Working from home has become the new way of life for many Americans. In fact, more than 25% of professional jobs will likely become remote by the end of 2022, according to job search site Ladders. While remote work offers many benefits, it can increase your risk of joint and muscle pain. Have your aches and pains worsened since you began working from home? Your chiropractor offers treatments that will ease your pain and stiffness and help you avoid chronic pain.
How Working from Home Can Cause Pain
Although it’s true you can work anywhere, you may soon find yourself regretting your decision to make the couch or kitchen table your new workstation. The couch may be a comfortable spot to watch a movie or game, but it isn’t designed to adequately support your body while you work. Spending hours hunched over your laptop or slouching on the couch causes posture changes that affect the alignment of the vertebrae in your spine.
Subluxations, the word chiropractors used to describe spinal misalignments, are a common cause of neck, back and joint pain. Misalignments also increase tension on your muscles, ligaments and tendons, causing muscle pain, soreness, stiffness, spasms and reduced range of motion. If a subluxation affects your neck, you may develop painful headaches that make it difficult to concentrate on your work.
Chiropractic Care Relieves Work-from-Home Pain
Pain relievers aren’t the only solution if you have sore muscles and joints. Medication can certainly be helpful, but its effects are only temporary. Once the drug wears off, you’re in pain again. Chiropractic treatment doesn’t just treat your symptoms but targets and corrects the source of your pain.
Your chiropractor will perform a thorough examination and may take a few X-rays to find out why you’re in pain. If subluxations are responsible for your symptoms, spinal manipulation therapy may be recommended. The therapy involves realigning your vertebrae with quick thrusts or a handheld activator. Once your vertebrae are properly aligned, tension on your muscles and other tissues will ease, reducing pain.
Chiropractors also offer other helpful treatments, including:
- Massage. Poor posture, subluxations and stress are often to blame for tight painful muscles. Massage loosens and relaxes tight muscles and reduces muscle spasms. The therapy also prompts your body to release endorphins, natural pain relievers that boost your mood and reduce stress.
- Soft Tissue Mobilization. Using a small tool, your chiropractor finds and loosens tight spots in your muscles and tissues that can cause pain and restrict your movement.
- Ultrasound Therapy. Although you may be familiar with ultrasound as a diagnostic tool, ultrasound waves can also be used to relieve muscle and soft tissue pain. The therapy warms your muscles and tissues, helping them relax.
- Trigger Point Therapy. Do you have knots in your neck, shoulders or back? During trigger point therapy your chiropractor applies pressure to these areas to release them.
- Traction. Your chiropractor may recommend traction, a therapy that increases the space between your vertebrae and loosens tight muscles.
- Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS). Electrodes attached to your skin produce a gentle electrical current that stops pain signals from traveling to your brain during TENS therapy. If the brain doesn’t receive the signals, you won’t feel pain.
During your chiropractic treatment sessions, your doctor may suggest exercises that will improve your posture and stretch and strengthen the muscles that support your joints. You’ll also receive posture tips and information about ergonomic furniture that properly supports your body while you work.
Working from home doesn’t have to be a painful experience. Chiropractic care can help you keep your joints aligned and your muscles relaxed. Contact our office if you’re ready to schedule an appointment.
Sources:
CDC: Working from Home: How to Optimize Your Work Environment and Stay Healthy, 11/20/20
