Telework

Teleworking. Tell me what hurts and I'll tell you what to do.
The tendency to work at home is increasing and with it, bad posture in front of the computer and discomfort are multiplying. Our teacher and physiotherapist, Francisco Morgado, explains the possible ailments or injuries and gives us advice on what to do.

“Most of the problems are caused by positions or postures acquired over long hours, such as: stiffness, pain in the shoulders, back, neck, wrists and hand. The most notorious complaints are:

-Low back pain. They end up appearing due to overloading and lack of lumbar support in the work chair. Doing an exercise such as Pilates will help you to achieve a good lumbar strengthening and stability work.

-Shoulder problems. Muscle imbalances or inflammations in tendons, in the rotator cuff when holding the arm always in the same position, can cause referred pain, tingling towards the arm or limitation of its mobility in the long term.
Be aware of the position of your shoulders. They should rest relaxed, avoid working with them tense. Try to rest your whole forearm, including your elbow, on the table. You will not be able to do this if the chair is too low.

- Cervical pain and injuries. The position of the neck is essential to avoid other pathologies such as tension headaches or dizziness. The tendency to concentrate our focus on the screen by bringing our head forward and keeping it in that position for a long time causes our muscles to become fatigued. The distance of your eyes from the screen should ensure a good neck posture.

-Epicondylalgia or epicondylitis. The position of the wrist due to using the mouse or keyboard for so many hours can cause inflammation and pain in the tendons of the elbow or wrist.

-Carpal tunnel syndrome. Repetitive movements of the wrist and fingers can compress the median nerve causing weakness, tingling, numbness or sharp pain in the wrist.
For these two possible ailments, described above, it is advisable to rest the heels of the hand on the table while typing and to place a pad or support under the wrist so that it is not too flexed with the mouse.

-Hip pain, trochanteritis and Tensor fascia latae syndrome. Keeping our hips bent for so many hours will eventually lead to discomfort. Try to raise your chair so that your hips are not too bent and your knees are always positioned below them. This will take the pressure off.
As a last recommendation: take the recommended breaks, as your brain will start to lose concentration if you don't. Also try to keep moving and do stretches and exercises from time to time. Also try to keep moving and do stretches and exercises from time to time. You'll give your body a break and it will reflect in your work.