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With the increase in teleworking, back pain and discomfort also increases in the working population. Practicing a series of exercises to strengthen muscles weakened by sitting for a long time in front of the computer helps reduce and prevent lower back problems naturally.
“We spend more time sitting, and do less physical activity. We are facing a new lifestyle that generates health problems. In fact, the number of consultations related to teleworking and back pain has skyrocketed,” explains Dr. Carmen De Andres, medical director of the Medicina Del Dolor (MDD) clinics in Spain.
“Remote work has many positive aspects, but it implies a negative effect on health since, in addition to significantly reducing social interaction, many teleworkers are reporting back and neck pain”according to the MDD expert.
“Teleworking does not have to be bad for your back. It can be an excellent option, if it allows us to save time traveling and we invest the time saved in doing more healthy physical activity,” according to Dr. Francisco Kovacs, medical director of the Kovacs Back Unit.
However, Teleworking can negatively affect the back when this work activity is carried out in inadequate ergonomic conditions and the recommendations of specialists are not followed, as he points out.
Ergonomic conditions are considered inadequate when the machines, furniture or utensils used by the worker do not adapt to the capabilities, characteristics and physical limitations of the user, nor do they guarantee that their work is comfortable, safe and effective, according to this expert.
Two causes of pain
“Using the computer on furniture that forces us to maintain forced or twisting positions for hours can increase the risk of suffering from muscle overload and pain,” according to Kovacs, one of the leading specialists in back ailments in the Spanish-speaking world.
In second place, “Leading a life with little physical activity and movement has been shown to increase the risk of suffering from back pain episodes and their duration longer, with this second aspect being more important than the first,” point.
“In practice, it is more important to exercise and have powerful, resistant and coordinated muscles than to try to constantly monitor the postures we adopt unconsciously,” he explains.
He adds that “obviously it is advisable to use furniture that allows teleworking in positions that do not strain the muscles, but if it is weak, no postural measure will prevent it from hurting sooner or later.”
To prevent, Dr. Kovacs recommends “dedicate at least 5 hours a week to exercising or physical activity, maintaining this habit over time,” and points out that “regularly practicing the exercise that we like the most is better than practicing a medically perfect exercise, only once a month.” .
This specialist also recommends practicing a series of specific exercises for the thoracolumbar and cervical areas.
Strengthen the muscles
“Back pain arises from weakened muscles. To strengthen it, it is essential to perform simple exercises that generate physical effort in the upper and lower parts of the body for a few minutes.”, points out engineer Alexander Perez, CEO and founder of Wonder Technology, WT.
Perez created the WT bodybuilding technology, intended to increase muscle mass through an electronic suit that the user puts on and that causes contractions in the six main muscle groups, through electromagnetic emissions and neuromuscular stimulation. This system can be used as a complement or replacement for physical exercise.
According to Perez “it has been proven that a stable spine, protected by a powerful muscle mass, will invariably reduce the incidence of these pains.”
This is because “the spine supports our body thanks to the set of small, perfectly structured bones that form it, for which a perfect relationship is needed between the different muscle groups that are anchored in the different vertebrae,” as this bodybuilding specialist explains. .
“Back pain usually begins with lumbar discomfort, especially in men, and cervical discomfort in women,” according to Perez.
“To protect the lower back, physical work that strengthens the glutes, biceps, femoral muscles and abdomen is recommended, such as ‘hip lifts’, which consist of stretching face up, with legs bent and feet planted on the floor. , raising the hips until the body forms a straight line from the shoulders to the knees.”Explain.
To strengthen the lumbar area, Perez also recommends “practice the ‘plank’, an exercise consisting of resting the knees and forearms on the floor, keeping the back straight and the ‘core’ stable or core formed by the abdominal, lumbar, pelvic, gluteal and deep muscles of the column.
To take care of the cervical area, this specialist advises performing shoulder and trapezius exercises, aimed at strengthening that area, which usually suffers more weakness.
“The muscles responsible for maintaining the back’s ideal curvature and the correct distance between vertebrae are a series of muscles that, together, form a powerful muscular complex from the atlas (first vertebra of the spine) to the coccyx (small bone located at the end of the spine)”, concludes Perez.
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