Is your laptop wrecking your back?

Anna Blackthorn knows that her laptop is wrecking her back, but she can't help it.

As a recruitment consultant, she's working on her laptop constantly spending much of the day hunched over it at work.

"But what can I really do?" asks Anna "My laptop is the only way I can work. I can't live without it."

She's not alone

"I see so many women in their twenties and thirties with a dowager's hump. This is a rounding at the base of the neck after only a few years of looking down at a small screen while sitting slumped on a chair for long periods." Said Francesca, our Busy Girls Back & Neck Health Expert,

So, what can we do to prevent this problem from getting worse? Here's our quick guide to daving your spine...

Be prepared

"Making a comfortable place to work makes a huge difference" says Francesca, "If you are squashed into the corner of a bedroom, your desk is cluttered, or your lighting is poor, you will respond physically - by hunching up or leaning forward to peer at your screen" so...

Sit up straight!

Sit with both feet flat on the floor, feel the two 'sitting bones' in the buttocks taking equal weight... now start to feel the back of your skull become light and gently pull it up away from your neck... finally, let your shoulders slide down away from your ears. To help broaden the shoulders imagine someone gently pulling them away from each other

Fight back

The simplest rule to follow is: 'do the opposite movement to the one that is causing the problem'. e.g. if your screen is to your right, move it to the left.
This can be applied beyond just working practice - sleep on your other side, carry your bag on the other shoulder, hold your phone in the other hand.

Get Active

Walking is, after lying down, the activity that puts the least pressure on the spine.

Try every hour or 90 minutes to get up from your desk and move around - even if it's only for a few minutes. Here are some suggestions:

Treatment

Physiotherapy, osteopathy, chiropractics, massage and acupuncture can all provide relief, and should be viewed as a business expense. When you find the right treatment and practitioner, you will wonder how you ever did without them. Getting timely treatment can not only relieve pain, but also prevent future problems.

Final Word

If you feel any pain or discomfort during any of the above exercises, stop immediately. Going to a pilates or body conditioning class will give you the benefit of advice from the instructor, who is trained to correct you on observation.

Always arrive a little early to let the instructor know about any problems or pain you may have and they will be able to tailor their instructions to your needs.

I hope this helps Busy Girls, do let me know if you need any more advice... here's to a healthy back!

Best wishes

Francesca x

The Busy Girls Guide
Manchester & Cheshire