Working on a Computer from a Physiotherapist’s Perspective

The computer is nowadays an integral part of most workplaces and households. In recent years, it has become, along with the mobile phone, a device without which we can no longer imagine everyday life. Although the development of IT and with it digitalization and automation increase the quality of life, our physical bodies may protest against this trend.

Sitting at the computer all day brings a number of health problems. In this article, I will try to describe mainly the issues at the level of the musculoskeletal system, the solutions to which fall into the hands of a physiotherapist. In addition to describing the movement-related problems themselves, 4 main points for their prevention are also outlined here.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Computers

Operating a computer is becoming the job description of an increasing number of people. Sedentary jobs bring a number of advantages, such as low physical demands or subjective comfort, but every coin has two sides. The downside of prolonged sitting is mainly the chronic unilateral overload of certain muscle groups, joint and ligament structures, and their subsequent damage.

The most frequently affected areas include the cervical and lumbar spine. It should be noted that these problems do not only affect administrative workers who spend many hours at the computer, but also those who perform the same activity for a shorter time, but ergonomically incorrectly.

The Arrival of Home Office and Laptops

After the arrival of covid-19, a revolution also came to the workplace. Many employees swapped their office for a home environment, their desktop computer for a laptop, and their ergonomic office chair for a dining chair or even a couch. Such measures may protect against respiratory diseases, but our musculoskeletal system will not thank us.

I increasingly encounter clients with back pain after switching to home office. Why? Inappropriate working position, little physical activity (it may not seem like it, but even the commute to work makes the body happy), and, last but not least, weight gain.

Sitting and Employers

The health risks of prolonged sitting at a computer have begun to be recognized in recent years by some employers, whose employees often lose productivity due to the above-mentioned problems. Ideally, various preventive exercise programs are introduced, ergonomic accessories are purchased, and the work environment is adjusted so that damage to the musculoskeletal system does not occur quickly. Unfortunately, there are still few employers willing to invest financially in all of these measures, and the number of people with problems from sedentary jobs is increasing.

4 Points of Prevention

To prevent the occurrence of pain and other symptoms from prolonged sitting at the PC, it is necessary to take certain preventive measures, which are also applied in the therapy of already developed problems. We can summarize them in these 4 points:

1. Workplace ergonomics – adjustment of working position and working environment
2. Dynamization of the working movement regime 
3. Physiotherapy exercises – targeted exercises to create balance in the musculoskeletal system
4. Relaxation exercises – reducing psychological stress, helps reduce muscle tension

Fulfilling one point does not guarantee automatic success. The human body is a complex system, where everything is connected to everything else, so it is necessary to look at the problem holistically. Ideally, a person should implement at least a little from each point. A physiotherapist can help with each of these points.

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