Back pain and work absences

The Back pain It is a very common ailment among citizens, estimating that the 80% of the world's population will suffer from low back pain throughout their lives, which makes it clear that back pain is one of the most prevalent ailments throughout the planet.. In this way, no resulta extraño que half of sick leave in Spain has to do with back pain.

So that you can have more information about it and can see all your doubts about it resolved., we are going to talk about Back pain and its relationship with absences in the workplace.

Common causes of back pain in the workplace

Although it may not seem like it, since it does not involve any type of exercise or physical effort a priori, Office work is one of the most harmful and harmful to the health of the back.. These professionals often suffer from different ailments., among which we find tendinitis, osteoarthritis and even more serious problems such as herniated discs, all this derived from sitting in front of a computer screen for many hours and executing repetitive movements, which ends up causing a negative and harmful effect on the body.

The poor postural hygiene doesn't help it, Therefore, it is essential to follow some basic principles of ergonomics to improve lumbar health.. in addition, también es clave para poder reducir otros problemas de salud como el carpal tunnel syndrome waves tendinitis in the arms.

For this reason, no es de extrañar que se den estos problemas comunes en el dolor de espalda que tienen su impact on the world of work, and that they are responsible for many of the users' sick leave. Because of this, It is essential that workers be able to adopt good work postures and good postural hygiene practices to try to avoid these discomforts and health problems..

in addition, In the work environment there are other problems that occasionally cause health problems in the back.. Some common causes of back pain in the workplace with the following:

• Wrong posture: Maintaining poor posture for long periods of time, such as slouching or leaning forward when sitting or standing, can put excessive stress on the spine and back muscles, which leads to pain.
• Lifting heavy objects: Lifting heavy objects incorrectly, especially without proper technique, can cause strain on the muscles in the back and cause injuries such as muscle sprains or herniated discs.
• Repetitive movements: Perform repetitive movements, how to lift, twist or stretch constantly, can overload back muscles and cause chronic pain.
• Inadequate ergonomics: Using furniture or work equipment that is not ergonomically designed can contribute to the development of back pain. For instance, Chairs that don't provide good lumbar support or desks that aren't at the right height can cause back strain.
• Work stress: Stress and anxiety can manifest physically in the form of back pain. Chronic stress can cause muscle tension and stiffness, which increases the risk of experiencing lower or upper back pain.
• lack of physical activity: Staying sedentary for long periods of time can weaken your back muscles and increase your chance of experiencing pain.. Lack of regular exercise can also contribute to posture and flexibility problems.
• Work overload: Performing tasks that require prolonged standing or repeated heavy lifting, without enough breaks to rest and recover, can lead to the development of back pain due to constant stress on muscles and joints.

How to prevent or reduce back pain

Given the above, it is important to find solutions to back pain, since in many cases it becomes an ailment that is even disabling and prevents carrying out normal daily activities.. For this reason, we are going to talk to you about some principios básicos posturales that we recommend you take into account, since they can help you avoid or reduce pain in this area of ​​the body. Some recommendations are the following:

• Use good furniture: The back is one of the areas most affected during office work, which implies that it is really necessary to use high quality furniture, with a chair that has a backrest that reaches the shoulder area to support the entire back and offers good support. What's more, It is recommended that you have a headrest to rest the cervical area and reduce contractures.
• Ergonomics: In addition to the quality of the chair, It is very important to make correct use of the furniture at our disposal, For this purpose, it is necessary to adjust the chair so that the lumbar area is well and firmly supported on the backrest.. What's more, It is recommended to use a footrest to minimize tension in the lumbar spine., and choose an ideal height that allows your arms to rest on the table and your eyes to be at the level of the screen frame. The arms should remain on the table to avoid tendonitis, and it is advised do not sit for many hours in a row, It is preferable to get up and move to relax the muscles and avoid tension in the neck and back..

Thus, Taking the above into account, you can encourage the adoption of a more comfortable and safe posture for your back when working.. It is very important to focus on prevention to avoid pain and injuries to the spine., which at first can be anecdotal or specific, but with the passage of time and bad habits continued over time, You can suffer serious health problems that can reduce your quality of life.. there will be more pressure on the lower back, for any physical problem, It is recommended to consult a professional.