The business landscape in Canada is moving ever-faster towards remote, computer-based, desk-centric professions. While this is an exciting time for entrepreneurs, it’s also proving to be a considerable danger to our health and wellness. In a thriving metropolis like Kitchener-Waterloo, many of us find ourselves tethered to a desk for several hours a day. Despite this investment of our time, we aren’t always seeing the productivity we’d hoped for as this sedentary lifestyle causes too many distracting discomforts such as hip and wrist pain that interrupt the workday. We are a clinic in Kitchener that can boost your health and your productivity.
If your wrists are worrisome
Sometimes crucial body structures go unnoticed until they’re in pain. Some joints in particular, while small, can wreak havoc on the connected structures if they aren’t properly cared for. The wrist is one such joint. We use our hands for everything. For the last few decades, the computer and keyboard as well as other technology such as smartphones and tablets have become prevalent in the workplace. With the excessive use of these devices, our wrists are straining in unnatural and unsupported positions for several hours a day. If you’re working from your desk in Ontario, you may be feeling the effects of Repetitive Strain Injury or Carpal Tunnel Syndrome from unmitigated poor posture of the wrists and hands while typing and texting. People experiencing these conditions notice a decrease in productivity as they’re no longer able to type and operate their devices efficiently. If you’re experiencing stiffness, pain, and swelling in your wrists, forearms, hands, or even shoulders it’s time to connect with a physiotherapy clinic in Kitchener to discuss a multitude of treatment options and helpful exercises to alleviate your discomfort and allow you to work more efficiently with the proper posturing.
When your hips aren’t hip anymore
Sitting for hours on end at a desk eventually shortens a set of muscles known as your Hip Flexors. The job of this group of muscles (located at the front of your hips) is to bring your legs and knees up toward your body. If you’re sitting for long amounts of time at a desk, you’re mimicking the role of these muscles without actually strengthing them. By sitting constantly flexed, the muscles can shorten, weaken, and become stiff from lack of use. This in turn leads to hip pain and tightness which can be incredibly uncomfortable. Not only can this cause pain in your hips and groin, but this poor positioning can cause misalignment in your lower back and glutes leading to a swath of other concerns. It is important to stretch your hips throughout your workday if you know you will be sitting most of the time. Working with a trained professional at a physiotherapy clinic in Kitchener can help you establish a set of exercises tailored to your workday so that you can incorporate the movement and stretching you need to alleviate your pain and increase your mobility and productivity.
If you have an office job in the Waterloo area, remember that working from your desk doesn’t have to spell doom for your joints. Fortunately, with the proper guidance from a trained professional at a physiotherapy clinic in Kitchener, you can work towards healing any existing damage and preventing further issues. With proper posturing, tailored exercises, and a better understanding of your body’s systems, you can improve your health and productivity in whatever space you work from.
Contact us today for your physiotherapy appointment and come see the benefits firsthand!
