Whatever kind of work a person does, it is always possible for something to go wrong that affects their body in a considerable way. Often, these issues are going to be in the form of injuries, and that is something that can be particularly distressing for most people. If you allow the injury to worsen, it might also affect your ongoing ability to work, so this is unfortunate in more ways than one. Here are some of the common desk injuries that you might sustain, and what to do to prevent and treat them as well.
Eyestrain
Although it might not sound like an emergency, actually eye strain can be both very painful and a genuine long-term problem, so it is best avoided as much as possible. You most commonly get eye strain from simply staring at a screen for too long, and this is something which might be easily done away with just by being careful with how much you are looking at your screen. Every forty minutes or so, you should ideally look away from the screen for a couple of minutes, preferably looking far into the distance if possible. That can prevent most eye strain from occurring.
Carpal Tunnel
If you have ever had carpal tunnel before, you will know just how incredibly painful it can really be. This is a condition that affects those who tend to perform repetitive tasks with their hands, and for that reason it is known to affect people who type a lot when they are at work. Carpal tunnel manifests as an intense pain in the wrists, with an inability to move the wrists in complete freedom. Prevention-wise, it’s all about taking regular breaks and looking after your hands in general. Otherwise, you might be looking at trying to find a hand surgeon to help you deal with the issue and any complications.
Back Pain
You can easily get back pain from sitting at a desk, and more often than not this is because you are simply not sitting with good posture. This is one of the main reasons that you need to practice good posture – it allows you to remain comfortable if you are sitting at a desk for hours on end, and it avoids you causing yourself injuries in the long run. If you have back pain, consider paying more attention to your posture, and try to use corrective measures where necessary to help sort it out.
Muscular-Skeletal Disorders
In the long term, you are at an increased risk of muscular-skeletal disorders if you are regularly sitting down for too many hours each day, so you should try to avoid doing that as much as possible. If your work requires that you use a desk, perhaps you might want to consider a standing desk – or at the very least, try to take a standing break every hour for a few minutes at least. Over time, this will affect your future health considerably, so it’s worth thinking about as best as you can.