According to Dr. Russell Amundson, national senior medical director for UnitedHealthcare, remote work means increased back pain for most Americans.
After the pandemic, most Americans opted for remote work arrangements. For example, the California Center for Jobs and the Economy found over 40% of California workers prefer virtual and hybrid options.
However, not all remote workers have dedicated desk space. Most people pass from cow-working spaces to beds and sofas. As a result, medical centers see an increasing correlation between remote work and back pain.
As Amundson specifies: “They’re working from household furniture in a non-ergonomic setting. And with that, they lose some of that support. %esearch has shown that’s contributed to a spike in low back pain among folks working from home.”
The best solution is to prevent the consequences of remote work and back pain. So, the director advised the C.O.R.E. acronym to improve posture working from home:
- Practice’ C’orrect posture
- Avoid ‘O’verweight and lifting overweight items
- ‘R’elax and stretch for five minutes every half-hour
- ‘E’xercise to increase circulation and blood flow, including low-impact exercises such as walking and swimming
In addition, the department of health policy and management at the UCLA School of Public Health warns about the risk of health problems related to metabolic syndrome and hypertension.
Remote work and back pain is the first step. Working from home can have dangerous consequences without attention to posture and well-being. As remote work will stay in a post-pandemic scenario, companies need to improve their strategies for their remote workers.
