Working from home has recently become the most popular
working method, and today it is one of the preferred options for many companies
and employees, especially with its many advantages of flexible working hours,
saving time, and transportation. According to recent studies, people who work
from home tend to work longer hours than they do in offices. This requires
creating a comfortable and suitable work environment to avoid health risks
resulting from office work. Based on the lines of this article, we will learn
about the most important health problems that you may encounter and be exposed
to when working on a computer.
European-style seating!
Sitting in the European style means sitting with the
legs crossed at the knees. Whether you put your right leg over the left or vice
versa, the harm is the same. Where humans live a sedentary lifestyle, adults
sit for about 7 hours a day, which is why doctors advise knowing how the sitting
position affects your entire body.
Most people sit in the European style for various
reasons. Sitting in this position in meetings indicates strength or may make
you feel comfortable. Tall people also resort to sitting in this way to relieve
pressure at the bottom of the spine. But relieving pressure on one part of the
body causes increased pressure on other parts and can also cause cardiovascular
disease and often causes scoliosis. Sitting in the European style can also
strain the hips, spine, and pelvic area in humans.
The most common symptom is a feeling of numbness as a
result of placing one leg on top of the other for a long time. This results
when pressure is placed on the nerves located behind the knee, which leads to a
lack of feeling in the leg and foot area. Therefore, doctors advise not to sit
in this position for a period that exceeds drinking a cup of coffee, so do not
try not to make it a habit. The best way to sit is with both feet flat, and if
you can't hold your feet firmly on the floor, you can put a footrest to help
which in turn relieves pressure on your lower body so you can sit comfortably
in your chair.
New sitting and smoking
The less you sit for long periods of time, the greater
your chance of getting healthy. Where the heart, blood vessels, and intestines
work much better in the case of standing than sitting. Therefore, sitting for a
long time has been called the new smoking due to its negative effects on the
health of the body, such as regular smoking. Sitting for a long time causes a
decrease in energy levels and immunity in general, in addition to its role in
weight gain. Consequently, you start to feel uncomfortable and you may suffer
from some pain or soreness around your body.
That's why it's important to take breaks every 30
minutes (you can use free tools to remind you of that) or so to get up and get
your muscles moving, whether by walking, doing some light exercises, or
standing up. The ultimate goal is to increase blood flow and relax your
muscles, which also helps. To digest the fats and sugars that a person eats
during the day.
Sitting for a long time also promotes atrophy of the
leg muscles and the appearance of varicose veins in the feet as a result of the
pooling of blood in the legs, which in the future affects walking and
stability. Sitting also has a role in increasing depression and anxiety
compared to people who exercise and do not sit for long periods. Research
indicates an increase in the incidence of diabetes in people who sit for a long
time by 100% compared to people who sit for shorter periods.
Sitting on unsuitable chairs
We may not be able to avoid sitting for long periods
of time due to being busy with work, but we should avoid sitting all that time
on chairs that are uncomfortable or not originally designed to sit on for several
hours, as doing so leads to poor blood circulation that is responsible for
keeping the brain active, which will cause fatigue. And I got distracted, and
it could quickly develop into chronic pain in your back, neck, and shoulders
because these chairs don't provide a comfortable seating position or real back
support.
Sitting on uncomfortable chairs also leads to
digestive problems. In addition to its clear and significant impact on the
health of the shoulders, neck, and spine. When sitting on an uncomfortable
seat, the spine will not be in an appropriate position, which will force the
muscles to compensate and bear this pressure, otherwise, you will not remain
erect properly. In order to avoid the problems of sitting on uncomfortable
chairs, doctors advise using comfortable office chairs (such as those provided
by the famous IKEA showroom) or games. It is designed to fit the neck and lower
back area without creating pressure on the muscles or the spine and without
impeding blood circulation, in addition to allowing every part of it to be
adjusted to provide the best possible sitting position such as adjusting the
height and tilt of the chair, lower back, and neck support, and armrests.
Upper cross syndrome (kyphosis)
The upper cross syndrome is a muscular imbalance in
the head and shoulders. If you sit behind a desk for long hours, it is easy to
hunch over and bend forward to try to get a different and comfortable position.
Since the body systems are interconnected, both the respiratory and digestive systems
will be affected by this syndrome, albeit to varying degrees. Studies have
shown that the phenomenon of hunching will cause fatigue because the muscles
and ligaments of the body must work at a greater pace to maintain the balance
of your body, especially since bending towards the ground consumes more energy
than sitting in a correct position.
Bending also causes a change in the shape of the
spine, which causes more pressure on your neck muscles over time, which in turn
will cause severe headaches and shortness of breath. Because the lungs need
space and a good sitting position to exchange oxygen properly, the oxygen sent
to the heart and brain decreases, and a feeling of fatigue and exhaustion is
generated in the patient’s body with the upper cross syndrome.
To treat this syndrome, it is recommended to consult a
physical therapist and try to do some exercises for this condition and get rid
of all the factors that led to the emergence of the problem. Such as writing
text messages or using the computer improperly. It is also recommended to do
exercises that strengthen the muscles. Don't forget to also adjust your seat
between 90 to 120 degrees so that you can sit with a straight back or slightly
reclined and avoid a neutral spine.
Head tilt forward
This position occurs when the neck leans forward, so
the head becomes against the shoulders instead of being erect above the
shoulders, and it is a common position that occurs when trying to focus on
something or while slouching when playing video games or watching a video. It
is important to know that this position puts extra effort on the muscles and
other structures rather than distributing the weight of the head on the
vertebrae of the spine.
Wrong and long sitting positions in front of the
computer, in addition to the use of social media and office work, lead to
getting used to this position and causing pain in the future.
When the head is tilted forward for a long time, the
muscles of the neck and the upper part of the spine and shoulders become
unbalanced, so the muscles become tense to maintain a clear level of vision
when looking forward, which causes a change in the center of balance in the
body, so the lower part of the spine tries to compensate for the forward
pressure and begins to bend backward to create A state of balance in the body,
preventing it from falling and the result is dangerous and painful deviations
in the spine. There are some symptoms associated with this disease, the most
important of which are:
● Headache and a feeling of imbalance.
● Pain and spasms of the neck and shoulder muscles.
● Pain in the middle of the back.
● Feeling sometimes numbness in the hands and feet as a
result of pressure on the blood vessels.
It is usually advised to seek medical advice, but
there are some tips and exercises that are useful sometimes, including taking
breaks in the event of long hours of office work. It is recommended to take a
break of not less than 3 minutes every half hour of work. It is also
recommended to sit on a chair with a high backrest so that it supports your
head and neck so that you do not have to lean forward.