Welcome back to the Connected Chiropractic blog! If you’re like many people who work in an office, you may find yourself falling into the trap of poor back health while you’re at work. Whether you spend the day working at a computer with your shoulders slouched over, you don’t take enough breaks to get up and stretch, or you make a minimal effort to get up and walk around to get the blood flowing, your back likely feels tense, tight, and sore. In part one of this short blog series, we began by looking at ways you can improve your back health while at work by incorporating some healthy habits into your daily routine. Today, let’s continue looking at a few more ways you can keep your back feeling great at the office.
Set Your Monitors At An Appropriate Height
Hunching over a computer while you work can cause tremendous neck, back, and shoulder pain. One way to avoid this is to set your computer monitors at an appropriate height that will align your head and neck above your shoulders, reducing the need to slouch and strain your neck forward.
Eat Nutritious Meals
What you eat affects your back health. Rather than eating greasy breakfast sandwiches from the café and heading to the nearest fast food joint for lunch every day, make time to prep your meals. Avoid eating processed foods that can fuel inflammation such as fast food, fried foods, and sweets. Instead, get plenty of fruits, veggies, and proteins that will nourish your body and fight inflammation that contributes to back pain. Try to limit drinking sugary energy drinks, sodas, and sports drinks, and instead, guzzle down fruit-infused water, caffeinated herbal tea, Matcha tea, or iced tea with lemon. Drinking these beverages will cut down on your sugar intake while hydrating your muscles and joints.
Lunchtime Workout
Some offices have an on-site gym or nearby trails that you can utilize to get some mid-day exercise. While it may seem like you’re taking extra time out of your day that you may not have to get a little sweaty, mid-day workouts or yoga classes can actually help reduce stress and anxiety that contribute to neck and back tension and pain. Getting a nice mid-day boost can also improve your mood, help you focus, and encourage creativity after your exercise session.
Keep Essential Oils On Hand
Essential oils have different healing properties that can alleviate many symptoms and ailments. Keeping a few small bottles of essential oils at your desk can help reduce stress, improve focus, and ease back pain. For instance, lavender oil can ease headaches, relieve stress, and can alleviate aches and pains when used as a topical analgesic. Peppermint has similar healing properties in that it can reduce headaches and inflammation. Rosemary has aromatic properties that can boost mental focus and clarity.
Maintain Regular Wellness Care
Scheduling regular wellness visits with your local chiropractor in Johnstown can relieve your back pain while also improving your posture and overall health. Receiving regular chiropractic adjustments, along with other alternative treatments, like massage therapy, encourages healthy nerve function which assists the body with its natural ability to heal itself from pain and injuries. Give Connected Chiropractic a call to schedule chiropractic care and/or a massage to reduce back pain. We’re here to keep your back in good shape so you can live a healthy, happy life!