Whether you work in accounting in a cushy office or have a more dangerous job as head of security, there’s no doubt that you experience work-related pain. From standing for too long that puts undue pressure on your knees and joints, to repetitive motion that contributes to injuries like carpal tunnel and tennis elbow, working long days in any profession can take a toll on your body.
If you are feeling the physical toll of your job, there are measures you can take that can minimize, prevent, and relieve the pain you’re experiencing. Just don’t wait til it’s too late; start implementing some of these methods as soon as possible to reduce how much your work affects your physical health.
How to Relieve Work-Related Pain
Instead of just gritting through the pain and bearing it, you should find a way to alleviate your discomfort. Not only will this help you work more efficiently (and make your workday much more pleasant), but it will prevent you from taking that pain home with you or lying awake all night tossing and turning because you’re hurting.
The best method of pain relief depends on where you’re experiencing discomfort and how bad it is, but these are tried-and-true methods that may work for you:
- Using CBD: CBD comes in many forms but CBDfx's award-winning CBD pills for pain is a favorite for relieving discomfort quickly. When you take CBD, it helps in multiple ways. Not only does it directly reduce inflammation in the affected areas, but it can also help your body numb the feelings of pain, so it affects you less.
- Applying Cold Compresses: Often, soreness occurs because there’s inflammation in part of our body. If your job requires a lot of standing or walking (which is especially common for retail workers and commercial cleaners), you might experience a lot of pain in your feet and legs. Fortunately, they make cold compresses specifically for different parts of your body so you can apply them directly for the most effective pain relief.
- Try an Electric Acupuncture Pen: Electric acupuncture pens like the ones by TheraPen provide many of the same benefits as traditional acupuncture, without the needles or need to go to a professional. Treat muscle pain in your hands, arms, feet, and more with this easy to use pen from the comfort of your own home.
Preventing Work-Related Pain & Injuries
While relieving pain is important to helping you cope with the side effects of your job, you should also be doing things to prevent the pain in the first place. Some of these prevention methods may be able to help you:
- Prioritize Ergonomics: You’ve probably heard the term ergonomics in your office more than once. That’s because it’s an important part of preventing work injuries by optimizing your work station for proper posture. From ergonomic chairs that are the right height and have sufficient support, to having your computer at the right eye height to prevent straining, there are plenty of ways to improve your workspace to avoid injuries and pain.
- Learn Proper Lifting Techniques: For those who perform physical labor at their jobs (servers, delivery people, contractors, etc.), a major source of your pain may be from incorrectly lifting. When you lift heavy objects without the right technique or support, you put yourself at risk of injury, especially in your back. To help protect yourself, learn proper lifting techniques and make sure you employ them in your day-to-day activities.
- Take Breaks: Listen to your body when it’s telling you that it needs to break. Whether you’re doing hard labor or have been sitting for hours upon hours, when you start to feel uncomfortable, that means it’s time to step away for a few minutes. By getting up and changing your position for a while, it can help allow your body to recover and adjust.
By actively following these tips, you can help reduce the pain you experience that’s directly related to your work and protect your body from future problems. While it might seem tolerable when you’re at the beginning of your career, down the road you will be thankful you took proactive steps to save yourself from pain and unnecessary injuries. Start today to get the most benefit out of these pain prevention and management tips. You can tweak these recommendations as you see fit, but hopefully they’ll serve as inspiration to help you find solutions that work for you.
