Chronic pain costs the US an estimated $635 billion in direct and indirect costs every year. That may be a conservative estimate, though, as many pain patients don’t seek treatment. They simply choose to endure and deal with it in silence.
The thing is, many painful conditions trace back to postures and sedentary behaviors. Yes, these include sitting times, whether in school, at work, or at home.
Either way, these are preventable and modifiable risk factors when it comes to pain.
One way that you can “modify” your posture is through the use of a stand desk. With this table-like furniture, you may be able to improve your posture, which can then help ease the pain. From here, you may then experience higher energy levels and even better productivity.
The question now is, how exactly do stand desks work to deliver these health benefits?
We’ll give you the lowdown on these adjustable desks, so be sure to read on! Know more about the 7 advantages of standing desks and how to properly stand at a standing desk –
1. May Help Promote Better Posture
A stand desk is a desk that allows the user to stand while using the furniture. You may have also heard of these table-style surfaces referred to as standing desks or stand up desks.
Since using these desks require you to stand, you may be able to work on your posture. Sitting, after all, appears to be a significant risk factor in developing poor posture. This is especially true when one sits in a fixed and constrained position for a prolonged period of time.
Sitting is very constraining, as it compresses many parts of the body. In terms of posture, this position tends to make the upper body lean too forward. This then often results in more strain placed on the neck, shoulders, and arms.
These are only some of the effects of poor posture attributed to sitting, though. However, they should be enough to make you want to stand and move more.
A stand desk allows you to do exactly that. Since you can work while you stand, you can make your back straighter. You get to be closer to the desk, which may then help reduce the risks of overextending your shoulders and arms.
All these may then contribute to an improvement in your posture and one of the best advantage of using a standing desks.
2. May Help Ease Back Strains
Prolonged sitting places a lot of strain on your lower back and buttocks. For starters, it’s because the weight of your upper body rests on these areas. Moreover, sitting squeezes your abdominal and pelvic cavity.
The abdominal cavity is where most of the gastrointestinal tract is. The pelvic cavity, on the other hand, is where you can find the gluteal region. It’s important to note all these, as sitting has the most significant effects on them.
Take the gluteal region, for instance, which encompasses the buttocks. This is the part of the body that bears the brunt of sitting. Not only because it has to support the upper body but also since it gets compressed by the chair’s surface.
The sacral region of your body also receives a lot of strain due to extended sitting time. This is the area that occurs at the end of the spine, just right above your buttocks.
This is why easing back strains is one of the purported advantage of a standing desk. That’s because when you stand, you can spread your weight more evenly throughout your body. So long as you have a proper standing posture, your legs and the balls of your feet should bear most of your weight.
3. May Help Reduce Neck Pains
In the US, between 20% and 70% of adults will experience neck pain at some point in their lives. The thing is, what they’ll experience is “high-impact” pain. It’s the type that interferes with day to day tasks.
As with most other pain-related conditions, neck pain can also be due to bad sitting posture. This is especially true for those who spend hours in front of a computer. A head that juts too forward, for example, can strain the neck muscles, which can then cause pain.
One reason for this excessive strain is the weight placed on the discs in the neck. When you assume a neck-forward flexed position, you place 22 pounds of extra weight on these discs. That’s in comparison with the load carried by the discs in an upright posture.
So, it’s no wonder that people who sit for hours and work on their computers all day long develop neck pains.
A stand desk may help reduce such risks since it allows you to assume a better standing posture. Keep in mind that these desks are height-adjustable, so you can set them up to accommodate your height. This, in turn, allows you to work on a surface that has the least straining impact on your neck and one of benefit using standing desks in workplace.
4. May Help Alleviate Shoulder Pains
Shoulder pain is the third most common complaint associated with the musculoskeletal system. This makes complete sense, considering that neck pain is often the second. The neck, in turn, connects to the shoulder blades via a single muscle called “levator scapulae.”
So, when the neck sustains damage, it’s possible for this neck muscle to get injured too. If it does, then the shoulder can also start exhibiting pain symptoms.
Shoulder pains do often occur with neck pains and are usually due to strains or sprains. As with back and neck pain, shoulder pain also results from poor posture and extended sitting.
The pain itself can be mild, but in many cases, it can be a severe shooting pain that comes with stiffness or numbness. Spasmic muscles are also common symptoms.
If you always get shoulder pains, consider sitting less and working more on a stand desk. The best standing desk options, in this case, are those that you can adjust to suit your height. This way, you can raise the working surface to a level that reduces the strain on your shoulder blades.
5. May Encourage You to Stretch More
If you stay seated, your compressed position may limit your space for stretching. This, in turn, may make you forget all about flexing those tired, worn muscles and tendons.
The thing is, stretching helps improve the flexibility of the joints. Flexible joints, in turn, are essential for unrestricted and painless movement.
By contrast, inflexible joints appear to tire faster and develop fatigue quicker. They can also cause chronic fatigue in muscles, which are then more prone to injuries. Overall, the range of movement decreases, leading to pain and suffering.
Standing as you work, on the other hand, frees your entire body of space restrictions. You can move your entire body freely, so you can stretch to your heart’s desires.
6. Helps Increase Productivity and Energy Levels
One study looked at the effects of using stand desks in call center employees. The findings revealed that 46% of the workers displayed an increase in productivity. Three-quarters of the employees also reported that they felt more comfortable at work.
Other studies found that students who used standing desks felt more energetic. The school children who received the desks also reported feeling less tired.
In employees, the use of stand desks also appears to have energy-boosting effects. In a UK study, for instance, those given with a sit-stand desk said they felt more engaged and less tired.
In addition, they were able to reduce their sitting time by over an hour each day of the workweek. In addition, the employees reported having fewer musculoskeletal problems.
7. Reduced Pain Enhances Work Output
Scientists confirm that pain does have a diminishing effect on concentration and memory. In one study, such impairments occurred in two-thirds of tested patients.
Pain, after all, can be so severe that it already leads to debilitating effects. When you experience such pain, your brain tends to zoom in on that affected area. This can then heighten your awareness of the pain, further raising your sensitivity.
As such, you may lose your concentration since you’re focusing on the pain. This can interfere with school or work, and you may even end up making a lot of mistakes.
Seeing as how a stand desk may help ease your pain, then it may also help boost your focus. As the unpleasant sensations diminish, you may notice that you’re concentrating better. As a result, you may do better in school or at work.
Use a Stand Desk Now to Boost Your Overall Quality of Life
Keep in mind that people who constantly battle with pain rate their quality of life as poor or even very poor. No one likes to deal with pain, after all, especially not long-term or high impact chronic pain.
A stand desk provides a cost-effective way to minimize the effects of such conditions. In this way, it may also contribute to improved overall well-being and quality of life.
Ready to start conquering aches and pains due to constrained work desks? If so, then please feel free to get in touch with our team here at Venace Household Inc. We’ll be happy to answer your questions about our high-quality standing desks.