NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Working from home is becoming a pain the neck, literally.
Hours spent at a desk or on the sofa staring at phones are blamed for an increase in pains all over our bodies.
Specialists say be careful of armchairs and sofas as well as deep seated chairs with soft cushions because they tend to round your back forward. Sitting with your legs outstretched, like on an ottoman for instance, can also put your spine out of position.
"The things that we have at home that are so comfy, where we watch TV at night or read a book, could be a problem when we’re in them all day," Zitner said. "Soft cushions, deep seated couches, sitting on a bed with your legs outstretched, all these are recipes for putting your spine in a bad position and allowing your muscles to have to carry a lot more strain than when you’re sitting upright at a desk."
Experts recommend changing your position throughout the day by working while standing and taking a walk break.
Zitner also recommends you sit up straight while seated and keep your feet planted firmly on the ground to provide proper lumbar support.
"And important is to put your screen so that it's elevated somewhat, so that you’re looking straight ahead at it or slightly up, not looking down at it," Zitner said. "One of the biggest things that we’re hearing is that between laptops and cell phones, people look down a lot."
"That rounds the shoulders forward and it puts a lot of strain on the neck. A couple of chiropractors told me that your head, depending on whether you’re a man or a woman, can weigh 12 pounds or so. When you’re leaning forward to look down at a phone or down at a laptop, that can make your muscles in your neck have to carry weight equivalent to 60 pounds instead of 12."
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