You may have heard the term office syndrome and if you work in an office environment, it is very possible that you actually suffer from this condition. In this short article, we take a look at the symptoms and causes of office syndrome, while also pointing out potential treatments.
What is office syndrome?
The definition of office syndrome is a range of physical issues that are directly connected to being seated for long periods. Poor seating posture can quickly lead to lower back and neck pain and this is a prime root cause of pain and discomfort, while you can also experience eye strain from looking at a digital screen for long periods.
What are the typical symptoms of office syndrome?
The list of symptoms is indeed long and includes the following:
- Pain in the neck
- Lower back pain
- Stiff shoulders
- Numbness on one side, tingling sensation in hands, fingers, legs and feet
- Aching wrists
- Stiff hips
- Dry eyes
When we sit and work on a computer for long periods, it is easy to adopt a poor seating position and as you are focused on your work, discomfort is often ignored. Your major arteries, for example, can become trapped, cutting off blood flow and this causes a tingling sensation as the blood flow returns.
Recommended treatments for office syndrome
While there might be numerous treatments, we recommend a natural approach to relieve office syndrome pain in the form of treatment by a local physiotherapist. The healthcare professional addresses the root causes of office syndrome and can show you exercises that you can perform at work to prevent pain and discomfort.
Initial consultation
When you make an introductory appointment with a certified physio, the healthcare professional examines you and asks questions to determine your habits at work and establish if they are contributing to your present condition. Once this is over, the physio would make some treatment recommendations and if the patient is agreeable, a treatment plan is put together.
Specific Exercises
Along with physical manipulation, the best approach to treating office syndrome can be to perform specific exercises. A certified physio would teach the patient a set of exercises to perform regularly and armed with this knowledge, you can effectively treat office syndrome. Click here for compelling reasons to invest in ergonomic chairs.
Eye Strain
Looking at a computer screen for many hours definitely causes strain on the eyes and some of the things that you can do includes refocusing on something far away for a couple of minutes, which gives your eyesight some respite. It doesn’t take long and this is the best way to relieve eye strain.
Exercising in the office
Your local physio can show you a set of exercises to combat office syndrome and armed with this knowledge, you should be able to alleviate the symptoms of office syndrome.