News
Central Health Physiotherapy Blog
Comfort in the Office
Ankle "Pre-hab"
Tummy Time for Babies
Osteoporosis: response to Daily Mail article
Dizzy Spells that are actually migraines
Should I get my back pain treated?
Nottinghamshire Physiotherapists told not to touch patients
Myoscanner: Show me the evidence
Hypermobility
Physiotherapy and Breast Cancer
Beauty or Comfort?
Do We All Have Computer Neck?
Joint Hypermobility
Joint Hypermobility - Learning from Gymnasts
Are You Sitting Comfortably?
The Truth Is Out There
Therapeutic Lies
Strictly Come Get Some Physiotherapy!
Moving home: What a pain in the back!
Metro Newspaper
Laura's World Triathlon Championships
Rugby Physio survivors guide
Should we be running barefoot?
Ten steps to prepare for a successful marathon
Running: is it best to Chi, Pose or Evolve?
Are you fit for the ski slopes?
My first hill - Climbing Catbells
World Badminton Championships
Welly-Wang at the CSP Physio London Summer Games!
Tennis Season hots up and Kinesio Tape is prominent again
The Olympics are fast approaching
Happy Running
Are you training for the London Marathon?
Winter Training... are we mad?
London is Cycling!
Boris Bikes
Great North Run
Le Tour de France
Aegon Foxhills
Tennis Commentary
How fit are you for skiing?
Aiding Recovery After A Marathon
Common Tennis Injuries and How to Treat Them
Helpful Tips for Marathon Training
How Physiotherapy can help Shoulder impingement
Easing Overuse Injuries through Physiotherapy
Post-Marathon Ice Bath Treatment
Golfer's Elbow Explained
The Benefits of Muscle Stretching Exercises
Coping with Rugby Injuries
Tips for Exercising in Cold Weather
How to Treat and Avoid Skiing Injuries
How to Treat Tennis Elbow
Physiotherapy after ACL Reconstruction
Preventing Shoulder Injuries in Tennis
Recovering from a Knee Injury
MSDs are the scourge of the modern office
View by date:
Too hot and not a window in sight: How comfortable are you in the office?
In response to http://metro.co.uk/2013/03/01/too-hot-and-not-a-window-in-sight-how-comfortable-are-you-in-the-office-3520303 highlighting the effect of poor lighting on comfort and therefore performance in the workplace.

There are many factors influencing comfort and performance and as a physiotherapist I would say that stress and pain are the most common and the most debilitating. Stress is now the biggest cause of absenteeism in the UK, overtaking musculoskeletal aches and pains like neck and back pain and repetitive strain injuries. But I think a lot of previous statistics claiming pain was the main reason were underestimating effects of stress. Pain and stress are always very closely linked to each other. Stress causes pain and pain causes stress.
One of the main reasons people suffer from simple aches and pains in the office is because they don't move enough. Exposing your body to the same stresses and strains and the same loads over long periods of time makes them sensitive. Not moving for long periods reduces blood flow in the tissues. Both can then lead to pain.
Commonly we see people who have this type of simple problem who end up having a scan which shows some unrelated pathology (studies have shown that most findings on an MRI scan in someone who has pain are also shown in people who don't have pain) and they then think there is something more serious wrong with them.
Most of these problems could be avoided simply by moving more and changing position regularly. I like the point made in the article that you can give someone all the new equipment but it doesn't necessarily mean they will use it properly. Commonly we will see people who have had a workstation assessment and have been given new equipment without being given the understanding of how to use it. Often someone comes round with a clipboard and makes a few changes without educating that person about what they can do themselves. The fact is that staying in the same static position for a long time will cause problems even if you are in the ideal posture. Movement is critical.
It has also been shown that performance is affected by concentration levels. Sounds reasonable. And that people who take regular breaks to change position and activity remain more productive for longer.
So by taking regular breaks and moving around more it doesn't cost time and slow you down. It is likely to make you perform better for longer as well as reduce the risk of pain and stress and therefore reduce the level of absenteeism caused by it.
Chris Pinches, Outpatient Physiotherapy Manager, St Johns Wood
Click here to contact Central Health Physiotherapy
