Sore Back...

[LaDeeDa]

Hi All,

I have a desk job and have found in the past 3 weeks or so my back is getting unbearably sore by lunch time and I am getting massive knots in my shoulder blades.

Did anyone else experience this during pg and do u have any suggestions on how to combat it?

I have a pillow behind my back which I move around as need be and my chair reclines a little bit.
I haven't done the heat pack thing because it's a bit tricky in my open plan office.

Any advice would be appreciated .... I've only gotta stick it out for another 4 weeks and 3.5 days ....LOL

[briggsy's girl]

Dee - do you have someone at your office that can get an ergonomics assessment done for you? your whole body changes with pregnancy and you should be looking at whether desk height, seat type etc are adequate for you in pregnancy. i know we have an assessor at work that will assess you weekly if need be (but i do work for a govvy dept, hence asking if something is available!), and will help to make sure everything this where it needs to be for you to be most adequately set up. it sounds like, now that you have a decent belly, you're having to lean around it in your chair to reach things adequately, hence the knotted shoulders - you may need a different set up (cordless keyboard or something to allow you to recline properly etc).

if you don't have an ergo assessor at work, perhaps talk to your care provider about suggestions to help you improve your posture at work to stop the pain. they should be able to make suggestions for you.

the relaxin in your system is probably contributing to poor posture as well, which won't help much with keeping you properly upright as a lot of your muscles will be relaxing in different ways to what you're used to!

[LaDeeDa]

Hey BG - thanks honey I didn't even think of that.

I've emailed the person who does that (working for T has its upsides few and far between that they are ) and they are going to come and have a look.
I think your right about the posture and reaching around my belly to get to things - have to make sure I make a concious effort to sit up straight.

Thanks again love - and love the new Avvy!!!

[briggsy's girl]

hehehe if the T is the one i used to work for (telco) i would have to admit advantages are few and far between, but the DID provide an ergonomist when i needed it. i've had assessments of all my work stations regularly due to having a dodgy wrist - i go through periods of between a week and three months where i can't use my left arm so have to change everything and then when it's back, it all goes back! thankfully our OH&S staff are trained in basic changes, but i'm thinking when i go back post MS i'm going to have to get another assessment by a proper ergonomist as the seat i'm using isn't really appropriate for working around a belly either - and i don't want to leave it too long seeing i only work 2 days a week for now - i'm the sort of person that would say "oh, but it's only a few more weeks, i'm sure i'll cope... lol)

[LaDeeDa]

lol thats me too - I've only got another 4 weeks I'll be right (mean while starting to look like the hunchback of notre dame)

yep it's the same one - luckily I've moved out of the telco side of things and into the advertising side - but still the same parent company.

They don't like having to do anything nice for their employees .....LOL

[briggsy's girl]

heheeh that's why i left. the ergo assessment was all i ever got there! i was in the mobiles call network, and just got sick of exceeding every target they set and being expected to further it. or being bagged cos i got three times the target instead of my normal 5 times... i worked 8 months of perm night shift before i left - i was over it by then!

[Pandora]

why cant you use a heat pack - is it becuase they will ask you why you are using it?
Tell them you strained a muscle in your back (at work lol they'll be all over you with an ergonomic asseessment in no time!)
or you've got AF pains. They wont know the differece and its not their business anyway.

[briggsy's girl]

at 27 weeks i don't think she'd get away with AF pains rayray!!

i've found heatpacks difficult at times as well - they don't stay where you need them and go cold too quick at work!

[LaDeeDa]

heheeh that's why i left. the ergo assessment was all i ever got there! i was in the mobiles call network, and just got sick of exceeding every target they set and being expected to further it. or being bagged cos i got three times the target instead of my normal 5 times... i worked 8 months of perm night shift before i left - i was over it by then!

I was in business and once I did 400% of target. and they docked my pay based on talk time ...

[LaDeeDa]

rayray - people tend to complain about the smell of heat packs here
no-one is happy unless they are whingeing ...LOL