Lockdown 'laptop syndrome'

Lockdown this year has certainly presented its challenges and has been different for everyone depending on living circumstances, job retention, access to outside space etc. We have all had to adapt to whatever has come our way. So many more people are now working at home and for some it may be that a return to the office is not on the cards anytime soon, if at all. One side effect of this is spending too long sitting down slouched over laptops. There are two issues here - prolonged sitting and poor posture, which inevitably leads to an increase in aches and pains.

Many have used lockdown as an opportunity to increase their physical activity, discover the outdoors and generally increase their fitness (all good!). However this is not the case for everyone. From speaking to friends and family it appears that those who are now working at home are actually experiencing longer working hours and longer periods of sitting.

The commute may now only consist of hot footing it from the bedroom to the kitchen or living room or, if you're really lucky, a few extra steps gained out to the garden shed! Even for those who do exercise they will often go out first thing in the morning or when work finishes but are sitting for the rest of the time.

The Institute For Employment Studies, carried out a home working survey during the early stages of lockdown, and found that more than half of the survey respondents had already experienced new aches and pains, especially in the neck (58%), shoulder (56%) and back (55%), compared to their normal physical condition. So who knows how many more have developed issues by now. However, it is good news for healthcare professionals such as occupational therapists, physios, osteos - they're going to be very busy indeed!

So what can you do to help yourself?

Number 1:

Understand some of the musculoskeletal issues related to prolonged sitting and poor posture:

The first thing to remember is that we weren't built to sit down all day, we work much better when we move! Various things will happen depending on how long you sit and how you sit. An important thing to consider is how our posture determines the load on our spine and in particularly the lower back. Least pressure is experienced when you are lying down in a supine position, (ie on your back, although I am certainly not advocating that you lie on your back all day either!) measured at 25kg, and increases as you change position. Standing produces 100kg pressure, whereas sitting raises it to140kg, and leaning forward whilst sitting will produce pressure equivalent to 185kg! That's a lot of kg's!! It is the cumulative affect of repetitive behaviour that will eventually result in problems.

When we sit for too long we create muscle imbalances (especially with poor posture):

Glutes get forgotten! Your team of glutes include the biggest muscle in the body (maximus, the others being medius and minimus). This keeps the trunk upright when standing and propels us forward and upward when walking and running. This along with the rest of the team are stabilisers of the hip and spine. Sitting too long results in us not activating our glutes sufficiently, they become weak and are unable to support correct movement. We experience 'Glute amnesia', a term coined by back specialist and and all round back guru Professor Stuart McGill. When our glutes are strong and active then everyday activities are easier. When they are not (the body has forgotten how to activate them) this will cause problems elsewhere such as back, knees, calves as other muscles will pay the price having to take over the brunt of the work.

Our hip flexors become short and tight from being in constant flexion, our calf muscles similarly are in a shortened position. We then expect our muscles to just slip back into their desired function but unfortunately this is not the case, muscles will adapt to this inactivity and will quickly accommodate any poor postural position.

The result? Risk of pain and injury!

Number 2:

Move more! Do the right exercises!

Avoid long periods of sitting, set an alarm to remind you to get up at least every hour but more if possible. Move in between meetings - give yourself 5 minutes and do some simple sit to stand exercises and shoulder rolls. When sitting keep shoulders relaxed; keep your bum to the back of the chair; hips, knees, ankles (and elbows) at 90 degrees and if you can keep your feet flat on the floor then even better. Practise good back health which essentially is about improving posture and doing some specific functional exercises. Be posture aware and practise this both standing and sitting so it becomes second nature and you automatically correct yourself when necessary. It's about stacking joints correctly and distributing weight so that we keep spinal load to a minimum.

Choose the right exercises especially those that will help you activate the glutes such as:

the bridge

the clam shell

the squat

If however you already suffer from back pain, choose exercises carefully. Exercise is good but not all exercises are beneficial due to the load they put on the spine so be sure to take advice and start at the right level. Remember if you have ongoing pain, you have a problem and it is this that must be addressed. A controlled, gradual exercise program that is tailored to you is usually the most effective. Endurance and functional exercises are what you want to focus on for the core and lower back. This will work towards improved stabilisation of the spine, allow proper movement to be maintained and prevent further fatigue led deviated movements. According to Prof. McGill the following are a good start to helping current back pain and help prevent new or further pain (so they are good to do anyway) (1), (2) and are known as the 'McGill Big 3'. Here's a link to a YouTube video. It's a very nice gentleman who actually explains each move simply (he might need to pay me for advertising his chiro practice though!)

1. Curl up

2. Side bridge

3. Bird dog

The above are just pointers. There are many things to consider around these type of musculoskeletal issues, too many to go into here so please contact me if you would like more information and how exercise can help.

(1) Enhancing Low Back Health through stabilization exercise Stuart M. McGill, Professor (Spine Biomechanics), University of Waterloo

(2) Designing Back Exercise: from Rehabilitation to Enhancing Performance, Stuart McGill, Ph.D.