerve root block

This diagnostic procedure can help us understand the exact cause of your pain so that we can help you begin to recover. The injection blocks the root of specific nerves, allowing us to find the source of your pain. 

Epidural Injection

Epidural steroid injections are a common treatment approach in cases of chronic back pain. Your doctor may suggest an epidural if you have a herniated or bulging disc, ligament issues, or other conditions related to sitting too much for too long. 

Trigger point injections

Some office work issues involve muscles that simply won’t relax. In such cases, trigger point injections may be an excellent way to treat the problem. Trigger points are tight muscle knots, and injections can help disrupt the pain. 

Get help

Numerous variables determine the exact set of ergonomic changes, movements throughout your day, and treatments that will work best for you. When you come to Pain Consultants of Atlanta, we work through all those variables to suggest an effective approach to help you enjoy life with less pain. Schedule your appointment today.