Smart working and health: 7 out of 10 people suffer from low back pain

Take short breaks at least every 30 minutes of work, perform muscle mobility exercises, equip yourself with an ergonomic chair and create a relaxed routine. These are some of the experts’ tips to prevent the most frequent smart working-related illnesses in the time of Coronavirus: international research has shown that 72 percent of workers suffer from low back pain.

Coronavirus emergency forced millions to smart working

The Coronavirus emergency has forced millions of people in Italy and abroad to work from home by implementing the practice of smart working. A scenario closely related to the many postural problems caused by a prolonged period of inactivity: suffice it to say that according to research by the World Health Organization published in the UK portal Daily Mail the 72 percent of workers interviewed admitted to suffer from low back pain, exacerbated during this quarantine phase. And again, the misuse of smartphones and PCs causes in the long run what the British call “tech neck“, which is the neck marked by the typical posture of those who bow their heads and which, according to a survey published in the BBC, affects mostly the millennials.

Issues that get great prominence on social media as well: from a monitoring on Instagram has emerged as the hashtag #Backpain has over 1 million mentions e #Techneck over 12 thousand. But what are the experts’ tips for preventing and treating smart working-related illnesses? Prevention starts at the table with a healthy and balanced eating regimen for fighting sedentariness and continues by paying attention to theuse of ergonomic chairs appropriate for the lumbar spine, additionally making some Short breaks at least every 30 minutes of work.

Also crucial is performing stretching exercises

Fundamental is also performing stretching exercises for muscle mobility e follow a relaxed routine. Finally, to treat low back pain, valuable help comes from laser therapy Theal Therapy created in Italy by Mectronic, which, thanks to the photobiomodulation process act on inflammation and guarantees a speedy recovery.

The dr.Dr. Angela Amodio

“The health emergency has drastically changed the lifestyles of millions of Italians especially in relation to smart working, which has caused an increase in sedentariness and postural problems,” explained the dr.ssa Angela Amodio, physical therapist specializing in neurorehabilitation – Sitting for hours on end in an incorrect position causes muscle numbness that can lead to more acute conditions such as cervicalgia, vagal seizures, nausea and dizziness.

For this reason, it is advisable to take a break at least every 30 minutes and move inside your home, equip yourself with an ergonomic chair that enhances the lumbar spine and perform a series of exercises aimed at training muscle mobility. Also watch out for eye health: during smart working, the screen should be kept at eye level to avoid further eye problems. Finally, to treat the many postural problems, valuable help comes from Theal Therapy, which, thanks to its wavelengths, acts directly on the inflammatory component, reducing the associated pain at the root”.

But what are the most common problems due to prolonged smart working? In first place stands out low back pain, which affects the 52% of subjects, often due to incorrect postures in chairs that excessively compress the lumbar vertebrae. This is followed by vagal crises, which affect the 24% of people, accompanied by feelings of nausea, exhaustion and dizziness, and cervicalgia, affecting 20% of workers and cause numbness and tingling in the neck.

But that’s not all, because staring at the screen of electronic devices for an extended period of time can cause asthenopic disorders such as dry eyes, fatigue, burning sensation and blurred vision.

Expert advice

Finally, here are the 10 expert tips to prevent and treat the most frequent diseases related to smart working: