Column: Lower Back Pain Prevention Tips
[Column written by Dr Kimberley Watkins & Mariana Parks]
Lower back pain is one of the leading causes of disability and lost productivity worldwide, and for many people, it starts not on a sports field or at a construction site, but at a desk. If you work in Hamilton, you likely spend most of your week in an office. All those hours in front of a computer, combined with the pressures of corporate life and the quiet creep of poor posture, tend to produce two very predictable results: lower back pain and neck discomfort. Over time, we start to accept this as simply part of the job. It becomes background noise, something we manage with painkillers, a stretch at the end of the day, or a quiet resignation that this is just what working life feels like. But it does not have to be; making these changes won’t disrupt your workflow; in fact, they will actually boost your productivity and performance. That is exactly why we are writing this column today.
In collaboration with Mariana Parks, a physiotherapist with over 14 years of experience, the founder of Hanna Health [a new physiotherapy clinic], and a proud new board member of the Bermuda Physiotherapy Association, we want to help you take back your physical wellbeing, right from your desk. The Bermuda Physiotherapy Association believes that the best treatment is prevention, and that rehabilitation should be accessible to everyone on the island. Together, we hope to see Bermuda’s workplaces lead the way in making employee wellbeing a genuine priority, not just a talking point.
The good news is that the most effective solutions are also the simplest. Mariana is a physiotherapist who regularly treats people experiencing pain and stiffness and has found that the changes that work best are the ones that fit naturally into what you are already doing. You do not need to overhaul your day. You simply need to move a little more intentionally within it.
Here are four simple ways to add movement to your workday and relieve spinal tension during short breaks:
1. Use a Lumbar Roll
Throughout the day, as our muscles fatigue, we naturally begin to slouch, losing the gentle inward curve of the lower back that our spine depends on for support. This seemingly small shift places extra strain on your vertebrae and the surrounding tissues.
How to use it: Sit all the way back in your chair so your hips are firmly against the seat. Place a lumbar roll, or even a tightly rolled-up towel, at the curve of your lower back, just above your belt line. Lean back and relax. The roll works passively, holding your posture in place so you can focus entirely on your screen without having to think about sitting up straight.
2. The Standing Lumbar Extension
We spend hours hunched forward over our keyboards. To counteract this and relieve the pressure building in the spine, we need to perform the precise opposite movement.
How to do it: Stand up with your feet shoulder-width apart. Place both hands at the base of your lower back, fingers pointing downward. Keeping your knees straight, use your hands for support and lean your upper body back as far as is comfortable. You should be looking up at the ceiling with each repetition.
3. The Neck Rescue
Computer screens pull us forward like magnets. Our necks jut out, our gaze drops, and constant tension accumulates in the shoulders and upper back, often without us even noticing until the end of the day when it announces itself loudly.
How to do it: Sit up tall. Look straight ahead and gently pull your chin straight back, as though you are trying to make a double chin, without tilting your head downward. From this tucked position, slowly tilt your head back to look up at the ceiling. Return to the starting position and repeat.
4. Break It Up
No posture is a good posture forever. Our bodies were not designed to stay still, and even perfect technique becomes a problem when held for long periods. Every 30 to 45 minutes, stand up, move around, and change position, even if it is just walking to get a glass of water. Take your lunch break outside. Stand during long phone calls. Variety is the point. Every time you shift position, you give your spine a chance to reset.
Our professional advice: Consistency is the real treatment here. Keep the lumbar roll in your chair throughout the entire working day for continuous passive support. Then, every two hours, perform 5-10 repetitions of the Lumbar Extension followed by 10 repetitions of the Neck Rescue. These small, regular doses of movement are far more effective than one long stretch at the end of the day. Movement is the best medicine for the modern professional. With a few deliberate habits built into your workday, you can achieve both productivity and pain-free movement.
We would like to extend a warm thank you to Mariana Parks for her expertise and contribution to this column. She continues to be a passionate advocate for pain-free movement through both clinical treatment and corporate wellness programmes. To contact her, please visit: https://hannahealth.bm/
- Dr Kimberley Watkins and Mariana Parks
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