As someone who recently started an intensive programming bootcamp, I’m becoming more and more acquainted with pain. Yes, the pain comes mentally, as I wrap my head around what the heck Object Oriented Programming is, but also physically, as my body fights me for making it sit for that many hours at a time. Thankfully, I figured out a few tips and tricks to help me survive. These come from my personal experiences, but also my training as an occupational therapist (OT). Take whatever works for you! As a disclaimer though, the best treatment is individualized, so if your physical pain gets unbearably intense for long periods of time and none of these tricks work, it’s best to get yourself to a rehab clinic!
Something I learned during my time as an OT is that a lot of general daily problems can be tackled if you a) change your environment and b) change yourself (i.e. your habits and your musculoskeletal system). With that said, here some tips on changing your environment:
For back pain:
- Get lumbar support! Especially if your chair is a piece of junk like mine and did not come with any fancy built-in support for the lower back. You can find plenty of lumbar supports with a quick online search, but here is my low-cost favorite.
- Standing desks are great, but the evidence on their effectiveness is actually inconclusive and a study found that “for a healthy individual, sitting was no worse than standing for the incidence of lower back pain.” (1) So don’t blow thousands of bucks over them if money’s tight (just get up more often!) Alternatively, adjustable laptop stands can work well and are a whole lot friendlier on your wallet.
For wrist pain:
- Get wrist support! Getting a wrist rest pad can go a long way in reducing wrist stress and minimizing your chance of ending up with carpal tunnel syndrome (when overactivity and incorrect wrist positioning put undue stress on your wrist, causing your median nerve to be compressed).
- Similarly, wrist braces provide additional support and help your wrist maintain neutral alignment. Here is my favorite.
Next, some tips on changing your habits and your body:
Of course you can’t talk about ergonomics without talking about posture. Yes, I’m talking to you, fellow soon-to-be programmer pushing the limit of your spine’s bendability. A few words on posture:
- Your trunk should be about 0 to 30-degree inclined back on your chair. Good trick: actually sit all the way back in your chair, feet touching the ground, shoulders relaxed.
- Your elbows should be comfortable at about a 90-degree bent.
- Your wrists should be neutral, neither bent way back nor flexed too forward.
- Your chin should be tucked (think about aligning your ears with your shoulders). Your screen should be positioned so that the top is at or slightly below your eye level (so prop up your laptop if needed, and wisely invest in a detached keyboard).
- Get your butt up and move at least once every 50 minutes, because surprise, surprise — studies find that length of time sitting is positively associated with lower back pain intensity. Regular standing breaks, even short ones, are shown to reduce both the regularity and intensity of low back pain (2).
And finally, postural exercises and stretches, focusing on increasing flexibility and strengthening your core muscles can work wonders. Here are some of my favorites:
Wrapping it up, while I’m sure the mental strain will 100% be with me through my time in bootcamp, at least there are some things I can do to help with the physical strain. I hope this was helpful. Happy programming, y’all!
(1) Sitting Ergonomics And The Impact on Low Back Pain. (n.d.). Retrieved June 25, 2020, from https://physio-pedia.com/Sitting_Ergonomics_And_The_Impact_on_Low_Back_Pain
(2) Sheahan, P., Diesbourg, T. and Fischer, S. (2016) The effect of rest break schedule on acute low back pain development in pain and non-pain developers during seated work. Applied Ergonomics 53: 64–70.
