How Remote Work Is Impacting Your Workers And How Online Physical Therapy Can Help
By Dr. Marty Sanchez
Remote work has become the new norm since early 2019, and with the current global situation, it has further increased. However, our physical therapists have realized that this has brought along a set of challenges for employees, including isolation and the increased use of cell phones and laptop computers with poor posturing habits. This has led to various health issues such as pain, stiffness, immobility, and decreased productivity. The good news is that online physical therapy and exercise programs can significantly reduce the risk and even reverse the effects of these issues. This blog post will discuss how remote work is impacting workers and how online physical therapy can help.
Understanding The Impact
I recently examined a patient that came to me with an acute episode of significant low back and neck pain. She is a healthy, middle-aged, fairly active adult, who reports she had no prior episodes of this type of pain. She came in following MRI’s and x-rays, and had been to numerous doctors with no resolution. Upon her first visit, she told me that she had recently started working from home. She had transitioned to remote work from home about 9 months ago, and her pain started about 3 months prior and was worsening.
I asked her what her office looked like at home. She said, ‘what office?” “I’m on my sofa, legs crossed, with my computer in my lap”. Wow! She had done every test in the book and seen multiple providers, and yet I was able to help her easily with some simple education and instruction on proper ergonomics and posture. Her pain was nearly gone by the time I saw her the following week.
How You Can Help
Since early 2019 remote work has become a common practice, combined with an increase in isolation among most adults. This has resulted in increased use of cell phones and the harmful posturing that comes with that. These activities significantly place people at immediate risk for posture issues and significant body misalignment resulting in pain, immobility, stiffness, and ultimately decreased productivity.
Online physical therapy and exercise programs will immediately reduce the risk, and reverse the effects that remote work causes. Sometimes all it takes is some simple education and guidance to completely mitigate and resolve problems that arise for people working remotely. Let’s face it, most companies don’t even have an ergonomics instructor or movement specialty onsite that advises employees at worksite environments, let alone follow up with remote workers from home.
Surprising Benefits of Remote Physical Therapy
Online physical therapy and ergonomics education will demonstrate optimal posturing, improving flexibility, increasing overall activity levels, and allowing employees to be self-empowered to prevent, treat and reverse the effects of poor posture and body misalignment.
Humans were not made to be sitting hours and hours per day in front of a screen, but let’s face it, whether you are at an office or working remotely from home, it’s the world we live in. Now you’ve got tools to help mitigate the damages and bring you back to a better place for your body and your mind.
Need more information about online physical therapy or corporate wellness programs? Then contact us today.
