Pinched nerve - this is how you can help yourself quickly and easily!

A pinched nerve can quickly happen at work – an incorrect movement, prolonged poor posture, or even an accident outside the office can lead to it. The consequences can range in severity and even lead to an inability to work. Today, we'll show you how you can quickly relieve a pinched nerve and how to prevent it from happening in the first place.

We'll also explain some important tips on the topic of "Healthy Posture at the Workplace" and what can happen if you don't take them seriously.

Healthy Posture at the Workplace – How to Prevent a Pinched Nerve

Few people pay attention to maintaining a healthy posture at the workplace consistently – whether leaning too far forward or back, a screen that's too small, or an incorrect desk height, all of these things can quickly lead to health problems. A pinched nerve is just one of many effects of poor posture.

In addition to this, these side effects can also occur if you always sit/work incorrectly:

• Shoulder and neck tension
• Back pain
• Stiff neck
• Joint pain in hands and arms
• Wrist problems

By maintaining the correct posture at the workplace, you can prevent yourself from having to deal with a pinched nerve. This primarily includes the correct, upright posture of the back and a healthy arm posture. In the next section, we'll explain which tips you should heed to prevent a pinched nerve from occurring in the first place.

Simple Tips to Prevent a Pinched Nerve

If you want to prevent yourself from pinching a nerve due to poor posture, then you should observe these basic principles:

• Desk height – Whether you work sitting or standing, the desk height should be adjusted so that your arms rest on the desk at a 90-degree angle. This way, they are relaxed, and pain and tension are less likely to occur.
• Seat height – If you work sitting, your knees should also be at a 90-degree angle when you sit upright. This way, you know the seat is correctly adjusted and your legs are not unnecessarily strained.
• Ergonomic mouse & keyboard – Often, hours of working with a mouse and keyboard lead to tension and pain in the hand. Especially for the tendons and nerves on the top of the hand, this can cause problems on long days; a pinched nerve is not uncommon here. Ergonomic mouse and keyboard support the natural hand posture, preventing such problems.
• Height-adjustable desk – If you keep your circulation going and move regularly, a pinched nerve is less likely to occur. Therefore, try to work at a height-adjustable desk as often as possible.

Tip: The optimal breakdown for a workday consists of 60 percent sitting, 30 percent standing, and 10 percent active movement. You can achieve this, for example, by taking phone calls during a walk from now on.

If you have decided to purchase a height-adjustable desk, feel free to visit the Deskspace website. On our detailed product pages, you will find many illustrative photos and detailed descriptions. We look forward to your visit!

Now, let's move on to how you can quickly help yourself with a pinched nerve! 

Pinched Nerve, What to Do? How to Help Yourself Quickly!

If you have a pinched nerve at the workplace, it can quickly severely restrict you. You may no longer be able to type properly or experience constant pain in your arm or in the back and shoulder area – this is where a pinched nerve most commonly occurs. However, if a nerve is pinched in your shoulder, this can quickly radiate into your hand.

Common signs include: pain in a larger area, numbness or tingling, muscle weakness, restricted movement, a warm spot on the skin. Nevertheless, in case of doubt, you should consult a doctor again if our tips do not lead to an improvement.

First, it's important to avoid strain, as this can only worsen the problem. We advise against pain medication, as you will then no longer be able to identify which movements you should avoid. You should also stop jerky movements, as these can further strain the nerve and lead to severe pain.

The muscles around a pinched nerve are usually tense and thus put even more pressure on the painful area. With a heat patch, an infrared lamp, or a heating pad, you can loosen the muscles and try to relax the affected area.

To relieve these tensions, a professional massage can also help, which you can attend after work. While this requires a bit of money, your situation usually improves significantly faster. However, always talk to your doctor beforehand to ensure it is indeed a pinched nerve.

Yoga or gentle gymnastics can help release tense muscles and relieve pain. You should avoid intensive training if you don't want to worsen the problem. Additionally, you can resort to anti-inflammatory medications to soothe the affected area somewhat.

Should no improvement occur, you must definitely consult your doctor again. They will re-examine the area and possibly take X-rays to get a better picture. Afterwards, the problem may be further treated with physiotherapy or special massages – but only in particularly stubborn cases. Usually, a pinched nerve is "free" again within a few hours.

Conclusion: First Aid for a Pinched Nerve

From a medical point of view, a pinched nerve is actually just a minor issue – yet, if things go wrong, it can keep you from work for many hours, days, or even weeks, or at least severely restrict you. Especially if you are an athlete, this small problem can prevent you from pursuing your passion. With the immediate measures mentioned above, you can usually free the nerve within a few hours, after which you will no longer have pain. By optimizing your posture and working while standing, you can prevent the nerve from getting into this situation in the first place – Deskspace furniture can help you with this.