Lafayette Hill, PA-based Donald J. Mittica, president of Chestnut Hill Family Chiropractic Center, and his son Aaron Mittica, president of Regrowth Integrative Acupuncture, share their best tips on positive spine health during long days working from home.

Q: What happens when our workstations don’t allow for correct spine alignment?

Aaron Mittica: When people sit incorrectly over their computers, they become hunchbacks. It causes deformities, shoulder pain and hand numbness. Pain is the great motivator. That’s when people come to see us. Much of it is in the lower back or nape of the neck. We find a lot of people have to strengthen their back. It’s physical posture and it can also be emotional strain that’s causing pain.

Donald Mittica: People tell us they start work at 8:15 every morning on the couch, or sitting with their laptop on a TV tray. When your body is out of alignment, it wears out. We take a full-body approach. It’s all about mechanics, balance and joints, not just your spine.

Donald J. Mittica, DC, of Chestnut Hill Family Chiropractic Center, and son Aaron Mittica, L.AC, DIPL of Regrowth Integrative Acupuncture.

Q: How does stress manifest as physical pain?

AM: People need places in their home that are non-work-related. When they came home last year, they brought their work into the bedroom, the living room, and we’re seeing the stress in cascades. The emotional spills over into the body when the mind can’t carry it all. Fear manifests in the low back and kidneys. We’re not planning anything right now, and being in limbo tends to be difficult on the spine in particular. We’re just waiting, and the body reflects that stress. For a lot of people, my dad and I were the only ones touching them during the pandemic. They were lonely, or they had a difficult home situation.

DM: This year has been really tough on people. It’s been inwardly stressful. People just didn’t have the same support systems that they did before COVID.

Q: What types of changes should people make to their workstations?

AM: The laptop should be at eye level; not down and not up, but straight in front of you. Get an extra keyboard and mouse and elevate your laptop on textbooks.

DM: Your chair should have adjustable height. The back should follow with you as you sit forward and lean back, the seat should tip forward and it should have five wheels instead of four, for extra support. Adjustable arms let you rest your elbow and shoulder and avoid pain. Also consider a ball chair.

Q: How can people change their daily physical routine?

DM: Deal with the sitting situation. Get up and move. No one’s going to the gym right now, but we have to keep active. People ask me what the best type of exercise is, and I tell them it’s the one they like to do most. Walking is great for blood flow and getting your spinal fluid flowing. Consider Pilates, stretching and yoga to open up. Look for techniques on Google and YouTube. But don’t do everything at once. Start small. And steal your stretches when you can, like when you’re on a phone call. Sit on a ball chair or a foam wedge to help with alignment. Stretch out your chest – it’s usually tight, so open it up. Stretch in the shower for an extra five minutes. Or stretch for 45 seconds three times a day, but not all at once.

AM: Don’t save it all up for Saturday. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Change up your position a few times during the day. Don’t wait for pain that’s nine out of 10 before coming to us. If it doesn’t feel good, switch before it’s bad. Be hyperaware of your body.