The Sitting Epidemic in Brookfield
Are you one of the many people in Brookfield that have lower back pain? Lower back discomfort is a typical complaint among those who sit for long periods of time. The majority of workers spend the day at their computer, unable to move about freely. Chiropractors in our Brookfield chiropractic office have frequently recommended that those who sit for lengthy periods of time get up and move around as often as they can.
This problem has recently gained recognization by the American Medical Association, which has developed techniques to address it for employees. The organization has recently pushed businesses to develop alternative solutions for employees who would otherwise suffer from back discomfort while sitting.
Link Between Obesity and Long-term Sitting
Unfortunately, there are so many different activities that the average person participates in while sitting. This excessive amount of time spent sitting down has caused many people to become obese, which also comes with its own health related issues. Often times the activities seem innocent enough by themselves, whether it is working, eating, watching tv, or even just socializing with friends, but when you add together the hours you have spent sitting that day, it can be clear that it is an issue.
According to a study from Duke University, people with a BMI of over 40 filed twice as many workers’ compensation claims. These findings also found that their medical expenditures were 7% higher than those who had a lower BMI and that they were more likely to be absent from work 13 times per month than the average employee who did not have obesity.
What Can Be Done to Prevent this?
The American Heart Association is promoting a new gadget that may assist people in combating obesity by keeping them from sitting for long periods of time. The app they are promoting, which was created by Fran Melmed, is called Hotseat. The app allows the user to set their work schedule and the app will consequently remind the user to take 2 minute movement breaks throughout the day.
Another useful tool that many employers have been suggesting to their employees is a treadmill desk. The treadmill desk is designed to keep blood flow to your whole body and in turn alleviate various ailments such as low back pain. It is designed as a standing level desk, but underneath there is a moving treadmill (slow enough that the user can still work comfortably) that allows the user to move throughout the day. The pace is slow enough that the user can still work comfortably. If this is not a possibility at your place of work, other ways to lessen your risk of low back pain is to go on short walks during your breaks or even just park your car further away from the door.
To learn more about how you can lessen and prevent back care, contact our friendly Brookfield chiropractic team at Advanced Chiropractic and Rehab today.
