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Working from Home Can be a Pain in the Neck

Work from home sitting on floor

The Makovicka Difference

We are leaders in our profession, locally owned and operated by physical therapists who forge relationships with patients, and advocate for their care. All of our clinics have board-certified specialists on staff, meaning you get the highest level of care to maximize your recovery, and get you back to your game. We will listen, evaluate your symptoms, and create a personalized physical therapy program to meet your needs and improve your function, strength, and mobility.

We know that working at home (WFH) creates some bad habits. From sitting on the floor or the bed while working, to being hunched over the laptop for hours-it can take a toll on your body! We’re here to tell you that there are ways to keep that from happening, even if your WFH situation isn’t ideal with a desk or table.

Work from home sitting on couch
Laptop on the lap causes neck and back pain

Ergonomics
• Use a good chair when possible. If you don’t have a good chair, add pillows for back/leg support.
• Raise your chair (most kitchen tables and desks are too high). Use a pillow as a seat cushion if needed.
• Support your feet on a phone book, step stool, etc., if they don’t firmly touch the ground while sitting.
• Raise your monitor using books, old shoe boxes, etc.
• Use an external keyboard and mouse. It is essential that the monitor is separated from the keyboard/mouse. The top of the monitor should be at or slightly below eye level, shoulders relaxed with the elbows around 90 degrees

Movement
It’s a must! While ergonomics are important, movement is an essential component of a pain-free work-from-home (or anywhere really) day. There are a million ways to squeeze more movement into your day. Here are just a few to get you started–walking up a flight of stairs or bodyweight squats. Pick an activity (or a few as time permits) from the list below and perform every 30 minutes to an hour.

Other Helpful Resources

If you have pain that just isn’t going away, Telehealth Physical Therapy may be the ticket to help you get on track. We can assess your work station and offer helpful ideas for making it more ergonomic. Click here to learn more.

There are so many great resources to be active at home right now that require minimal to no equipment and just a few square feet of space. Here are a few to get you started:
Peloton – FREE 90 day trial of their app which includes cycling, treadmill, outdoor, yoga, and strength training options
Planet Fitness – livestreams group fitness classes daily on their Facebook page at 7 ET
Nike Premium App
24 Hour Fitness – 24GO app
Orange Theory – 30-minute workout videos on their Youtube page
YMCA:360 – on-demand workouts and digital coaching FREE
Gold’s Gym – over 600 audio and video workouts on the Gold’s Gym AMP app, which they are offering for free through the end of May. Get started at goldsamp.com/promo, and enter promo code FIT60

And as the weather finally takes a turn for the better, GET OUTSIDE. Vitamin D helps to improve bone health as well as an immune system function. Go for a walk or jog and let the sun work its magic!

McKenna Setlik PT, DPT