Your job shouldn’t be a pain in the neck—at least not literally. Yet two out of three office workers have felt physical pain in the last six months, according to a new survey released by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA).
The survey compiled responses from about 1,000 office workers ages 18 and older across the U.S. The results also showed that in the past 30 days, 62 percent of respondents had felt pain in their lower backs, 53 percent in their necks, 38 percent in their shoulders, 33 percent in their wrists, and 31 percent in their upper backs.
So what’s causing all of that discomfort? Nearly a quarter of the surveyed workers think their physical pain is just a regular part of working an office job. People do spend a whole lot of time slouching over a keyboard, causing muscle fatigue from postural stress, says Lisa DeStefano, a doctor of osteopathic medicine and a spokesperson for the AOA. Here’s the thing, though: You job shouldn’t be causing you physical pain.
If you’re on your bum for a large portion of the workday, it’s important to give your body a break by standing up, says DeStefano. When you do, you’ll work different muscles and get your blood moving up and out of your lower extremities. DeStefano suggests pausing to stretch (or chat with a coworker) every 30 minutes to an hour.
And when you are sitting, make sure to park yourself at your desk the proper way:
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