Working at home at computer - back hurts

So I don't normally do this much computer work, but things and stuff, and I'm working at home on a big project for the Day Job which requires me to sit at the computer.

I have everything set up to be as ergonomic as possible, and I'm doing all the good typing posture and stuff, but with scoliosis, my back still hurts.  
Also, my attention span is way too short.  There's so much going on in the house that I put my headphones on and blast the music so I can't hear the distractions, but they are still there.

I'm really having trouble here.  

Suggestions?  

A break every 30 minutes, some downward dog for five minutes, some child’s pose for 5 minutes, then back at it?  Might help.

The other one I like for lower back pain is to lay on the floor on your back, feet/legs up on the seat of a chair, and scooch your bottom as close to the legs of the chair as possible so the small of your back in flat against the floor. Arms at 45 degrees, palms up, 5-10 minutes.

You're not alone.

I'm a freelancer/contractor (making a living at it for 30 years) but the infrequent visits to a client's office and workplace were really important to keeping my motivation and focus on point. The water cooler chat, unofficial data exchange and informal feedback were really important to give me a 3D view of what was going on. Now they are all working remotely, and despite all the online tools there is a big gap. And I'm somewhat used it; I can only imagine how isolated 9-to-5ers feel.

It's also planting season, and those (happy) distractions are constantly calling me away from turning boring old technical drawings into operating manuals. Hard to believe.

Some random ideas:
- separate keyboard, monitor and mouse are essential; laptops will kill you ergonomically
- ironing board makes a fully adjustable laptop stand / standing desk
- drafting chairs go higher than normal office chairs, encouraging better ergonomics
- sitting on a simple backless stool will force you to shift around and get up more often
- walking is actually very good cross-training to offset office hunchback syndrome

Hang in there!

Addedt: if it's possible to get up 2 hours early, it may be easier to focus on problem-solving stuff. And your internet will be fast!

> 2 hours early...
Yeah, that can help a lot with the distractions. Sometimes even internal distractions, especially if you get a sunrise or even just a short stroll in solitude with the world still out-of-it... <g>

> standing desk
A buddy swears by it. I've never tried it, but may be motivated at some point. My back did life style intervention a couple years ago and since then I notice that sitting is _not_ my friend.

> separate keybd, mouse, screen.
+++
If you have a laptop, most of them have a socket for external monitor and will mate with another keybd via USB; ditto the mouse.

Helps me a lot to go wireless with the keybd and mouse - the reduced mess seems huge to me. But in any case, raising/lowering both the screen and keybd (to varying degrees) can make good differences. This stuff is what those "typing desks" the Ancients used to provide their secretaries were all about. I think looking a little down at the screen with the keybd only a little above my legs works well for me; want to try to keep my forearms level or slanted down a little - definitely not up. But I keep changing things hoping for better.

>kneeling stool
Well... I've used them and they _do_ make things different. However, they are not all the same and the ones I tried were uniformly deficient in padding. That's something that needs to be worked out individually. Solid is important. More adjustment is always better given solidity. Wheels are nice, but that needs a floor protector. One of those things like cars that we need to try before buying and then still it's a crap shoot.

>office chairs...
While shopping for kneelers, consider trying some of the "better" offices chairs for the bosses. Probably won't want to buy, but you might take notes on what seemed good to you. If the little resale joints and furniture auctions open again, you have a start looking for chairs.

Teenage girls seem to work lying on their stomach...  Build a pillow hill to raise your body and shoulders up and put a laptop on the floor in front. Probably need a chin rest...

Best luck.
Rufus

I used to have severe pain when sitting. It got so bad these last few years that I couldn't sit for more than 20 minutes without excruciating pain. I went to everyone - PT, chiro, massage therapist, acupuncture, you name it. FYI I am a licensed massage therapist so not a total noob when it comes to good posture, good body-mechanics, etc.

Here's what worked for me. Maybe this will help someone else.

1) Regular core and flexibility work.
For me this was yoga - a 60 minute class does all that and more. Pilates may be a good alternative - I've heard great things from clients with similar issues. The core I am speaking of here is not just the abs or superficial muscles of the front body, but most importantly, the inner stability muscles of the torso. These are severely underdeveloped in most adults who sit often. So, crunches do NOT accomplish the core stability needed to keep the spine and hips healthy.
If you are currently experiencing extreme pain, take it slow. Do not jump right into a Power Yoga class, this will just hurt more. Ask around, find a Yin Yoga, Hatha Yoga, or Restore Yoga class with a teacher who can help you find positions that will not hurt. Listen to your body.

2) Learn to tell the difference between pain that is bad and pain that is not so bad.
Pain is used across the board to describe unpleasant sensations so let's be more specific. There is severe, sudden onset unpleasant sensation (aka pain) that is your body saying "stop doing that, that will make things worse". And there is the mild to intense unpleasant sensation that often comes from stretching. This is what I mean by pain that is not so bad. Also, NEVER stretch beyond a 6-7 on the 1-10 pain scale, this causes micro, or sometimes macro, damage (this is for everyone, not just those with chronic pain!!).
When working with a chronic issue like most low back pain / sciatica seems to be, it seems clear that a good bit of it was mental for me. I was scared of causing more pain so my movements became very limited, things got more stiff, thus more pain. I started with small gentle movements that I knew where safe (a PT or chiro can help with this), stayed within that tolerable range, and slowly expanded. Listen to your body.

3) Yoga ball chair at my desk.
I bought just a ball with a cover and love it. I sometimes work at an office that has the Gaiam Yoga Ball Chair and it works great. Transitioning to a yoga ball chair can take some time depending on your core stability. Most will come with recommendations to start with short sessions (10-20 mins) a couple times a day and build from there. Listen to your body! If you are feeling fatigued and slouching, the ball is not helping anything. The ball should force your core to work (protecting your spine) but if those muscles get fatigued, and they will if this is new to you, then take a break.

4) Regular bodywork during flare ups (and semi-regular during pain free times).
This could be massage, chiro, PT, acupuncture, whatever works for you. There are affordable options most places if you don't have insurance. Find a massage place with a package discount or monthly subscription discount. Go to community acupuncture. If you're on the western slope of Colorado, message me and maybe I can help you find something.
Don't wait until things get terrible to get help. I put this last on the list, though, because once I got to a pain free place, this dropped to a minimal frequency for me. Don't get me wrong, I love receiving bodywork of any kind, and thus do it regularly, but point is, I don't need a lot of treatment for my back anymore because the above items have kept me pain free.

Hope this helps. Take care my friends.

Lay belly down on a hard surface for at least 10 minutes. Its very important you do not move any muscles and lay as still as possible. You will feel a tingling sensation in your lower back after a while. It is realigning itself and will improve your back troubles. You can graduate to doing superman exercises after a couple days of doing this. Superman exercises will reverse the bad posture you get from sitting at a computer for to long.

I taught online for 15 years. I also did online work for another company.  I kept 3 chairs in my home office that I could swap out after an hour or two of work,

Additional random thoughts:

If you have a woodpile and an axe, take issue with the gnarliest stump at least once a day. Make it personal. Given fight or flight, choose fight. "You are going down, stump." Noradrenaline is a thing. Slay a dragon, then log on.

Change your playlist to big band jazz. Bennny Goodman. This is the music that pulled people through a long war. There's a reason for that. If you ask me, it still works.

And that lump of (mental) kryptonite sitting on your desk? Ignore the pretty glow, and toss it back in the lead-lined box. Time to leap a few tall buildings. The only reason to wear a hair shirt these days is for insulation purposes.

My husband finds that changing his seating every few weeks or months helps his back. There are a number of different types of chairs  in his office abandoned by past employees, so he'll just switch chairs occasionally. Last time I was there he was using one of the kneeling chairs, but I've seen him in various traditional office chairs with different features.

He swaps his pillow out with a different one once in a while at home, too. Not for his back; he just says he sleeps better with a very slight change once in a while.