Is Your Desk Job Ruining Your Back? Warning Signs From a Physical Therapist

On a typical week, the desk worker will spend up to eight hours a day sitting down , and that's not taking in to account leisure time. Sedentary jobs have increased 83 percent since 1950, according to the American Heart Foundation, and it's not doing our backs any good.

We know that exercise is essential for keeping many health problems such as heart issues and obesity at bay. However, these issues often pull focus from the effect a more sedentary lifestyle may be having on our posture.

The average age of the desk worker in the U.S. is 47 years old and people are often juggling many responsibilities that get in the way of self-care. Over time, if left untreated, sitting down for large portions of our lives can cause serious issues including back, neck and shoulder pain, which can cause irritation, and later in life mobility issues.

Newsweek spoke to two leading experts in physical therapy to get the need-to-know information about how to protect your physical health at work.

Is My Desk Job Ruining My Back?

"Prolonged periods of sitting and slouching can often bring on the signs and symptoms associated with lower back pain", said Mark Gugliotti, associate professor of physical therapy at New York Institute of Technology. "Good posture is important because it establishes a musculoskeletal balance within the body.

"Deviations or habitual adaptation from this balance from sitting improperly, at a desk or other office setup, can perpetuate the onset of muscle pain, joint pain, headaches, fatigue, altered digestion and respiration, and even nerve tissue compression."

Sitting with a slouched posture for long periods of time compresses the spinal discs, which can lead to temporary or permanent back pain, and more seriously, premature degeneration of the discs, which in extreme cases could lead to paralysis.

While good posture is important for our physical health, it's not a one-size-fits-all situation according to Lindy Royer, physical therapist and Pilates master instructor.

"We've been conditioned to believe that posture is either 'good' or 'bad,' and 'good' posture keeps us safe, while 'bad' posture leads to injury or pain. There's very little evidence to support this belief," she said. "This doesn't mean that the way we sit cannot influence the way we feel, but investing time searching for the perfect sitting position to find relief is probably ineffective.

"The risks associated with sitting, or a sedentary lifestyle, are not so much posture-related, but are associated with prolonged inactivity, which is linked to a variety of adverse health conditions including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and musculoskeletal disorders like lower back, neck and shoulder pain."

What If I Feel Fine?

Even if you currently have no back, neck or shoulder pain, or whether you love yoga or regularly exercise, the fact remains that between the working day and necessary sleep, office workers spend the majority of the time not moving around.

"Whether you feel fine or not, it will be affecting you," said Royer. "As with many conditions we experience in life, we may not know something is wrong until we develop symptoms. For example, inactivity is closely associated with a higher risk of developing high blood pressure, which typically has no symptoms. We may not know our blood pressure is high until we have a stroke or heart attack. A decrease in muscle mass with inactivity over time can be experienced in the same way—we don't know it's happening until we experience discomfort, or we're unable to do some of the activities we took for granted just a few years earlier."

What Can We Do?

"Do your future self a favor and spend some time choosing the perfect office chair, whether at home or in the office," said Gugliotti. "The chair should fully support the whole spine and facilitate a relaxed, seated posture. It is best if the cushioning conforms to the natural curvatures of the spine and is made from a breathable yet durable fabric.

"Attention should be made to two key adjustment features: seat height and the ability to recline the chair's back. Proper adjustment for seat height should allow for the feet to rest flat on the floor while the hips and knees are positioned at 90 degree angles."

He also recommended that the back rest can be reclined to an angle between 10 to 20 degrees, and adjustable arm rests can allow the elbow to comfortably rest at a 90 degree angle. "The tabletop height should ideally be in line with the armrests and in close enough proximity for the keyboard/mouse to be approximately 10-25 cm [4 to 10 inches] from the ends of the armrest", he added.

At Work

Even with the fanciest equipment, the key to preventing the negative effect of prolonged inactivity is movement, according to Royer. Recent research suggests that we can benefit from standing up for three minutes, and moving every 30 minutes. "Think of sitting as an exercise in fidgeting, experimenting, and exploring", she said. "Any position is OK for short periods of time—sit on one cheek, slump and slouch, lean back, put one foot up on a trash can or yoga block."

She recommends doing a few squats on the hour, or a few push-ups every half-hour, making up your own routine based on what you want to achieve. "If you have a standing desk," she warned, "it's equally important to move, since standing on one spot is still 'inactivity.'"

One useful movement you can do at your desk suggested by Gugliotti involves stretching out your trapezius muscle, a pair of triangular muscles in the back that run between the mid-back, up through the shoulders and to the neck.

"Simply allow your head to bend to the side as if to bring your ear to your shoulder" said Gugliotti, "If you feel a comfortable stretch along the side of the neck that you are bending away from, just hold this position for 5 seconds, then return to your start position. You may repeat this same sequence five times for each side, five times a day."

In Our Spare Time

Make time to move. Sounds simple, yet it can be devilishly difficult to execute, with lack of time dominating the reasons that the average American employee doesn't exercise enough. "We don't have to be gym rats to gain benefits from movement, although if you do like to work out, keep it up," advised Royer, suggesting that "movement snacks" could be the key to keeping up with exercises. "Examples of movement snacks: walk around the office, do a few squats or push-ups as suggested above, get up and down from the floor multiple times (find different ways to accomplish this), march in place, getting the knees as high as you can, walk or run up and down stairs, hop on one foot."

The average American spends over three hours a day on their phone. "Many of us look down at our phones and devices, but this creates another posture problem that can impact the back and neck. Having your phone more toward the front of your face would be the best scenario" said Gugliotti. "Don't forget about your posture when you walk. You should keep your back straight, not slumped, and try to pull your belly button in towards your spine."

Is there a health issue that's worrying you? Let us know via health@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.