If you sit at a desk all day long for work, you may think that you are less likely to experience back pain than a manual laborer. However, one of the primary causes of back pain in the workplace is sitting for hours at a time. We’re going to take a look at 3 ways to make your office a more back-friendly environment.

1. Keep monitor at eye level – The biggest mistake office workers make is raising a chair as high as possible and then looking down at monitors, papers, and mobile devices all day. The head weighs 10-12 pounds. This is the amount of stress exerted on the spine when the head is level. Even tilting the head forward a few degrees to look at a low screen increases the pressure on the spine. Looking down at a 60-degree angle to view a smartphone or some papers, increases that amount of pressure to 60 pounds. Try to bring everything to eye level rather than craning the neck all day.
2. Sit right – Don’t cross your legs for any extended amount of time. The best position for the back is to have your feet flat on the floor. If you need your chair higher than that, try using a foot stool. Make sure your hips are level with your knees if not a little higher. A chair that results in the hips being lower than the knees places extra pressure on the lower back. Don’t forget to get a chair with plenty of lumbar support.
3. Leave room to stretch – Get up every 30-45 minutes and stretch. If you don’t clutter your office (or even a cubicle), there should be enough room for simple stretches. Otherwise, you may have to take a walk down the hall.

Upper Cervical Care Helps Back Pain

Lower back pain often starts in the neck. When the C1 and C2 are misaligned, the whole back compensates to keep the head properly balanced. Correcting this misalignment at the top of the spine often allows the rest of the back to shift back into place. This can relieve pain on a more long-term basis (as opposed to pain medication which only provides temporary relief). To learn more, find an upper cervical chiropractor in your area and schedule a consultation.

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