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Ever since the majority of people have shifted to working from home due to COVID & looks like a lot of people may actually adopt the hybrid working practices, I have seen a lot of people develop neck & shoulder problems as a result.
Depending on how long they wait to approach care & what type of care they receive the prognosis of these conditions can even lead to injections and surgery if not addressed timely.
Here are the top 5 Reasons why the Quarantine & Work from Home Situation is causing Neck & Shoulder Problems:
1. Improper Work From Home Setup:
Majority of people do not have appropriate work from home set-up and as a result they find themselves on an improper chair, maybe staring at an inappropriately positioned monitor or laptop screen.
These long hours of poor posture can easily add up & lead to increased stress on cervical & thoracic spine joints causing symptoms like neck, shoulder pain, inability to lift arm etc.
2. Increased Couch Time
With lack of outdoor entertainment, people are spending a lot of time on their couch watching TV only adding to the hours of postural stress on neck & shoulder joints.
No matter how comfortable the couch, prolonged sitting on soft surfaces can easily pile up & lead to added stress & strain.
3. Increased Time on the Cell-Phone
With our digital lifestyle & now more than ever common video calls, people are spending more & more time staring at their cell phone screen & that leads to almost 6 times more stress on the cervical spine than looking straight.
The picture here is from a research study that showed how the weight of head increases in proportion to the amount of neck bending involved thereby leading to increased stress on the cervical spine joints.
4. Lack of Movement
Movement is Medicine & lack of the same can also contribute to the mix and make your joints more vulnerable to increased stress & strain.
5. Stress
A factor that is hard to see & measure - Stress could also be a contributing factor to slower recovery & vulnerable joints as it releases the hormone cortisol that delays the body's natural healing mechanisms.
People have been under increased stress due to quarantine, unemployment, increased workload & lack of social life.
So here are some reasons how quarantine & work from home could be contributing to your Neck & Shoulder issues. If you would like more info, you can request our Digital Neck & Shoulder Newsletter here or if you or someone you know has these issues they would like help with, fill out the Short Inquiry Form here for Our In-person or Video Appointments.