Employees working from home say makeshift offices are causing aches and pains

Whether you're working from a makeshift office on a couch, table or bed, the changes have caused real pain for some.

News 12 Staff

Apr 9, 2020, 9:23 PM

Updated 1,478 days ago

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As people nationwide avoid their typical workplaces to prevent the spread of COVID-19, working from home has caused some poor posture and back pain.
Whether you're working from a makeshift office on a couch, table or bed, the changes have caused real pain for some.
Colin Touhey owns a solar energy company and says he has tried everything but can't get his back and neck pain to go away.
"I was sitting at a table with a laptop -- basically a coffee table, which I think a lot of people do if you don't have a home office," says Touhey. "It got worse, I started to lie on the ground and lie on my couch."
Bill Oswald, physical therapist at NYU Langone, says it's a common problem that stems from sitting slumped over a computer for hours.
"They are not aware that they are doing it and staying like that for hours on end puts excessive strain on the muscles of your back and the supporting structures of your spine," says Oswald.
Oswald says a few quick fixes include trying to stay aware of how you sit, getting up often and doing exercises.
Some physical therapists are offering telehealth services, where they can see in real-time how you are sitting and how to fix it.
 


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