Consequences of the Corona crisis for back health and how to prevent them!

The Corona crisis caught many people unprepared. Until then, working from home was only seen as a marginal phenomenon in the working world. There has been a legal framework for VDU work since 2005. However, labor law experts and experts in occupational medicine and ergonomics are still calling for improvements. As a result of the Corona crisis, jobs have been relocated to employees in their own four walls wherever possible.

It is therefore necessary to prevent back pain in particular. Home offices are almost exclusively computer-based workstations. In 2016, the VDU work ordinance, which covers legal, health (prevention) and ergonomic areas, was integrated into the ArbStättV (workplace ordinance). In times of Corona, the ArbStättV including the integrated screen regulation and the enacted "Corona Laws" apply. Back health is therefore of particular importance.

What does this mean for your home office?

Most people were "run over" by the Corona crisis and simply used the office equipment that was available to them at home. However, it was disregarded that this was not necessarily beneficial to health. Therefore, preventive measures must be taken. The employer must pay for the necessary work equipment to maintain, among other things, back health. This prevents postural and visual damage (ergonomic chairs and tables). If you need glasses, they must also be suitable for screen work. If your home office is only "temporarily" your workplace, it must not be set up "in a way that is harmful to your health".

What should you pay attention to yourself?

In addition to back health, you should also take care of your eyes and hands. Your workspace must give you the freedom to get up and walk around and adjust the height of the screen at any time. The screen must not dazzle. The display on the screen must be clearly recognizable (sharpness, size). The lighting must be adjusted so that you can see well. The ambient temperature must be comfortable for you. The keyboard must be comfortable to use to support your back health. The upper arm and forearm should be at right angles (about 90 degrees).

The work table must be large enough so that you can easily reach all your work materials. The height must be appropriate for your height. The ergonomic work chair is primarily used for prevention. This must be stable and enable a comfortable, upright sitting position. Ergonomically shaped armrests and backrests are ideal for preventing back pain. Footrests are part of an ergonomic working posture. Do you work with template holders? Then they have to be flexibly adjustable and yet stable. These measures are for prevention. If you already have back pain, you can improve your back health with these preventive measures.

What else can you do to help prevent it?

Take breaks more often. Do five to ten minutes of stretching and stretching exercises in between. Drink regularly for prevention. Make time for yourself by delegating chores to the kids and your husband. Use half an hour for yourself to be able to do back exercises against back pain in peace. Instructions for this can be found here, on Apex-Spine.de. A pleasantly warm bath with sea salt helps to keep the tissue elastic. The minerals it contains, such as magnesium, potassium, etc., also contribute to back health.

However, if you experience longer-lasting or worse pain and discomfort, please contact us. Apex-Spine has specialized in back pain, spine etc. for many years, we perform hundreds of spine surgeries every year. Our internationally recognized specialists have further developed surgical methods and aids in such a way that we can also carry out very complicated minimally invasive operations. A clean and precise diagnosis is particularly important when it comes to the back and spine. Make an appointment for a consultation, we are happy to be there for you. Stay healthy!