Chiropractors Say They're Seeing More Patients With Back And Neck Pain While Working From Home During The Coronavirus Pandemic
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - A lot of us have converted our kitchen table into an office while we work from home.
The problem is our chair, or stool for that matter, may be too high, causing us to slouch down at our laptop. Because of this, we may find ourselves at the chiropractor with unwanted pain.
That's exactly what chiropractors are seeing. They're seeing more patients with back and neck complaints.
"One of those positions may not be optimal for those posture, we can see a lot of neck or low back disc that can become irritated and that can cause a lot of acute pain," said Chiropractor Dr. Jaclyn Andrews.
This is why doctor Jaclyn Andrews, a chiropractor with Pittsburgh Chiropractic and Massage Therapy Center downtown says working from your kitchen table or your couch isn't the best option.
"Ideally, you want to have your shoulders rolled down and back and you also want to think about having your neck nice and neutral," said Andrews.
It also helps to keep your feet flat on the floor, but if you can't do that, Andrews says to prop them up on a box.
Dr. David Simmons, a chiropractor with Filer Chiropractic Center in Shadyside said he is seeing patients on an emergency basis, and a lot of them are also complaining of back and neck pain. While re-alignments are a common fix, he also suggests at home exercises.
"When we look at activity we can do in the house, there's therapy balls, big yoga balls, resistance bands," said Simmons.
If you do have to visit your chiropractor during the pandemic, chiropractors said they're following the necessary guidelines to keep them clean.
That means face masks for patients and staff, a lot of Clorox wipes and hand sanitizer. Plus, Dr. Andrews said her office will be doing temperature checks going forward. There are also a limited number of patients in the waiting room at one time.
