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- “Back pain is the leading cause of ‘missed days’ at work and colleges
- New or worsening back, neck, leg, and shoulder pains have emerged as the prominent side-effects of remote working.
- Opting for a chair that delivers both support and comfort can be beneficial.”
New Delhi, September 13, 2021:
More and more companies embraced remote working/ work from home, owing to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Dr Shubhang Aggarwal, Orthopaedic & Robotic Joint Replacement Surgeon and Director, NHS Hospital, Jalandhar said inspite of downtrend, cases of new or worsening back, neck, leg, and shoulder pain have emerged among the young adults.
Long standing or repeated episodes of back pain can take a major toll at personal, family and financial aspects of life. Back pain is the leading cause of missed days at work and colleges. Without proper care, approximately 20% of people with acute low-back pain will have persistent symptoms for more than a year.
“Remote working has led to many spine related issues in young adults in Punjab. An average adult sits almost nine hours per day. Sitting for a significantly long times is associated with nearly double the risk of type 2 diabetes and a 10-20% increased risk of heart disease. Besides that, poor sitting ergonomics, such as leaning, slouching, or using a workstation that is too high or too low, can lead to muscle and joint pains.
The incidence of spine-related issues, especially in the IT professionals, reception and desk workers have surprisingly increased and needs sharp observation to diagnose. Once suspected, aggressive behavioral modification with exercises should help. Then even when actual physical offices start, the posture changes that we had adapted our bodies to during work from home, need to be tackled,” said Dr Shubhang Aggarwal, Orthopaedic & Robotic Joint Replacement Surgeon, NHS Hospital, Jalandhar.
“Many patients are surprised when I tell them their bedroom or couch seating arrangement is contributing to their pain. Fluffy furniture is comfy. However, slouching over your laptop or lying down while typing is hard on the body. Especially when your 15-minute Zoom meeting turns into an hour. Though zebra-print chair looks cool on video conferences, it’s not the most ergonomically sound chair for you. Choose a chair that delivers both support and comfort to your lower back and hips,” added Dr Aggarwal.
