Quarantine Spine

by Dr. Andrew T. Brady, Chiropractic Physician

This probably won’t come as a surprise to you, but with people working from home and doing a lot less going out, they have defaulted to sitting around more than ever. Even before COVID-19 hit, the average American was sitting 8-10 hours every day. But after COVID-19 people are sitting even more and are being significantly less active. Gyms are either closed or have so many restrictions that they have made exercising less appealing and more of a pain. In conjunction with moving less, many people are working from home now in “make-shift” office environments (dining room table, guest room, basement, etc.)with very non-ergonomic set ups, which creates a snow ball effect on the health of the nervous system and musculoskeletal system. These new conditions can start creating headaches, back pain, neck pain, stiffness, muscle tension, and anxiety if not corrected in a timely manner.

Inactivity has devastating health effects on Americans (even more so than COVID-19, considering heart disease kills 650,000 Americans EVERY year) so I want to provide you with tips to help keep you moving and create an ergonomic workspace at home.

1. Invest in a stand-up desk. This is one of the best options for eliminating the dangers of prolonged sitting while working. If this is not an option, use a med-ball instead of a chair and set an alarm on your phone to remind yourself to get up and move around every so often. Use the extra time you’re saving on your commute or during your would-be lunch break to take a walk outside or a bike ride.
2. Make sure your computer monitor or laptop screen is at eye level while working, and not positioned off to one side. There are some creative lifts you can purchase inexpensively online, or use things from around the house to raise screens up.
3. While sitting at a desk, make sure your feet are touching the ground, knees and hips bent at 90 degrees, shoulders back with your ears in line with your shoulders.
4. Don’t snack! If you didn’t change anything else in your lifestyle, but you started drinking one 16oz coke every day, you would gain 19.5 pounds of fat at the end of the year.
5. Get a Gonstead Chiropractic evaluation. Chiropractic physicians specialize in spinal health and wellness. If you are beginning to experience low back pain, neck stiffness, headaches, shoulder tension, or tingling in your hands or feet, consider coming in for a check-up.

I hope you can implement some of these simple yet extremely important tips into your daily routine to avoid what I’m calling “Quarantine Spine!” If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at DrBrady@SpineIntegrativeWellness.com.

**Unrelated Bonus Question**
If YOU wear a mask, does that make the person next to you any HEALTHIER?

Spine Integrative Wellness Article – Quarantine Spine | (234) 284-8002