Low back and sacroiliac (SI) pain can result from prior injury, come from chronic musculoskeletal conditions, or seemingly arise out of nowhere. If you find yourself siting at a desk for many hours each day, there are ways to continue with your work while preventing exacerbation of pain and stiffness.
Give Your Pelvis Support
In some cases, laxity of ligaments in the lower back and pelvis can cause pain because your pelvis moves more than it should. To help give your pelvis more support, you should invest in devices and garments for this purpose. Back support belts are one option, but many people find steel-boned corsets are a better option. Corsets force you to have better posture, which can help your back. Since the corset also compresses your abdomen, it also engages your abdominal muscles. Depending on the specific corset, such as long-line corsets, it may also add support to your SI joints by giving you compression around the hips. When you are selecting a longer corset, be sure you can sit down comfortably so the bottom of the corset does not push into your thighs while you are seated.
Use Heat
Heat is important for both reducing pain and stiffness in your back and SI joints. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to utilize heat therapy at the desk or in a public setting. If possible, invest in a heated seat cushion. Some also have massaging features. They are lightweight and cover both the seat and back of the chair. Depending on the model you choose, it may also provide cushioning to your back and pelvis, which can reduce pain. A traditional heating pad or retail heat wraps are other options, but they can be awkward to use when you need to apply heat to a larger area.
Do Exercises
Make sure you take frequent breaks to stretch and walk around your work area. The longer you sit at your desk without getting up to walk around, the more stiff you will become. When you are at home, try to engage in exercises specifically to reduce low back and SI pain. See if you can do some yoga poses, since yoga is a good exercise to help reduce pain and keep your pelvis limber. Another exercise you may want to consider is sitting on a stability ball. Although it may not seem like exercising, balancing yourself on the ball will help engage your core muscles. Since weaker core muscles are associated with back pain and poor posture, slowly strengthening your core muscles can help.
Low back and SI pain can be compounded when you must sit at a desk for long periods. By integrating a few pain relief strategies you can avoid exacerbating pain and stiffness by the end of the day. For more information, contact local professionals like ULTIMATE HEALTH- A Complete Wellness Center.
Share16 December 2016
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