3 Tips For Reducing Your Back Pain While Standing All Day At Work
Posted on: 25 October 2017
If you are required to stand in one position for most of the day at work, you may find that you return home after your shift with back pain every night. If so, use one or more of the following tips for reducing your back pain while standing all day at work.
Place Thick Insoles in Your Shoes
One thing you can do to ease your back pain at work is something you can do before you even leave your home. Before you put your shoes on, place a set of thick insoles inside. When selecting the insoles, pick ones that fit the arch of your feet and have enough cushioning in the heels to support your weight comfortably.
Placing insoles in your shoes can help cradle your feet and distribute your weight evenly. If your feet are not supported and aligned correctly with your legs and back, the misalignment can travel up through your legs and into your hips. Then, because your hips are not squarely positioned, your lower back muscles will be out of alignment and endure constant strain.
If you have been working for a while without insoles, your back and hips may have been knocked out of alignment so badly that the insoles are incapable of fully correcting it. You may want to visit a chiropractor and have them readjust your spine and hips. You can visit sites like yourfloridachiropractor.com for more information. Then, once you've had an adjustment, the thick insoles can give your body better positioning in between visits.
Perform Simple Stretches Throughout the Day
When you stand in one spot for hours, the muscles in your legs and back tense up and start cramping from lack of movement. Eventually, your cramped back muscles not only become sore, but they also start spasming. These spasms can cause severe pain and only worsen the longer you stay in one position.
To keep your back muscles loose while working at your assigned station, perform simple stretches to increase blood flow and stretch out the muscle fibers. First, bend down as if you are going to touch your toes, then roll your torso to one side as you stand up. Then, repeat the movement while rolling to the other side as you straighten up.
Another stretch that can help loosen up your tense back muscles is performed by holding your arms straight above your head and elongating your torso. This stretch lengthens the muscles of your back and relieves the tension on them. To stretch them more, slowly move your arms and body from side to side a few times.
Take a Short Walk on Your Breaks
While the stretch above can help loosen up your muscles and keep them tightening up too badly while you are working, your muscles will still stay fairly tight. When you go on break, you may be tempted to sit down. However, since your muscles are still not being used, you may discover that they tense up even more the longer you sit.
As part of your break routine, try to take a short walk to increase blood flow to your back muscles and loosen them. Even if you only take a few minutes to walk around the building or parking lot, this small amount of exercise can help reduce the fatigue and crampiness in your lower back.
Using some or all of the tips above can help you alleviate some of your back pain caused by standing on your feet all day. You may also want to schedule an appointment with a chiropractor to have back pain adjustments, as well as discuss more strategies for staying comfortable and as close to pain-free as possible during work hours.
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