Four astronaut tricks to correct bad back posture after confinement
Confinement can be bad for your back. Because of measures to deal with the pandemic, many of us are now working from home. This means less movement, and your desktop setup at home (as well as the posture you adopt while working) may not be as good as it should be. All of this can lead to back pain.
The common bad posture we adopt while sitting at our desk is actually very similar to the posture astronauts adopt during space flight in zero gravity. It is usually a forward-leaning posture with the head forward and leaving aside the normal curvature of the spine. Being in space also has similar effects to spending all day in bed.
At Northumbria University's Aerospace Medicine and Rehabilitation Laboratory, our team of researchers is dedicated to finding ways for astronauts to maintain healthy spines during space missions. However, this research can also be useful in helping those of us on Earth to maintain good spinal health when working from home.
In a very simplified way, we can say that the spine is a pile of 33 bones called vertebrae. Between the vertebrae are thick gelatinous discs that provide space for the bones to move through the entire spine when we turn or bend our backs.
Next to the vertebrae are a large number of muscles, large and small, that help stabilize the spine or help generate movement. All these muscles maintain a complex communication with the brain to collaborate and maintain an upright posture, as well as stability when sitting and moving. When one of these vertebrae, discs, or muscles become irritated, back pain can result.
If you lean too far forward, you stop using the small postural muscles that control the normal curvature of the spine. Over time they become smaller, weaker, and do not activate properly when we need them. So if you work from home, you may find our astronaut tips helpful.
Four key steps
1. Move. Try to move every hour or two during the workday. For your spine, try gently rotating your back, leaning forward, backward, and sideways. Avoid sudden movements and do not use weights or resistance in your movements. Imagine that you have to grease the vertebrae and by moving the spine you make the oil spread along the spine.
2. Set up your desk. On the International Space Station, astronauts are floating and not sitting, so they are encouraged to maintain a normal, upright position as much as possible, as well as exercise to maintain back strength. To maintain a good posture on Earth, the key is to make sure that the desk, chair, and other peripherals are in a proper arrangement.
Make sure the screen is in front of you and that the center of the screen is at eye level. Make sure you sit in a good chair that is upright and not reclining. Place the keyboard in front of you and place your elbows at a 90-degree angle, using a wrist rest if possible. Also make sure that your feet are fully supported on the floor in front of you, without raising your toes or heels.3. Maintain a "neutral" upright posture. Avoid leaning forward. You can also ask someone else to check your posture from the side. If you look hunched over, lean forward, or lift your neck back to view the screen, you are likely to develop spinal pain. However, you can follow these tips to regain good posture:
Try to keep your ears in line with your shoulders and your shoulders in line with your hips.
Make sure your head does not protrude over your chest and that your head is not tilted up or down.
The ideal is to slightly arch the lower back, but without overdoing it or it will also cause back pain.
If you have back pain, a small cushion behind your lower back can help. You can also try lying on the floor on your back, once or twice a day, to get used to putting your spine in a better position.4. Exercise. If like astronauts, you have muscles that stabilize your spine that is weak due to poor posture or lack of exercise due to confinement (or, if applicable, being on a space flight), there are some spinal exercises that can help. Pilates, for example, can help strengthen the spine.
But remember to tuck your navel in slightly (about 30-40 % of your maximum strength but not 100 %) during the exercises to get the right muscles working. Remember to move every hour or two from time to time and at the end of the day, a walk can help minimize back pain and strengthen the body.
Obviously, being down-to-earth is very different from floating in space. If your spinal problems do not improve, a physiotherapist will be able to recommend specific exercises adapted to your situation.