You wake up, crack your back, and tell yourself:
Today will be different.
But by midday, that familiar ache creeps in. By evening, you’re wincing when you stand up.
Sound familiar?
You’re not alone.
Back pain from home working is one of the most common complaints among remote professionals. Yet, most people treat the symptoms, not the cause.
Painkillers and stretching might offer temporary relief. but if your workstation and posture remain the same, the pain will always return.
I learned this the hard way.
When I started working from home, I ignored the twinges in my back. I stretched. I took breaks. But the pain got worse.
It wasn’t until I fixed my desk setup and my movement habits that I found lasting relief.
Are you struggling with back pain from home working? Let’s break down the real reasons why and what actually works.
1. Bad Posture: Why ‘Sitting Up Straight’ Isn’t Enough
We’ve all heard the advice:
Sit up straight!
But posture is more than just keeping your back upright. Sitting incorrectly for hours strains your spine.
Slouching and rounding your shoulders, move your head forward. This shifts your centre of gravity, increasing back strain.
A research from Frontier in Physiology proved that:
For every inch your head moves forward, the pressure on your cervical spine increases by 10 lbs (4.5 kg).
This can lead to cervical disc compression, nerve irritation, and chronic back pain.
If you sit upright without resting on your backrest, your spine curves over time. This causes disc pressure, muscle fatigue and eventually lower back pain.
Without keeping the spine’s natural S-curve, your muscles work overtime, leading to tightness and discomfort.
🔹 Fix it:
Use a lumbar cushion or adjust your chair’s built-in support. Keep your ears, shoulders, and hips aligned to reduce spinal strain. If you feel tension creeping in, reset your posture by standing up and stretching.
2. Perching on the Edge of Your Chair
It’s so easy to perch on your seat, thinking you’re maintaining good posture. In reality, you have no back support, so your back muscles work overtime.
Your erector spinae muscles (which run along your spine) keep your torso upright for hours. This leads to muscle fatigue, stiffness, and excessive compression on the spinal discs.
Perching also tilts your pelvis forward. It shifts your weight onto your thighs rather than through your hips and backrest. This creates constant tension in the hip flexors, which can pull on the lumbar spine and worsen your pain.
🔹 Fix it:
Sit all the way back in your chair, allowing the backrest to support you. If the seat pan is too deep, use a cushion or rolled-up towel behind your lower back to shorten it.
3. Leaning Forward Because of No Armrests
If your chair lacks armrests, your arms have nowhere to rest. This may seem minor, but your arms makeup 10% of your body weight. Without support, that weight transfers to your neck, shoulders, and upper back. And lead to muscle tension, joint stress, and poor spinal alignment.
Leaning forward also shifts your body weight away from the chair and reduces back support. Over time, this posture leads to rounded shoulders, forward head posture, and mid-back stiffness.
🔹 Fix it:
Switch to a chair with built-in armrests.
4. Chair Too Low for Your Desk
If your chair is too low, you’ll be forced to shrug your shoulders to reach your keyboard. This can lead to trapezius overuse, neck pain, and even nerve compression in the shoulders.
Sitting too low also puts your hips at a downward angle, causing your lower back to flatten. This increases disc pressure and makes you more likely to slouch.
🔹 Fix it:
Adjust your chair height so your elbows are at a 90-degree angle when typing. If your chair doesn’t adjust, use a seat cushion to raise your sitting height.
5. Not Using the Backrest
If your chair has a backrest but you’re not using it, you’re forcing your spinal muscles to hold you upright for hours. Over time, this leads to chronic lower back fatigue and tension in the mid-back.
Backrests are designed to support the natural curve of your spine. When you don’t use them, your lower back may flatten out or round forward, increasing lumbar disc pressure.
🔹 Fix it:
Sit back so your back is fully supported. Adjust the chair to a comfortable recline of 90-110 degrees to reduce spinal pressure.
6. No Lumbar Support
The lumbar spine has a natural inward curve. Without support, your lower back flattens. This leads to increased disc pressure and overstretched spinal ligaments.
This position shortens your hip flexors, creating muscle imbalances and back pain.
🔹 Fix it:
Use a lumbar cushion, a rolled-up towel, or an ergonomic chair with built-in lumbar support to keep the natural curve of your lower back.
7. Previous Injuries Worsening from Poor Ergonomics
If you’ve had a herniated disc, sciatica, or a past muscle strain, poor desk posture can reactivate old injuries and cause flare-ups. Sitting incorrectly puts pressure on damaged tissues, preventing them from healing properly.
🔹 Fix it:
Make small ergonomic adjustments to reduce stress on previous injury sites.
Final Thoughts: Fix the Cause, Not Just the Symptoms
Back pain from home working isn’t random. It’s caused by small, repeated movements that stress your spine. Painkillers and stretching might help temporarily. But the real solution is fixing your workstation, movement habits, and posture.
Start Today:
- Adjust your chair, screen, and desk height.
- Use proper back and arm support to prevent muscle fatigue.
- Strengthen your core muscles to improve long-term spinal health.
Want expert guidance and struggling with back pain from home working? Book a Remote Desk Assessment today and start working pain-free.
