Do you find yourself feeling tight or stiff when working from home? Do you have your work station set up appropriately? Here are some tips & tricks to help keep you pain free while working from home!

 

How to set up your work station:

1. Chose a comfortable chair with a backrest.
2. Make sure your desk has enough room underneath it for your legs to easily fit.
3. Ensure that your shoulders are relaxed, upper arms comfortably by your side and wrists in a neutral position (not bent up/down).
4. Your keyboard should be directly in front of you within a comfortable reach and your mouse alongside it.
5. Bring your chair as close to your desk as manageable (adjust the armrest height if in the way).
6. Sit with your back comfortably resting against your back rest.
7. Place both feet flat on the floor, or if they do not reach (if you’re of short stature like me!) place them in a box or stool.
8. The upper third of your screen should be at eye-level and at arms length from you.

 

Other tips to keep any niggles at bay:

1. Try not to overthink your posture - our bodies are built to move and adapt: your next posture is your best posture!
2. Aim to get up from your desk and move at least every thirty minutes.
3. If you can, use a headset when taking calls.
4. Try to incorporate as much movement as you can into your work day:
   

   - Can you take a work call while going for a walk?

   - Can you take a video call standing rather than sitting?

5. Try to keep a routine and structure in your day.
6. Exercise! Not only will it help to keep you physically in check but mentally and emotionally too 😊

 

Keep yourself moving at your desk:

Here are some simple exercises to do at your desk, for times when you do not have the opportunity to get up and move:

 

1. Seated twist - get your upper back moving!

1. Move yourself forward in your chair, away from the backrest, and keep your feet on the floor.
2. Sit up tall and place your arms across your chest (like you are making the letter ‘X’).
3. Inhale and grow as tall as you can through your spine. Exhale and twist to your right.
4. As you breathe in, grow tall again and each time you exhale see can you twist a little further. Aim for about 5 breath cycles.
5. Repeat this to the left side.

**You may feel a tightness or stretch feeling in your upper back. If you feel any pain please stop the exercise immediately.**

 

 

2. Stretch out your shoulders and neck:

 

1. To stretch your right side: sit comfortably and tilt your left ear towards your left shoulder.
2. You should feel a stretch in the right side of your neck or across the top of your shoulder.
3. If you would like to intensify the stretch: sit on your right hand and/or place your left hand onto your head to gently pull a little further.
4. Aim to hold the stretch for 20-30seconds.
5. Repeat on the opposite side.

**You should not feel any pain, if you do please stop the exercise immediately**

 

 

3. Stretch your low back and hips:

1. To stretch your right side:
2. Move yourself forward in your chair, away from the backrest and keep your feet on the floor.
3. Place the outside of your right leg/ankle across your left thigh.
4. Sit up tall and gently lean forward.
5. Hold for 20-30 seconds.
6. Repeat on the opposite side.
7. You should feel a stretch in your right low back or buttock area.

**You should not feel any pain, if you do please stop the exercise immediately**

 

🌟If you find these exercises helpful, you can see detailed videos on a variety of exercises and injuries in our Members' Area, alongside a comprehensive on-demand library of Clinical Pilates Classes. 🌟

 

 

Information based on:

Chartered Physiotherapists in Occupational Health & Ergonomics (2020). A Guide To Working Well and Safely in Your Home Office. Ireland: ISCP.

 

**Please note: The information in this blog post is for general information and not meant to replace a medical or physiotherapy assessment.

 

Have you ever injured yourself? Did you know what to do?

 

My guess is you’re probably familiar with the age-old acronym of RICE or PRICE - Protect, Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. What you may not be so familiar with is the fact that this advice has now COMPLETELY CHANGED!

 

So what should you do now if you suffer a soft tissue injury?

Not to sound too hippy but PEACE & LOVE...yep I’m serious this is the most recent evidence-based advice!

 

For the first 72 hours after sustaining an injury, the following is recommended:

 

This has not changed from previous advice and guidelines. It is important to protect the injured area by giving it relative rest in the early days, by not engaging in activities or movements that evoke pain.

 

2. Elevate

Again, this is not new information and remains from previous advice. Elevation means keeping the injured area higher than your heart (if possible!). This should be done as often as is feasible for the first three days after injury.

 

3. Avoid Anti-Inflammatory Modalities

Inflammation after an injury is a good thing! Inflammation is a normal part of the recovery process and a necessary step towards healing. It is recommended to avoid taking anti-inflammatory medications, using anti-inflammatory rubs or lotions and using ice as they will all slow down the healing process.

 

4. Compression

Applying compression to the area - through the use of tape or elastic bandage - helps to reduce swelling in the first few days after injury.

 

5. Education

This one is really targeted towards healthcare professionals to educate patients that an active recovery is the best approach to dealing with an injury. Passive treatment like electrotherapy (ultrasound, laser, TENS etc), manual therapy (hands-on treatments) and acupuncture are not recommended in the early stages of healing.

 

 

After the first three days of healing the following is recommended:

 

 

1. Load

To promote recovery you will need to gradually load the injured area as you resume normal activities and exercise. Listen to your body and let pain be your guide.

 

2. Optimism

Be optimistic about your ability to recover! Your mind plays a strong role in the healing process - positive expectations are highly correlated with better outcomes.

 

3. Vascularisation

Pain-free cardiovascular exercise should be started from day 3 post-injury. Examples include: swimming, cycling, walking, running, using a crosstrainer etc. This will help to promote blood flow to the injured tissues to facilitate optimal recovery.

 

4. Exercise

There is strong evidence that exercise improves mobility, strength, balance and proprioception (an awareness of a joint in space) after injury. Pain can be used as a guide when progressing exercises. Maintaining activity levels and taking an active approach to recovery is key!

 

 

Did you know?

Treating a soft-tissue injury optimally in the early stages reduces the likelihood that it will persist and become chronic. If you do have a chronic injury or persistent pain this blog post may be of interest to you. 

 

 

Information based on: 

Dubois, B., Esculier , J. (2020). Soft-tissue injuries simply need PEACE and LOVE. British Journal of Sports Medicine; 54, pp. 72-73.

 

It is estimated that 20% of the population suffer with persistent or chronic pain - a condition that has been under-recognised and under-treated for many years. As a Physiotherapist, it is the most common condition I see, usually in the form of chronic low back pain. This is my main area of interest and below is an infograph I created, as part of my Masters in the Clinical Management of Pain, to help explain what pain is and why it persists.

 

 

See tips for managing persistent pain here.

 

Information obtained from:

APKARIAN, A. V., BUSHNELL, M. C., TREEDE, R.-D. & ZUBIETA, J.-K. (2005). Human brain mechanisms of pain perception and regulation in health and disease. European Journal of Pain, 9, 463-463.

BASBAUM, A. I., BAUTISTA, D. M., SCHERRER, G. & JULIUS, D. (2009). Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Pain. Cell, 139, 267-284.

JAMES, S. (2013). Human pain and genetics: some basics. British Journal of Pain, 7, 171-178.

NIJS, J., PAUL VAN WILGEN, C., VAN OOSTERWIJCK, J., VAN ITTERSUM, M. & MEEUS, M. (2011). How to explain central sensitization to patients with ‘unexplained’ chronic musculoskeletal pain: Practice guidelines. Manual Therapy, 16, 413-418.

SCHAIBLE, H.-G. (2015). Emerging Concepts of Pain Therapy Based on Neuronal Mechanisms. In: SCHAIBLE, H.-G. (ed.) Pain Control. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

WOOLF, C. J. (2011). Central sensitization: Implications for the diagnosis and treatment of pain. Pain, 152(3), S2-S15.

 

 

Chronic pain affects 20% of the population however it has been under-diagnosed and under-managed for years. The International Association for the Study of Pain defines chronic or persistent pain as pain that lasts or recurs for more than three months. A great deal of progress has been made in recent years in regards to chronic pain and it has now been included in the International Classification of Diseases as a condition in its own right.

Chronic pain is an individual experience however there are some commonalities. Most people living with chronic pain report emotional distress or psychological distress of some description.