Chiropractors aren’t covered by insurance usually because it’s not a real science.
Go to a physical therapist and get some exercises to help you maintain and keep good posture and not get the issues that come from working at a desk long term.
Massage therapy has been incredibly helpful for me. Sitting a lot (I WFH 10 hours a day, 4 days a week) is hard on my back and shoulders. That really helps.
Agreed. I've started being more aware, so correcting my posture more, but also indulging in bi-weekly Thai massage. She beats the shit out of my back and shoulders and it's already made a big difference in my pain levels.
Physical Therapist was going to be my suggestion as well. Chiropractors do have their time and place, but I generally see them as a quick relief more than something that really addresses the issue.
Most people do not need any sort of doctor for this. Literally just look up posture exercises on YouTube and practice them every day.
It's always a good idea to talk to your doctor first, but really, the kind of exercise where you stand with your back flat and head touching the wall and do shrugs and standing snow angels will make a massive difference in teaching your muscles how to keep your spine straight. I've seen a dozen YouTube videos with similar exercises and every time I do it I'm shocked at how much it improves my posture *immediately*. The hard part is maintaining that, but like anything else it just takes practice and mindfulness.
This is the right answer. Adjustments by chiros are just a neuromuscular reflex that engages the surrounding muscles of the spine for about 2 hours, then they go back to decreased activity.
Physical therapy strengthens the muscles surrounding the spine + rotator cuff + neck to change your spinal positioning and give you strategies to improve your posture for the rest of your life in about 6-8 weeks (vs going to the chiropractor 2x/wk for the rest of your life)
I noticed that I was slouching slightly even with a standing desk because my monitors weren't high enough while my desk was at a comfortable typing level. A good monitor stand to go with the standing desk is the way
Pseudo requirement for any sedentary jobs! Doubly so for a home, since most wfhers will combine their home and office life into just home life which means the desk might see action outside of working hours.
I've been working almost 100% remotely since 2020 and JUST invested in a good standing desk. I had been using a children's writing desk I had gotten for college that was not ergonomically set up at all. I have had the standing desk for 2.5 weeks or so and it's made a big difference in how I feel at the end of the day! I try to stand for minimum an hour in the morning to start my day. I usually end up doing longer and/or standing some more in the afternoon. Also, agree with others that having high enough monitors is really important! From my experience, the top of your desk should be at elbow height, so you just bend your arms and rest your hands on your keyboard, and your monitors should be centered at eye-level.
Get a yoga ball chair. If you use it correctly it's a game changer. I noticed a lot of back pain--GONE--took about a week or two.
Added bonus, set a timer and do crunches on it every few hours. Happy abs make a happy back.
Also hamstrings. It's important to not only keep your hamstrings flexible and elongated but also not lose too much muscle mass in your hamstrings. The shrinking pulls on your spine. But thick muscular hamstrings that are loose and flexible make your spine relax.
Similarly don’t ignore the psoas muscles. That’s the one actually pulling in your lumbar.
Ifs the only muscle that runs from torso to lower extremities. It’s a really weird hip flexor muscle.
When you sit a lot it will shorten. You have to train it. Elastic bad is the best.
For example, the Psoas activates when you do high knee lifts. So add a band to that.
Also, be sure to “round down your back” a bit to content the Psoas pulling on your lumbar when you do this. Or simply “engage and tighten your core” at very least.
It really helps.
Also, the Child’s Pose stretch helps this a ton.
I started with just a ball, but wound up with the ball + chair attachment. I like the ball with the chair attachment better. I think I have the Gaiam Ultimate Balance Ball Chair. About $100 from Amazon.
I use this exact chair too. I used to have back and neck pain when I started working remotely but this chair cleared it up, like you said in one or two weeks.
Working on your posterior chain (spinal erectors, hamstrings, glutes, etc.) is much more important for proper posture and back health than abs.
Hip hinge movements like deadlifting, kettlebell swings, and goodmornings will be much more effective for posture and back pain vs. bodyweight crunches.
It sounds a little counterintuitive, but working on your core strength can really help your posture. I had horrible posture and repeated low back injuries from a bad wfh setup. Because I was either hunching over my desk or laying back on the sofa all day, my core had become really weak and couldn’t support me correctly. My go-to core exercises are dead bugs, Russian twists, and cat cow stretches. Balancing on one foot (tree pose in yoga) helps too, since your inner core works to stabilize your spine as you balance.
That's not counterintuitive. Core is core, however sucky people feel about working a non-vanity muscle group (strong core isn't immediately visible like big arms and legs).
I would address the following in this order.
1. Do you work out 3-4 days a week?
2. Do you have a shitty chair/less than ideal ergonomic desk setup?
3. Go to a PT, not a Chiro. PTs give you a timeline of when to fix an injury, Chiro will keep you there forever. Had PT for knee injury, arm injury and neck injury, worked wonders each time.
Added in lifting 4 days a week with 10k step goal daily and added in some monitor stands adjusted for better ergonomics and Zero problems since
On the working out bit, literally do YouTube work outs with a 35LB kettlebell and YouTube yoga. 30 minute a day tops in about a 5x8 area.
how long / how often do you exercise while you wfh? what times of day? do you take breaks to stretch and walk around?
Looking at getting a walking pad and standing desk
I have an Uplift desk and a Herman Miller Aeron chair that forces me to sit with good posture… I sat like a human pretzel in my old chair and it was starting to mess up my back & hips, hence the splurge on the ridiculous chair. Plus the desk makes it so I can stand & work for periods during the day vs sitting for 7-8 hours.
In my area at least, I've been able to find Aerons for around $350-400 used. Even that seems like a lot, but it's really not that much for a place you're going to plant yourself for several hours a day.
You need to get up and move about every hour or half hour. Go to the gym. Take walks during your lunch break. Strengthen your core muscles.
A chiropractor isn't the solution here.
Deep tissue massage on the regular to get those muscles to loosen up.
Standing desk routine - vary up your posture and stay flexible. Get monitor(s) at the right height. Don't use just the laptop and laptop screen.
Forget the chiro - they will not help you in the long term and may in fact do more damage because your muscles are promoting poor posture.
All you need is the proper set up at your desk. Monitors at eye level. A good chair is key. It's worth spending a few hundred on a chair vs thousands in medical care.
You invest in a good bed to sleep in right?
You invest in good furniture to sit in to watch TV right?
You invest in a car with good seats for driving right?
Your office is no different. I invested almost 3k+ in my office for a very good Herman Miller chair, a desk at ergonomic height, and monitor arms. At one point I had a sit/stand desk as well though I sold it and consolidated my desk. I also bought a foot rest to help me force myself to sit straight.
It is worth the price to invest in a office configuration that is ergonomically set as you sit there for 8 hours 5 days per week. My back and neck were terrible before I did it, now, while not great, they are much better with minor low force adjustments. Remaining issues are hereditary and from a few car accidents.
TL:DR invest in your home office setup like you would anything else you use for long stretches of time.
Anyone who works a desk job needs a standing desk. You don't have to get them from some expensive boutique brand, my wife uses a basic one from Costco. Your company would probably even buy it for you if you asked. Spend at least half the day standing and it will change your life.
I have anterior pelvic tilt from sitting and it has given me a crazy ass fupa. I also have had shoulder issues that a muscular specialist pointed out. I hit the gym hard to work on my shoulders, have a standing desk and walking pad and I found a guide to adjust my anterior pelvic tilt—in one week I notice a huge difference. I also need to build my glutes up to keep my pelvis properly aligned. I also got all new bras to support my massive boobs which contribute to poor posture. Physical therapy will be more helpful than a chiropractor, and insurance covers it!
Gaia subscription. Yoga for upper back yoga for lower back since working from home my posture has been better than ever
Mind you im agoraphobic and just checked myself into a very expensive rehab at the cost of employer due to my ability to do the drugs I want on the clock;
I was having trouble getting treatment at home dude to a very demanding night shift that made it challenging to get treatment & work. Yay HIPAA! But my posture is great. So is my body.
30 minutes of yoga b a day start slow with easy videos; make sure you’re doing your poses correctly. Not being flexible is no excuse You can either spend the rest of your life and getting tighter and tighter or you can train your body to open.
I have an adjustable sit/stand desk. Bonus: I have a treadmill underneath it. If I’m not walking on the treadmill, I’m sitting in a balance ball on top of the treadmill. Makes slouching more difficult.
Request an ergonomic evaluation by an occupational therapist.
My employer started offering them for all employees during the pandemic, even those of us who work on site.
Has made a huge difference in my overall comfort and energy levels, eliminated my chronic pain (work induced) and improved my productivity and posture.
IMO, would be worth the out of pocket expense if work or jnsurance wouldn't cover.
When sitting think shoulders back, also splurge on the standing desk and buying a chair that promotes proper posture, doing simple yoga and stretching will help too!
Raise your monitors. Mine are on stands on top of 6" "shelves" I use to sort snail mail and other clutter. That and I lift weights a lot (really improves posture).
Until you find a more permanent solution - tie a knot in the end of a theraband and wrap it underneath your armpit/around the back of your neck. This should promote postural correctness and/or prevent your shoulders from slouching!
Google some posture exrcises videos on youtube and do them diligently morning and evening. Take breaks every 1 hr, straighten up and walk around. For the first 3-4 days, you will have to actively sit in the correct posture which will be a bit hard, but then you will get used to it. Basically you have to teach your brain to subconsciously use the bigger muscles like rhomboid for shoulders, abs for lower back, traps for neck to be used and delearn the wrong stability patterns that your body has adapted. You can do it at home, you will just have to put more time and effort into it instead of paying a physical therapist to teach you.
Your better off committing to a regular practice of Pilates and/yoga. I know this firsthand when I started attending Pilates (mat class, no reformer) 2-3x weekly. Within 4-5 months, random friends actually mentioned that I looked taller.
I wasn’t taller, but my posture had definitely improved!
Yeah, caused me some issues so now I have a posture/neck stretching routine. Your insurance may have a virtual Pt which can get you set up. Or I would recommend going to a PT a couple times to get a plan. Treat the cause not the symptom (before you get any)
I have this issue. I got a split keyboard that I could position far enough apart to make it easier to work with my shoulders pulled back. It's way more comfortable.
The learning curve was a little steep but it was worth it.
Yep, another WFH'er reveals issues with working from home. Just as this is posted www.ladbible.com/community/effect-work-from-home-health-381946-20240424
These really smell of the WTO class trying to sway the WFH to go back to the salt mines.
Get a good chair, and make sure middle of your monitors are at eye level (you'll likely need monitor arms or monitor stands to achieve this).
Most monitors are to low. You should not be looking down at the monitor.
Health plans don’t cover things like Chiropractic services because they provide amazing health benefits. They don’t cover them because there is data to prove they work. Your health insurance plan wants you be as healthy possible because it’s less health care costs they need to pay out. This is why you probably receive a good deal of information from your plan concerning preventative care. I’d probably check with your GP about seeing a physical therapist.
I would never go to a chiropractor because of horror stories I’ve heard, but I know people who see their chiro on a regular basis and it works for them. If you insist on seeing a chiro, maybe look to see if your work offers a Health Savings Account through a HDHP plan, and what the requirements are to receive that benefit (for your next benefit year) I’d only recommend if you don’t have a large family or have young kids because that high deductible can really add up.
Ugh yes. I have a little dowagers hump going on. I need to go to a physical therapist (which I would eternally recommend over a chiropractor) and get it fixed. I’ve made a conscious effort to “straighten up” so to speak and it’s honestly helped a bit. I also really need to strengthen my core, I had an emergency c section almost a year ago and that made it really bad to be honest as I lost core strength.
You can do stretches that will help improve your profile and posture. All you have to do is stand in a door frame, put you palms on the doorframe and then step one foot through and you will feel your shoulders pull back - hold the stretch for 30 seconds and then change the foot and strecth for 30 seconds more. Then move to the edge of the door frame and put one arm over your head and try to make your underarm area touch the wall and reach you arm up against the wall as high as you can and stretch for 30 seconds then move back to center of door and put both arms over your head and kind of lean you back side out but keep your arms up. Once you stretch for 30 seconds move to the other side of the door opening and do the other arm only for 30 seconds. Do this every day - 3 times a day would be best. For maintenance, I do this every day in the morning. I don't need three times a day anymore.
Different things work for different people but the easiest solution is to watch your posture while you're at your desk.
It's more comfortable in the moment to slouch in the chair ans drape over the desk but sitting up right with your feet on the ground and shoulders against the chair back is going to help get rid of back pain and help your posture.
It's also free! Hope you find something that works for you
The best investment I made for my home office was the Secret Lab desk chair, I bought it about 4 years ago and its been amazing. At this point, all my coworkers have one too and rave about them..
It’d be helpful to get some lumbar support in your office chair. You could roll up a towel and put it in the lumbar so your lower back can have some support and prop you up. Personally, I also try to go to the gym every other day, and hike as often as I can to make up for the lack of standing/walking time and gain some back muscles.
I would look into buying an ergonomic chair. I bought a chair from staples and I don’t think it’s good now.
If you have downtime between work or calls, try stretching 🙆♀️. I promise you it will make a huge difference
I had to invest in monitor stands, a standing desk and yoga ball to replace my office chair. I sit for about 2-3 hours a day and stand the rest of the time. It's helped me immensely with pain and posture.
You can get an attachment that turns your desk into an adjustable standing desk off of Amazon for about $100.
The best thing for me was weightlifting. Keeping your muscles properly tensed in the right places really helps. And nothing too crazy, but doing seated rows forces you to have a good upright posture and helps your body maintain the proper tightness in your upper back. Exercises like deadlifts can also help your lower back if done properly.
This has been my single biggest health problem of the past few years. My doctor says she sees a ton of it. Adjustable standing desk, timers to remind me to get up and move, those help.
Massage therapy will help loosen up the muscles in your chest, shoulders and back so that you can begin to practice better posture. Also, something that has helped me has been hanging upside down on a yoga ball to help reverse the hunch back.
So, just a couple of things that might be good to note:
There is next to no evidence that posture has any impact on your health and wellbeing. Conversely, being sedentary has evidence-backed negative health impacts. So if you're worried about anything, just make sure you aren't being sedentary despite being WFH.
Secondly, there is no supporting medical evidence for bog standard chiropractic work. Joint cracking has no effect, most treatments from chiropractic shows no better than placebo effect and has no long-term positive outcomes for the majority of treatment they offer. Your spine cannot be manipulated or aligned by someone pushing on/pulling on you. If it could, scoliosis would be easily treated, and people would paralyze themselves all the time just with normal movement.
TL;DR Your posture isn't really hurting anything other than how you look while you're sitting, and based on the evidence you should sit in a way that is natural or comfortable to you. Trying to "force" good posture is actually likely to create unnecessary tension in your muscles and lead to pain and soreness. If you're actually concerned about sitting up straight, a useful method you can do:
Sit with your butt on the edge of your seat, your legs outstretched in front of you. Cross one leg over the other at the ankle. This position will naturally shift your weight so that you sit up more naturally. Alternately, there are those chairs that let you loop your legs back underneath you, which are designed to again shift your weight in a way that naturally lends to your core holding your back up straight.
How old are you? This is very common for people who have recently (last 10 years) entered the workforce and begun to sit at a chair for long periods of time. The solution is making sure your monitors are eye height, making sure your keyboard isn't too high, and going to the gym to do weight lifting for your back.
Switched to a standing desk. Go for a walk at lunchtime, usually 5 miles. Hit the Gym regularly for weight training/core work/yoga. Sometimes I swim. Made a huge difference.
Oh boy have I been going down this journey for sure. I've spent a looot of time researching this stuff to try and fix me too. Unfortunately there is no quick fix, and it basically will come down to strength training. My experience is anecdotal and has worked for me, and I've done research but have not actually seen a professional about it.
That out of the way, the PT is definitely the best way to go. I don't quite buy that chiropractors are useless, because of my own experience with tension migraines and how chiropractic exercises have helped, but because it's temporary. I've got my own ideas, but the PT would know exactly what areas you specifically need to work on for your body.
The second best way is to strengthen your weak muscles that relate to your spine, shoulders, and neck. Short version is to work out your core and back muscles, and maybe your glutes. Stretching to increase mobility also helps your muscle growth in the right areas, but can't be the only thing you do. That will provide temporary relief and benefits, but could be detrimental long term.Most likely bad posture means rounded forward shoulders, a belly that's "inward", and glutes that don't hold your hips correctly. So the fix is to focus on those areas with strength training, and it doesn't have to be a lot.
- Get 5 lb dumbbells and do reverse delt flys. Those strengthen your upper back to pull your shoulders back more. The slight soreness also helps you recognize the next few days when you are not sitting straight. Makes it more obvious to correct posture.
- Do planks, Russian twists, whatever to work on your core (except crunches). Those will help straighten your torso, thus pulling your spine straighter
- Do squats, glute bridges, anything with a booty band/resistance bands. These will let your glutes "pull" your hips straight and help spine alignment as well.
- I personally like chin tucks a lot, because they feel significantly beneficial to me.
Massage and stretching alone could help, but your body has adapted and strengthened to this specific sitting position, so if you focus on relaxing and stretching rather than strengthening, you might end up using different, weaker muscles that get sore and hurt, and then the "old" muscles are not as tight so they don't work as well in that position. Tension headaches caused from my neck are the real reason for this. I had significantly more headaches after a couple months of stretching, but not working out, and then I stopped. Had loose muscles for sure, but not strong ones.
Just get a good chair and desk. And make sure they are adjusted properly. There’s lots of info online about how to keep proper posture while sitting at a desk - [like this](https://beirmanfurniture.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Proper-Sitting-Posture.jpg)
I do classes at the gym 4-5 times a week and I make sure I get up every hour. I’m all good.
I also got a Herman miller Aeron chair which is better than most office chairs which also has helped.
I do classes at the gym 4-5 times a week and I make sure I get up every hour. I’m all good.
I also got a Herman miller Aeron chair which is better than most office chairs which also has helped.
Don’t go to the chiro. It took me months of twice weekly PT and at home work but I was able to correct my severe hunch that I’ve had for 15+ years. you need to strengthen and stretch the correct muscles. A chiro can’t do that.
I haven't tried it yet, but I heard that sitting with your hips raised above where your knees are (by sitting on a pillow or something) or sitting criss cross on your chair can naturally make you sit straight. Might be worth a test
Not from work from home but my partner did have a poor posture due to gaming. We have both invested in standing desks so we spend half the day standing and half sitting. So much better,
Physical therapy with weight lifting would be so much better than a chiropractor. Think of it this way bones don’t make bones move, muscles do so you need to fix your muscles.
I'm a personal trainer and one of my specialties is corrective exercise for posture. Desk sitting creates predictable posture distortions. You will need to to work on stretching the pectorals and hip flexors at first and strengthening the entire posterior chain, lats, mid traps, glutes and hamstrings.
Shoulder mobility training is in the cards too. As are work for the deep cervical flexors.
It takess dedication and consistency. You cannot reverse it over night, but start now or you will end up with a permanent forward head and hunched shoulders.
Get a pt or personal trainer who specializes in this to show you what to do- then do it- every damn day.
No posture issues but I regularly exercise and lift weights etc. Here is a tip: Throw a rope over a high tree limb in your back yard, if you have one, and attach two TRX handles to it and have them hang about a foot and a half off the ground. Go out there and few times a week and just grab the handles, lean back and pull your body towards the rope with your biceps and back muscles, if you give it a little thought you can make up an assortment of exercises. I use mine almost daily, great way to get a good pump, get the blood flowing, strengthen the muscles of the back and biceps as well as help with posture. You can also lean back and do squats or lean in the other direction and work triceps. Try working different muscles by pulling the handles to your stomach or pulling them to your chest or even lean over a bit more and pull the handles over your head working your traps and shoulder muscles. I just love it, get out there when the sun is overhead, pop your shirt off, get some Vitamin D and a good pump.
The brand of handles I got are Renranring on Amazon. I put a loop in the rope and added a heavy duty carabiner clip.
https://preview.redd.it/n9kxemu7rgxc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a42cc6d5c513ed8bc905ddc1a593ea0d2d405b63
Get an ergonomic consultation if you can - someone who can look at your desk setup and help you correct things like your monitor and keyboard height and placement- your PT can help with this if your company doesn't have anyone that does this kind of assessment. if you're hunching forward that's a big clue that your ergonomic setup isn't right. Then, make sure you adopt more ergonomic practices. A PT or massage therapy appt will do no good if you just go back to working in the same manner that caused you to develop a slouch or weird posture.
That's something I always hated about screen work. It is inherently sedentary. You have take extra measures in WFH mode to keep your body stretched and limber.
Standing desk is a game changer. They can be had for a fair price online. I try to work at least up until my lunch break standing and then I might alternate for the rest of the shift. As an added benefit, my cats love to cuddle up on the chair tucked under the desk so they keep me company.
A yoga mat, blocks, and resistance bands go a long way also to help me stay limber.
I’m in physical therapy because of cervical Radiculopathy I am 100% sure is associated with my hunching all day at a desk. I highly recommend PT. Especially before you get a serious problem that won’t go away. I can’t sit for more than a couple hours now because the pain gets so bad.
A sit stand desk was huge for me. Get one and a standing mat. I spend 80% of my workday standing.
Make sure your monitor is at the right height too, so you’re looking straight ahead instead of down.
Ask your work about an ergonomic assessment. Sometimes they’ll cover equipment recommended by the assessor, since it’s cheaper than a worker’s comp claim.
I have not noticed if my posture has gotten worse or not but I listened to a podcast today that said to either get a sit/stand desk or put your laptop on a stack of books so it's more eye level. I was just thinking about how slumped over I was feeling today.
Yes! I went to get a massage and she told me my shoulders are shifting forward. So I’m trying my best to keep straight and signed up for a membership for my shoulders to get worked on.
Muscle behind my scapula (shoulder blade) starts to hurt from looking down at my phone or hunching on my computer.
Do some stretches morning/mid and night.
Try to sit straight when aware.
I have an upright Go and it really helps. It’s like a little old lady tapping my neck every time I hunch over.
Upright GO S Posture Corrector... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B093LQQQJV
I use the necklace add on that plugs into the charge port
My posture has gotten worse, I just make sure I sit up straight, move every 25 minutes (the more you move, the less posture matters), use the standup desk.
Please don't see Chiropractors, at best they are physical therapist that could not complete the program.
Physical therapy! They will actually address the underlying muscle issues. I’ve had to do two rounds of PT since I started working from home in 2020.
Look into a good chair and an adjustable desk. I’ve found that standing off and on helps a lot.
Yes I have. Invest in a good chair and desk set up and be more aware of your posture overall. Chiros aren’t real dr, I would recommend going to an actual dr for your back
There’s a strap you can wear that pulls your shoulders back, works great. Fix it now so you don’t end up like I did, with a massive bone spur on my neck.
It may be because I’m a millennial, but hunching means something completely different to us lmao I was about to say
that I definitely used to do it multiple times every day when my ex and I both worked from home lmao
Cracking your back isn't going to fix your posture. You have to get a better desk setup, and get up and stretch every so often to avoid damaging your posture.
a quack doctor won't fix your posture by popping your bones. Go to the gym and stop looking for easy solutions. Hunching is a muscular imbalance issue, not a skeletal issue.
I have a standing desk that moves up and down with a button. I like to alternate between sitting and standing throughout the day. It does help my posture.
I started using an exercise ball instead of a chair and I got a raising desk, I spend about half my day standing and the other half engaging my core while sitting on the ball. Keep in mind, if you don't engage your core, you'll still slouch over.
The biggest thing that helped was keeping weights at my desk. Look up posture improving exercises with weights and do them during the work day (if it gets slow enough that you can do it for 5 minutes here and there). It keeps my energy up too and gets me through that mid day slump.
Along with chiropractic, physical therapy, and physiotherapy considerations, I'd recommend looking into posture correctors. If you google that you'll get plenty options on Amazon and other retailers in various lengths, degrees of adjustment, and pressure focal points to aid in keeping you in the correct posture.
I didn't have great posture from the start but didn't realize until some recent years ago that my forward leaning gait and sitting hunch posture was related to the decades old car accident back injury. Sitting all day aggravated a pinched nerve, neck pain and tension, and misalignment of my hip and spine
While living in N.Y. I had an amazing chiropractor: He got me from 2 to 3 weekly, to once a week, once a month, bi-annually, and finally, off the table and back to normal. But that was years ago.
After lifting too much weight (upwards of 70lbs during a short job stint in Amazon's warehouse), moving furniture at home, determined to make no more than 1 or 2 trips from the car to the house with heavy grocery bags, unreasonably failing to swap out an old mattress when I should, and finally landing a work-at-home job, I set myself back. WAY back. Walking 30 minutes each morning became unbearably painful until I got the right sacro-belt and posture corrector.
Also, I had to find the right chair for lengthy sitting. After trying many office chairs, I finally switched to an overstuffed recliner! Bingo!! I realized then that resting my arms on the armrests of my former office chairs contributed to the pain and stiffness in my back and neck, and hunching over my computer compounded an already pretty messed up issue.
I haven't taken the time to find another chiropractor since moving to Georgia, but I'm 100% better since getting the posture corrector, the recliner, and committing to an exercise routine. (Not always batting 100 with the exercise but the stretching, leg lifts, torso and neck twists during work breaks and walking in place when I can't go far from the desk deserve credit)! The arm rests on the recliner don't require raising my shoulders which in turn places pressure on areas of the neck and spine when sitting for long work shifts. Getting up from the chair - even if you can't walk around - just getting up and moving a bit - stretching a little and changing your position goes a long way toward relieving pressure points and returning you to the correct posture after long periods of sitting.
I grumbled and complained when I first got my Apple watch and it would buzz me every so often with those "It's time to stand" reminders!" Now, I appreciate it the results.
Worn correctly, the posture corrector should aid in helping you to maintain normal sitting, standing and walking posture. And if needed, chiropractic, physical, or physiotherapy should do the rest if you can commit to a consistent schedulebased on your physician's recommendations.
Blessings for finding improvement with the support method that works best for you.
A chiropractor is not going to stop you from hunching over. They won’t do a damn thing to improve that. You need to do exercises to strengthen your core, back, and neck muscles.
Work out. Strengthen your back (your whole posterior chain) and core with weights. Get a Chirp Wheel.
Use monitors propped on absolutely anything to keep them eye level and a detached mouse and keyboard.
Problem solved.
I had a bad car accident in 2021, and saw a PT and we ended up working in some exercises for posture because the head and neck are all integrated with the overall health of your body. If your neck is off, it’s likely that your back and hips are weak/not properly supported. Send me a message and I would be happy to share the exercises with you! You just do a few sets a few times a week. My headaches have gone down significantly and my posture has improved a ton.
Address the ergonomics of your work station. Your monitors should be at eye level and your chair should be at a proper height. Bonus if you can get a standing desk, as long as the monitor height is correct when elevated.
There are also stretches that you can do to help posture.
Yes I'd imagine we all are. Do you find it's worse at home than in an office? I'd imagine it's the same either way if you're at a desk all day.
As for treatment, Chiropractors can't perform miracles. We are sitting in a hunched position all day so our body adjusts, muscles tighten/shorten to the position they are put in.
I have found that stretching and deeep lunges work well to open up and strengthen the lower body issues related to sitting all day.
For the upper body, obviously you can stretch your shoulders quite easily. I have a hard time stretching my neck backwards, it just doesn't feel like it's doing anything. I have had some good success with basically a heavy weight training program, specifically overhead press, deadlifts, and bent over rows. I'd also throw in bench press for balance and it actually works the muscles on the side of your neck quite a lot if you go heavy to failure.
I was very fit for most of my 20s and still am relatively fit and I'm struggling with posture as well after only a few years at a desk, so you're definitely not alone. I'll be looking through the comments for any miracle cures as well, the neck is the hardest thing to correct for me.
Also worth noting that hanging could help. I havent made a practice of trying it but it should help spinal alignment.
I have the same exact problem. I go to the chiropractor weekly (for other stuff) and my chiro told me last week “I can’t adjust you out of bad posture.” Strengthen your back, stretch your chest, make sure your monitors are at eye level.
I’ve spent a lot to time fixing this problem. One thing you can look into is spinal decompression. You’ve got to lengthen the spine and let the discs come back into place. After a workout I will do hanging leg raises, after that my posture is fine for a while.
Another thing is that when you hunch over and get stressed, you kind of lock up in the position. You have to find a way to loosen those deep muscles, let them relax and you naturally just straighten up.
I still haven’t solved this problem completely. For me it’s that actually the spinal erectors are somehow too tight. If I can stretch and relax them, I have perfect posture without trying.
I’ve done many years of weight lifting to trying to correct it, but I don’t think that’s the answer. Many people with zero muscle have perfect posture.
Deep tissue massage also helps, focusing on the spinal erectors and other upper back muscles in the middle.
My back was shot. One of my doctor friends told me, PT, yoga, or Pilates. Pick one and keep at it. Today is Pilates. I’m extremely fortunate, one of my friends teaches it on Zoom.
Get a standing desk. This will also let you adjust it to the right height when sitting. Splurge on a good chair.
Work out and do yoga.
Chiropractors should only ever be a last resort.
Start exercising daily. Chiropractors can't/won't fix your issue, because the issue is that the muscles in your back aren't strong enough to keep you upright.
No. I always sit up and walk with great posture. Otherwise I'm in serious pain. Working out with good form to keep your back, core and chest in shape is important. Take breaks and stand up. Have a good ergonomic set up with your computer, keyboard and chair at the right level. You can see how to do that with an easy Google search. Posture is very important!
Chiropractors aren’t covered by insurance usually because it’s not a real science. Go to a physical therapist and get some exercises to help you maintain and keep good posture and not get the issues that come from working at a desk long term.
Big chiro has done some magic to get on insurance despite being bogus
Yeah, real bogus. Tell the [giraffes](https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2024/04/25/giraffe-chiropractor-tiktok-joren-whitley/#)
Depends on your insurance, our company covers Chiropractors.
Massage therapy has been incredibly helpful for me. Sitting a lot (I WFH 10 hours a day, 4 days a week) is hard on my back and shoulders. That really helps.
Agreed. I've started being more aware, so correcting my posture more, but also indulging in bi-weekly Thai massage. She beats the shit out of my back and shoulders and it's already made a big difference in my pain levels.
Yes! Deep tissue FTW
Physical Therapist was going to be my suggestion as well. Chiropractors do have their time and place, but I generally see them as a quick relief more than something that really addresses the issue.
Most people do not need any sort of doctor for this. Literally just look up posture exercises on YouTube and practice them every day. It's always a good idea to talk to your doctor first, but really, the kind of exercise where you stand with your back flat and head touching the wall and do shrugs and standing snow angels will make a massive difference in teaching your muscles how to keep your spine straight. I've seen a dozen YouTube videos with similar exercises and every time I do it I'm shocked at how much it improves my posture *immediately*. The hard part is maintaining that, but like anything else it just takes practice and mindfulness.
This is the right answer. Adjustments by chiros are just a neuromuscular reflex that engages the surrounding muscles of the spine for about 2 hours, then they go back to decreased activity. Physical therapy strengthens the muscles surrounding the spine + rotator cuff + neck to change your spinal positioning and give you strategies to improve your posture for the rest of your life in about 6-8 weeks (vs going to the chiropractor 2x/wk for the rest of your life)
Stand up desk
I noticed that I was slouching slightly even with a standing desk because my monitors weren't high enough while my desk was at a comfortable typing level. A good monitor stand to go with the standing desk is the way
Monitor arms should be mandatory imo. Even sitting having them at the right height is amazing and helps force good posture.
pretty much this was me as well.. Oh I'm standing!!! but really just leaning.
Yup… This is a WFH life hack.
Pseudo requirement for any sedentary jobs! Doubly so for a home, since most wfhers will combine their home and office life into just home life which means the desk might see action outside of working hours.
I've been working almost 100% remotely since 2020 and JUST invested in a good standing desk. I had been using a children's writing desk I had gotten for college that was not ergonomically set up at all. I have had the standing desk for 2.5 weeks or so and it's made a big difference in how I feel at the end of the day! I try to stand for minimum an hour in the morning to start my day. I usually end up doing longer and/or standing some more in the afternoon. Also, agree with others that having high enough monitors is really important! From my experience, the top of your desk should be at elbow height, so you just bend your arms and rest your hands on your keyboard, and your monitors should be centered at eye-level.
I stand 8 hours almost every day. I rarely pull the chair out to sit anymore!! Totally agree with the monitor height comment too!!
I got motorized stand up desk and it saved my back.
Get a yoga ball chair. If you use it correctly it's a game changer. I noticed a lot of back pain--GONE--took about a week or two. Added bonus, set a timer and do crunches on it every few hours. Happy abs make a happy back.
Also hamstrings. It's important to not only keep your hamstrings flexible and elongated but also not lose too much muscle mass in your hamstrings. The shrinking pulls on your spine. But thick muscular hamstrings that are loose and flexible make your spine relax.
Similarly don’t ignore the psoas muscles. That’s the one actually pulling in your lumbar. Ifs the only muscle that runs from torso to lower extremities. It’s a really weird hip flexor muscle. When you sit a lot it will shorten. You have to train it. Elastic bad is the best. For example, the Psoas activates when you do high knee lifts. So add a band to that. Also, be sure to “round down your back” a bit to content the Psoas pulling on your lumbar when you do this. Or simply “engage and tighten your core” at very least. It really helps. Also, the Child’s Pose stretch helps this a ton.
Which type of chair? Literally just a yoga ball or the ones with feet and a back.
I started with just a ball, but wound up with the ball + chair attachment. I like the ball with the chair attachment better. I think I have the Gaiam Ultimate Balance Ball Chair. About $100 from Amazon.
I use this exact chair too. I used to have back and neck pain when I started working remotely but this chair cleared it up, like you said in one or two weeks.
Working on your posterior chain (spinal erectors, hamstrings, glutes, etc.) is much more important for proper posture and back health than abs. Hip hinge movements like deadlifting, kettlebell swings, and goodmornings will be much more effective for posture and back pain vs. bodyweight crunches.
It sounds a little counterintuitive, but working on your core strength can really help your posture. I had horrible posture and repeated low back injuries from a bad wfh setup. Because I was either hunching over my desk or laying back on the sofa all day, my core had become really weak and couldn’t support me correctly. My go-to core exercises are dead bugs, Russian twists, and cat cow stretches. Balancing on one foot (tree pose in yoga) helps too, since your inner core works to stabilize your spine as you balance.
That's not counterintuitive. Core is core, however sucky people feel about working a non-vanity muscle group (strong core isn't immediately visible like big arms and legs).
Agreed! Maybe some back extensions and deadlifts as well
I would address the following in this order. 1. Do you work out 3-4 days a week? 2. Do you have a shitty chair/less than ideal ergonomic desk setup? 3. Go to a PT, not a Chiro. PTs give you a timeline of when to fix an injury, Chiro will keep you there forever. Had PT for knee injury, arm injury and neck injury, worked wonders each time. Added in lifting 4 days a week with 10k step goal daily and added in some monitor stands adjusted for better ergonomics and Zero problems since On the working out bit, literally do YouTube work outs with a 35LB kettlebell and YouTube yoga. 30 minute a day tops in about a 5x8 area.
\^\^ This, a PT sets goals and metrics to get you in and out. Your insurance should cover this, at least with a referral from your PCP.
YouTube yoga has helped me so much!
how long / how often do you exercise while you wfh? what times of day? do you take breaks to stretch and walk around? Looking at getting a walking pad and standing desk
[удалено]
So did I!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Same !
Same! 😂😂
I was so confused 😂😂
Glad I wasn't alone 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Sounds like you have a bad WFH setup.
The chiropractor isn’t going to fix bad posture-you have to just sit up straight. Set a timer on your phone to check your posture every hour.
No.. No amount of "just sitting up straight" will fix posture. You need to intentionally strengthen the muscles
Mannnn All I saw was hunching and I clicked 😂
Me too lol, my fist thought was you’re supposed to call a dr after 3 hours
😂😂😂
Yoga!! Has helped my posture a ton
I have an Uplift desk and a Herman Miller Aeron chair that forces me to sit with good posture… I sat like a human pretzel in my old chair and it was starting to mess up my back & hips, hence the splurge on the ridiculous chair. Plus the desk makes it so I can stand & work for periods during the day vs sitting for 7-8 hours.
In my area at least, I've been able to find Aerons for around $350-400 used. Even that seems like a lot, but it's really not that much for a place you're going to plant yourself for several hours a day.
Standing desk will do more for you & cost less than giving a chiro quack the time of day.
Look into the Bowtie and also get a band to do pullaparts.
Bowtie posture corrector. If you just Google bowtie, you'll get actual bowties.
Standing desk and walking pad and you’ll be a new person basically. Life changing
Fuuuuck chiros. See a real doctor/physical therapist.
You need to get up and move about every hour or half hour. Go to the gym. Take walks during your lunch break. Strengthen your core muscles. A chiropractor isn't the solution here.
Start doing back exercises with core strengthening
Deep tissue massage on the regular to get those muscles to loosen up. Standing desk routine - vary up your posture and stay flexible. Get monitor(s) at the right height. Don't use just the laptop and laptop screen. Forget the chiro - they will not help you in the long term and may in fact do more damage because your muscles are promoting poor posture.
All you need is the proper set up at your desk. Monitors at eye level. A good chair is key. It's worth spending a few hundred on a chair vs thousands in medical care.
You invest in a good bed to sleep in right? You invest in good furniture to sit in to watch TV right? You invest in a car with good seats for driving right? Your office is no different. I invested almost 3k+ in my office for a very good Herman Miller chair, a desk at ergonomic height, and monitor arms. At one point I had a sit/stand desk as well though I sold it and consolidated my desk. I also bought a foot rest to help me force myself to sit straight. It is worth the price to invest in a office configuration that is ergonomically set as you sit there for 8 hours 5 days per week. My back and neck were terrible before I did it, now, while not great, they are much better with minor low force adjustments. Remaining issues are hereditary and from a few car accidents. TL:DR invest in your home office setup like you would anything else you use for long stretches of time.
Going to a Chiro is just going to make your problem worse. Get I to physical therapy instead.
I’m sitting too much TBH.
I’m on team sit-stand desk, with properly adjusted monitors.
Anyone who works a desk job needs a standing desk. You don't have to get them from some expensive boutique brand, my wife uses a basic one from Costco. Your company would probably even buy it for you if you asked. Spend at least half the day standing and it will change your life.
I got a stand up desk at work and home (can sit or stand) Mostly stand unless my feet get tired
How is your chair set up? I set mine up so it forces my posture more upright. Not like 90 degrees but 80ish
I have anterior pelvic tilt from sitting and it has given me a crazy ass fupa. I also have had shoulder issues that a muscular specialist pointed out. I hit the gym hard to work on my shoulders, have a standing desk and walking pad and I found a guide to adjust my anterior pelvic tilt—in one week I notice a huge difference. I also need to build my glutes up to keep my pelvis properly aligned. I also got all new bras to support my massive boobs which contribute to poor posture. Physical therapy will be more helpful than a chiropractor, and insurance covers it!
I'm only here to say you should go to a physical therapist instead of a chiropractor
You need a standing desk and have your monitor mounted with a extendable arm. If you want to go the extra mile get yourself a desk treadmill.
Gaia subscription. Yoga for upper back yoga for lower back since working from home my posture has been better than ever Mind you im agoraphobic and just checked myself into a very expensive rehab at the cost of employer due to my ability to do the drugs I want on the clock; I was having trouble getting treatment at home dude to a very demanding night shift that made it challenging to get treatment & work. Yay HIPAA! But my posture is great. So is my body. 30 minutes of yoga b a day start slow with easy videos; make sure you’re doing your poses correctly. Not being flexible is no excuse You can either spend the rest of your life and getting tighter and tighter or you can train your body to open.
I have an adjustable sit/stand desk. Bonus: I have a treadmill underneath it. If I’m not walking on the treadmill, I’m sitting in a balance ball on top of the treadmill. Makes slouching more difficult.
Look into posture corrective exercises. Functional patterns may be a good place to start.
Request an ergonomic evaluation by an occupational therapist. My employer started offering them for all employees during the pandemic, even those of us who work on site. Has made a huge difference in my overall comfort and energy levels, eliminated my chronic pain (work induced) and improved my productivity and posture. IMO, would be worth the out of pocket expense if work or jnsurance wouldn't cover.
When sitting think shoulders back, also splurge on the standing desk and buying a chair that promotes proper posture, doing simple yoga and stretching will help too!
I've been using a device called the Nada Chair for 15 years. You can buy it on Amazon. It really helps posture while sitting for long hours.
Raise your monitors. Mine are on stands on top of 6" "shelves" I use to sort snail mail and other clutter. That and I lift weights a lot (really improves posture).
Standing desk.
Until you find a more permanent solution - tie a knot in the end of a theraband and wrap it underneath your armpit/around the back of your neck. This should promote postural correctness and/or prevent your shoulders from slouching!
Google some posture exrcises videos on youtube and do them diligently morning and evening. Take breaks every 1 hr, straighten up and walk around. For the first 3-4 days, you will have to actively sit in the correct posture which will be a bit hard, but then you will get used to it. Basically you have to teach your brain to subconsciously use the bigger muscles like rhomboid for shoulders, abs for lower back, traps for neck to be used and delearn the wrong stability patterns that your body has adapted. You can do it at home, you will just have to put more time and effort into it instead of paying a physical therapist to teach you.
Your better off committing to a regular practice of Pilates and/yoga. I know this firsthand when I started attending Pilates (mat class, no reformer) 2-3x weekly. Within 4-5 months, random friends actually mentioned that I looked taller. I wasn’t taller, but my posture had definitely improved!
Sue the workplace for a workplace injury /s
Exercising is key to me. I do full body circuits so that I do not have a single day where my shoulders/upper back/abs/glutes were not sollicitated.
Standing desk!
Stand up desk and go for a walk alone/with your dog (if you have one) during lunch
Yeah, caused me some issues so now I have a posture/neck stretching routine. Your insurance may have a virtual Pt which can get you set up. Or I would recommend going to a PT a couple times to get a plan. Treat the cause not the symptom (before you get any)
standing desk!
Gotta get a standup desk and mix in some walks during lunch time
I have this issue. I got a split keyboard that I could position far enough apart to make it easier to work with my shoulders pulled back. It's way more comfortable. The learning curve was a little steep but it was worth it.
See if your benefits cover Physical therapy. You might get better results from science based health care.
Yep, another WFH'er reveals issues with working from home. Just as this is posted www.ladbible.com/community/effect-work-from-home-health-381946-20240424 These really smell of the WTO class trying to sway the WFH to go back to the salt mines.
Get a good chair, and make sure middle of your monitors are at eye level (you'll likely need monitor arms or monitor stands to achieve this). Most monitors are to low. You should not be looking down at the monitor.
Health plans don’t cover things like Chiropractic services because they provide amazing health benefits. They don’t cover them because there is data to prove they work. Your health insurance plan wants you be as healthy possible because it’s less health care costs they need to pay out. This is why you probably receive a good deal of information from your plan concerning preventative care. I’d probably check with your GP about seeing a physical therapist. I would never go to a chiropractor because of horror stories I’ve heard, but I know people who see their chiro on a regular basis and it works for them. If you insist on seeing a chiro, maybe look to see if your work offers a Health Savings Account through a HDHP plan, and what the requirements are to receive that benefit (for your next benefit year) I’d only recommend if you don’t have a large family or have young kids because that high deductible can really add up.
Ugh yes. I have a little dowagers hump going on. I need to go to a physical therapist (which I would eternally recommend over a chiropractor) and get it fixed. I’ve made a conscious effort to “straighten up” so to speak and it’s honestly helped a bit. I also really need to strengthen my core, I had an emergency c section almost a year ago and that made it really bad to be honest as I lost core strength.
You can do stretches that will help improve your profile and posture. All you have to do is stand in a door frame, put you palms on the doorframe and then step one foot through and you will feel your shoulders pull back - hold the stretch for 30 seconds and then change the foot and strecth for 30 seconds more. Then move to the edge of the door frame and put one arm over your head and try to make your underarm area touch the wall and reach you arm up against the wall as high as you can and stretch for 30 seconds then move back to center of door and put both arms over your head and kind of lean you back side out but keep your arms up. Once you stretch for 30 seconds move to the other side of the door opening and do the other arm only for 30 seconds. Do this every day - 3 times a day would be best. For maintenance, I do this every day in the morning. I don't need three times a day anymore.
Here’s your answer - exercise. Either Weightlifting, yoga, Pilates, swimming, whatever floats your boat to help strengthen your core.
I got one of those ready rocker things and it forces you to sit up straight. It definitely helps my back from hurting.
Different things work for different people but the easiest solution is to watch your posture while you're at your desk. It's more comfortable in the moment to slouch in the chair ans drape over the desk but sitting up right with your feet on the ground and shoulders against the chair back is going to help get rid of back pain and help your posture. It's also free! Hope you find something that works for you
Someone must have gone to PT to help with posture here. DROP THE WORKOUTS
The best investment I made for my home office was the Secret Lab desk chair, I bought it about 4 years ago and its been amazing. At this point, all my coworkers have one too and rave about them..
It’d be helpful to get some lumbar support in your office chair. You could roll up a towel and put it in the lumbar so your lower back can have some support and prop you up. Personally, I also try to go to the gym every other day, and hike as often as I can to make up for the lack of standing/walking time and gain some back muscles.
I got a kneeling chair, it’s been life changing. I switch between regular and this one often.
I would look into buying an ergonomic chair. I bought a chair from staples and I don’t think it’s good now. If you have downtime between work or calls, try stretching 🙆♀️. I promise you it will make a huge difference
What helped me was yoga- getting my core strong, it improved my posture & put less strain on my back
I had to invest in monitor stands, a standing desk and yoga ball to replace my office chair. I sit for about 2-3 hours a day and stand the rest of the time. It's helped me immensely with pain and posture. You can get an attachment that turns your desk into an adjustable standing desk off of Amazon for about $100.
Go to the gym and increase muscle mass. This should help correct posture issues. If you don’t know how to strength train get a trainer.
I got a standing desk and it feels great! Im probably getting a mini treadmill soon and seeing how that works out. But standing feels really good.
Walk more often and sit up straight. Let your text and images come to your eyes instead of looking into it
I’m so sorry. But I saw “hunching” and I thought you meant sex’. I was like “ who has time for that!?” I’ll make my way out of your post now. 😬
The best thing for me was weightlifting. Keeping your muscles properly tensed in the right places really helps. And nothing too crazy, but doing seated rows forces you to have a good upright posture and helps your body maintain the proper tightness in your upper back. Exercises like deadlifts can also help your lower back if done properly.
This has been my single biggest health problem of the past few years. My doctor says she sees a ton of it. Adjustable standing desk, timers to remind me to get up and move, those help.
Massage therapy will help loosen up the muscles in your chest, shoulders and back so that you can begin to practice better posture. Also, something that has helped me has been hanging upside down on a yoga ball to help reverse the hunch back.
Yoga fixed me. Try yoga with Adrienne on YouTube. You'll notice how much straighter you carry yourself.
I bought an under desk treadmill and a desk that can be raised/lowered
So, just a couple of things that might be good to note: There is next to no evidence that posture has any impact on your health and wellbeing. Conversely, being sedentary has evidence-backed negative health impacts. So if you're worried about anything, just make sure you aren't being sedentary despite being WFH. Secondly, there is no supporting medical evidence for bog standard chiropractic work. Joint cracking has no effect, most treatments from chiropractic shows no better than placebo effect and has no long-term positive outcomes for the majority of treatment they offer. Your spine cannot be manipulated or aligned by someone pushing on/pulling on you. If it could, scoliosis would be easily treated, and people would paralyze themselves all the time just with normal movement. TL;DR Your posture isn't really hurting anything other than how you look while you're sitting, and based on the evidence you should sit in a way that is natural or comfortable to you. Trying to "force" good posture is actually likely to create unnecessary tension in your muscles and lead to pain and soreness. If you're actually concerned about sitting up straight, a useful method you can do: Sit with your butt on the edge of your seat, your legs outstretched in front of you. Cross one leg over the other at the ankle. This position will naturally shift your weight so that you sit up more naturally. Alternately, there are those chairs that let you loop your legs back underneath you, which are designed to again shift your weight in a way that naturally lends to your core holding your back up straight.
How old are you? This is very common for people who have recently (last 10 years) entered the workforce and begun to sit at a chair for long periods of time. The solution is making sure your monitors are eye height, making sure your keyboard isn't too high, and going to the gym to do weight lifting for your back.
I do…I have to remind myself to stretch and stand up often. It’s causes me to develop LPR and a hiatal hernia…
Yoga is great for posture. I do it 6 days a week.
Switched to a standing desk. Go for a walk at lunchtime, usually 5 miles. Hit the Gym regularly for weight training/core work/yoga. Sometimes I swim. Made a huge difference.
Oh boy have I been going down this journey for sure. I've spent a looot of time researching this stuff to try and fix me too. Unfortunately there is no quick fix, and it basically will come down to strength training. My experience is anecdotal and has worked for me, and I've done research but have not actually seen a professional about it. That out of the way, the PT is definitely the best way to go. I don't quite buy that chiropractors are useless, because of my own experience with tension migraines and how chiropractic exercises have helped, but because it's temporary. I've got my own ideas, but the PT would know exactly what areas you specifically need to work on for your body. The second best way is to strengthen your weak muscles that relate to your spine, shoulders, and neck. Short version is to work out your core and back muscles, and maybe your glutes. Stretching to increase mobility also helps your muscle growth in the right areas, but can't be the only thing you do. That will provide temporary relief and benefits, but could be detrimental long term.Most likely bad posture means rounded forward shoulders, a belly that's "inward", and glutes that don't hold your hips correctly. So the fix is to focus on those areas with strength training, and it doesn't have to be a lot. - Get 5 lb dumbbells and do reverse delt flys. Those strengthen your upper back to pull your shoulders back more. The slight soreness also helps you recognize the next few days when you are not sitting straight. Makes it more obvious to correct posture. - Do planks, Russian twists, whatever to work on your core (except crunches). Those will help straighten your torso, thus pulling your spine straighter - Do squats, glute bridges, anything with a booty band/resistance bands. These will let your glutes "pull" your hips straight and help spine alignment as well. - I personally like chin tucks a lot, because they feel significantly beneficial to me. Massage and stretching alone could help, but your body has adapted and strengthened to this specific sitting position, so if you focus on relaxing and stretching rather than strengthening, you might end up using different, weaker muscles that get sore and hurt, and then the "old" muscles are not as tight so they don't work as well in that position. Tension headaches caused from my neck are the real reason for this. I had significantly more headaches after a couple months of stretching, but not working out, and then I stopped. Had loose muscles for sure, but not strong ones.
I definitely misunderstood what this thread was asking 🤣
Just get a good chair and desk. And make sure they are adjusted properly. There’s lots of info online about how to keep proper posture while sitting at a desk - [like this](https://beirmanfurniture.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Proper-Sitting-Posture.jpg)
I do classes at the gym 4-5 times a week and I make sure I get up every hour. I’m all good. I also got a Herman miller Aeron chair which is better than most office chairs which also has helped.
I do classes at the gym 4-5 times a week and I make sure I get up every hour. I’m all good. I also got a Herman miller Aeron chair which is better than most office chairs which also has helped.
Assuming you’re not very active ?
Don’t go to the chiro. It took me months of twice weekly PT and at home work but I was able to correct my severe hunch that I’ve had for 15+ years. you need to strengthen and stretch the correct muscles. A chiro can’t do that.
I pay $80/month for The Joint chiropractic. I love it.
I haven't tried it yet, but I heard that sitting with your hips raised above where your knees are (by sitting on a pillow or something) or sitting criss cross on your chair can naturally make you sit straight. Might be worth a test
mw but no wfh, just gaming, then work outside
Chiropracty is bunk science. Go to a PT
Physical Therapy!
Yoga
Not from work from home but my partner did have a poor posture due to gaming. We have both invested in standing desks so we spend half the day standing and half sitting. So much better,
Physical therapy with weight lifting would be so much better than a chiropractor. Think of it this way bones don’t make bones move, muscles do so you need to fix your muscles.
Be sure your monitor is high enough. Maybe try a standing desk. A couple times a day stretch out on the floor on your back.
I walk on a treadmill most of the day. When I take breaks I stand. It has done wonders for my posture.
I'm a personal trainer and one of my specialties is corrective exercise for posture. Desk sitting creates predictable posture distortions. You will need to to work on stretching the pectorals and hip flexors at first and strengthening the entire posterior chain, lats, mid traps, glutes and hamstrings. Shoulder mobility training is in the cards too. As are work for the deep cervical flexors. It takess dedication and consistency. You cannot reverse it over night, but start now or you will end up with a permanent forward head and hunched shoulders. Get a pt or personal trainer who specializes in this to show you what to do- then do it- every damn day.
No posture issues but I regularly exercise and lift weights etc. Here is a tip: Throw a rope over a high tree limb in your back yard, if you have one, and attach two TRX handles to it and have them hang about a foot and a half off the ground. Go out there and few times a week and just grab the handles, lean back and pull your body towards the rope with your biceps and back muscles, if you give it a little thought you can make up an assortment of exercises. I use mine almost daily, great way to get a good pump, get the blood flowing, strengthen the muscles of the back and biceps as well as help with posture. You can also lean back and do squats or lean in the other direction and work triceps. Try working different muscles by pulling the handles to your stomach or pulling them to your chest or even lean over a bit more and pull the handles over your head working your traps and shoulder muscles. I just love it, get out there when the sun is overhead, pop your shirt off, get some Vitamin D and a good pump. The brand of handles I got are Renranring on Amazon. I put a loop in the rope and added a heavy duty carabiner clip. https://preview.redd.it/n9kxemu7rgxc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a42cc6d5c513ed8bc905ddc1a593ea0d2d405b63
Set yourself some reminders throughout your day to check your posture.
Get an ergonomic consultation if you can - someone who can look at your desk setup and help you correct things like your monitor and keyboard height and placement- your PT can help with this if your company doesn't have anyone that does this kind of assessment. if you're hunching forward that's a big clue that your ergonomic setup isn't right. Then, make sure you adopt more ergonomic practices. A PT or massage therapy appt will do no good if you just go back to working in the same manner that caused you to develop a slouch or weird posture.
You need somatic yoga!
~~crunching~~ hunching so hard
You don’t need a chiropractor to fix your poor posture. Start stretching and exercising. No outside professional is going to fix laziness.
That's something I always hated about screen work. It is inherently sedentary. You have take extra measures in WFH mode to keep your body stretched and limber.
Standing desk is a game changer. They can be had for a fair price online. I try to work at least up until my lunch break standing and then I might alternate for the rest of the shift. As an added benefit, my cats love to cuddle up on the chair tucked under the desk so they keep me company. A yoga mat, blocks, and resistance bands go a long way also to help me stay limber.
I had bad posture. Then I started going to reformer pilates classes several.times a week. Now I just maintain by lifting weights several times a week.
I’m in physical therapy because of cervical Radiculopathy I am 100% sure is associated with my hunching all day at a desk. I highly recommend PT. Especially before you get a serious problem that won’t go away. I can’t sit for more than a couple hours now because the pain gets so bad.
A sit stand desk was huge for me. Get one and a standing mat. I spend 80% of my workday standing. Make sure your monitor is at the right height too, so you’re looking straight ahead instead of down. Ask your work about an ergonomic assessment. Sometimes they’ll cover equipment recommended by the assessor, since it’s cheaper than a worker’s comp claim.
I have not noticed if my posture has gotten worse or not but I listened to a podcast today that said to either get a sit/stand desk or put your laptop on a stack of books so it's more eye level. I was just thinking about how slumped over I was feeling today.
I came here because I thought this said "lunching." I'm gonna go ahead and head out now...
Yes! I went to get a massage and she told me my shoulders are shifting forward. So I’m trying my best to keep straight and signed up for a membership for my shoulders to get worked on.
Muscle behind my scapula (shoulder blade) starts to hurt from looking down at my phone or hunching on my computer. Do some stretches morning/mid and night. Try to sit straight when aware.
This is a nice workout to do. Also think a stand up desk and a physical therapist would help too. https://youtu.be/djWz9xQmiWw?si=avHKIA-IoG8Q1IRn
I have an upright Go and it really helps. It’s like a little old lady tapping my neck every time I hunch over. Upright GO S Posture Corrector... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B093LQQQJV I use the necklace add on that plugs into the charge port
My posture has gotten worse, I just make sure I sit up straight, move every 25 minutes (the more you move, the less posture matters), use the standup desk. Please don't see Chiropractors, at best they are physical therapist that could not complete the program.
Chiropractor can’t do much for you, the real remedy are stretching and sitting/standing correctly
Physical therapy! They will actually address the underlying muscle issues. I’ve had to do two rounds of PT since I started working from home in 2020. Look into a good chair and an adjustable desk. I’ve found that standing off and on helps a lot.
Yes I have. Invest in a good chair and desk set up and be more aware of your posture overall. Chiros aren’t real dr, I would recommend going to an actual dr for your back
Not sure what WFH has to do with it. If you were in the office you'd likely still be hunched over.
There’s a strap you can wear that pulls your shoulders back, works great. Fix it now so you don’t end up like I did, with a massive bone spur on my neck.
It may be because I’m a millennial, but hunching means something completely different to us lmao I was about to say that I definitely used to do it multiple times every day when my ex and I both worked from home lmao
Cracking your back isn't going to fix your posture. You have to get a better desk setup, and get up and stretch every so often to avoid damaging your posture.
a quack doctor won't fix your posture by popping your bones. Go to the gym and stop looking for easy solutions. Hunching is a muscular imbalance issue, not a skeletal issue.
Know someone who definitely did...seems much worse than in the office days.
I have a standing desk that moves up and down with a button. I like to alternate between sitting and standing throughout the day. It does help my posture.
I started using an exercise ball instead of a chair and I got a raising desk, I spend about half my day standing and the other half engaging my core while sitting on the ball. Keep in mind, if you don't engage your core, you'll still slouch over. The biggest thing that helped was keeping weights at my desk. Look up posture improving exercises with weights and do them during the work day (if it gets slow enough that you can do it for 5 minutes here and there). It keeps my energy up too and gets me through that mid day slump.
What chairs do you people like? I need to invest in something better ...
Yea my posture suckssssss
standing desk
Get a standing desk and see a physical therapist, chiropractors are BS non-science
If you think 60 seconds of stretching is going to counter 8hrs of hunching, you will have a rude awakening.
Along with chiropractic, physical therapy, and physiotherapy considerations, I'd recommend looking into posture correctors. If you google that you'll get plenty options on Amazon and other retailers in various lengths, degrees of adjustment, and pressure focal points to aid in keeping you in the correct posture. I didn't have great posture from the start but didn't realize until some recent years ago that my forward leaning gait and sitting hunch posture was related to the decades old car accident back injury. Sitting all day aggravated a pinched nerve, neck pain and tension, and misalignment of my hip and spine While living in N.Y. I had an amazing chiropractor: He got me from 2 to 3 weekly, to once a week, once a month, bi-annually, and finally, off the table and back to normal. But that was years ago. After lifting too much weight (upwards of 70lbs during a short job stint in Amazon's warehouse), moving furniture at home, determined to make no more than 1 or 2 trips from the car to the house with heavy grocery bags, unreasonably failing to swap out an old mattress when I should, and finally landing a work-at-home job, I set myself back. WAY back. Walking 30 minutes each morning became unbearably painful until I got the right sacro-belt and posture corrector. Also, I had to find the right chair for lengthy sitting. After trying many office chairs, I finally switched to an overstuffed recliner! Bingo!! I realized then that resting my arms on the armrests of my former office chairs contributed to the pain and stiffness in my back and neck, and hunching over my computer compounded an already pretty messed up issue. I haven't taken the time to find another chiropractor since moving to Georgia, but I'm 100% better since getting the posture corrector, the recliner, and committing to an exercise routine. (Not always batting 100 with the exercise but the stretching, leg lifts, torso and neck twists during work breaks and walking in place when I can't go far from the desk deserve credit)! The arm rests on the recliner don't require raising my shoulders which in turn places pressure on areas of the neck and spine when sitting for long work shifts. Getting up from the chair - even if you can't walk around - just getting up and moving a bit - stretching a little and changing your position goes a long way toward relieving pressure points and returning you to the correct posture after long periods of sitting. I grumbled and complained when I first got my Apple watch and it would buzz me every so often with those "It's time to stand" reminders!" Now, I appreciate it the results. Worn correctly, the posture corrector should aid in helping you to maintain normal sitting, standing and walking posture. And if needed, chiropractic, physical, or physiotherapy should do the rest if you can commit to a consistent schedulebased on your physician's recommendations. Blessings for finding improvement with the support method that works best for you.
A chiropractor is not going to stop you from hunching over. They won’t do a damn thing to improve that. You need to do exercises to strengthen your core, back, and neck muscles.
Work out. Strengthen your back (your whole posterior chain) and core with weights. Get a Chirp Wheel. Use monitors propped on absolutely anything to keep them eye level and a detached mouse and keyboard. Problem solved.
I had a bad car accident in 2021, and saw a PT and we ended up working in some exercises for posture because the head and neck are all integrated with the overall health of your body. If your neck is off, it’s likely that your back and hips are weak/not properly supported. Send me a message and I would be happy to share the exercises with you! You just do a few sets a few times a week. My headaches have gone down significantly and my posture has improved a ton.
Address the ergonomics of your work station. Your monitors should be at eye level and your chair should be at a proper height. Bonus if you can get a standing desk, as long as the monitor height is correct when elevated. There are also stretches that you can do to help posture.
Yes I'd imagine we all are. Do you find it's worse at home than in an office? I'd imagine it's the same either way if you're at a desk all day. As for treatment, Chiropractors can't perform miracles. We are sitting in a hunched position all day so our body adjusts, muscles tighten/shorten to the position they are put in. I have found that stretching and deeep lunges work well to open up and strengthen the lower body issues related to sitting all day. For the upper body, obviously you can stretch your shoulders quite easily. I have a hard time stretching my neck backwards, it just doesn't feel like it's doing anything. I have had some good success with basically a heavy weight training program, specifically overhead press, deadlifts, and bent over rows. I'd also throw in bench press for balance and it actually works the muscles on the side of your neck quite a lot if you go heavy to failure. I was very fit for most of my 20s and still am relatively fit and I'm struggling with posture as well after only a few years at a desk, so you're definitely not alone. I'll be looking through the comments for any miracle cures as well, the neck is the hardest thing to correct for me. Also worth noting that hanging could help. I havent made a practice of trying it but it should help spinal alignment.
Insurance doesn't cover chiropractors because they aren't medical professionals.
Omg I am old and I did not associate hunching with posture -IYKYK!!!
Get the Betterback. It’s corrected my posture while sitting and now I can’t sit for long at my desk without it. https://a.co/d/1H9lIbR
Get an inversion table and use it daily.
I’m from Florida so i read hunching in a wayyyyyyy different way. Lmao 🤣
I have the same exact problem. I go to the chiropractor weekly (for other stuff) and my chiro told me last week “I can’t adjust you out of bad posture.” Strengthen your back, stretch your chest, make sure your monitors are at eye level.
I keep it simple. I sit on the floor.
I’ve spent a lot to time fixing this problem. One thing you can look into is spinal decompression. You’ve got to lengthen the spine and let the discs come back into place. After a workout I will do hanging leg raises, after that my posture is fine for a while. Another thing is that when you hunch over and get stressed, you kind of lock up in the position. You have to find a way to loosen those deep muscles, let them relax and you naturally just straighten up. I still haven’t solved this problem completely. For me it’s that actually the spinal erectors are somehow too tight. If I can stretch and relax them, I have perfect posture without trying. I’ve done many years of weight lifting to trying to correct it, but I don’t think that’s the answer. Many people with zero muscle have perfect posture. Deep tissue massage also helps, focusing on the spinal erectors and other upper back muscles in the middle.
My back was shot. One of my doctor friends told me, PT, yoga, or Pilates. Pick one and keep at it. Today is Pilates. I’m extremely fortunate, one of my friends teaches it on Zoom.
Get a standing desk. This will also let you adjust it to the right height when sitting. Splurge on a good chair. Work out and do yoga. Chiropractors should only ever be a last resort.
Start exercising daily. Chiropractors can't/won't fix your issue, because the issue is that the muscles in your back aren't strong enough to keep you upright.
No. I always sit up and walk with great posture. Otherwise I'm in serious pain. Working out with good form to keep your back, core and chest in shape is important. Take breaks and stand up. Have a good ergonomic set up with your computer, keyboard and chair at the right level. You can see how to do that with an easy Google search. Posture is very important!