Back Pain From Sitting at Your Desk All Day? What Office Workers in Westlands Need to Know
Look at the woman in the photo. Coffee in one hand, the other pressed into her lower back, twisting in her chair to ease the ache. It's 4pm in a Westlands office. She's been in back-to-back meetings and replying to emails since 8am. When she stands, her lower back is stiff, tight and aching. By the time she gets home it's worse, and tomorrow it starts again.
If this is your week, you're not alone. Office back pain is one of the most common problems we see from people working around Westlands, Parklands and Upper Hill.
Why sitting hurts your back
Sitting isn't dangerous. Sitting still for hours is the problem. When you don't move:
- Your back muscles stay switched on and get tired, tight and sore
- Your buttock muscles switch off and weaken, so your back works harder
- The front of your hips tightens and pulls on your lower back when you stand
- You slowly slump forward, especially as the day goes on
Add a long commute in traffic before and after work, and your back is sitting for 10 hours or more a day.
5 simple fixes you can start today
- Move every 30 to 45 minutes. Stand up, walk to the water dispenser, take calls standing.
- Raise your screen to eye level. Put your laptop on a stand or a stack of books and use a separate keyboard.
- Sit back in your chair. Use the backrest, keep your feet flat, and put a small cushion or rolled towel behind your lower back.
- Change position often. No single posture is perfect; the best posture is your next one.
- Walk after work. A 15-minute walk does more for your back than lying on the couch.
When to see a physiotherapist
Book an assessment if your back pain lasts more than a week or two, keeps coming back, wakes you at night, or runs down into your leg.
How Katasi Physiotherapy treats office back pain
Our orthopaedic physiotherapist checks how your back, hips and buttock muscles move, and asks about your desk, chair and daily routine. Treatment combines hands-on therapy, dry needling for tight, painful muscles, and a short set of exercises you can fit into your workday. You'll also get practical advice for your workstation. Most office workers feel a real difference within the first few sessions.
We're open from 7am on weekdays and on Saturdays, so you can come before work or at the weekend.
Read more: Lower Back Pain: Why Rest and Scans Aren't the Answer and Neck Pain From Office Work?
See a doctor straight away if
You have back pain with fever, unexplained weight loss, loss of bladder or bowel control, or numbness around your private parts.
Book in Westlands
Your job shouldn't cost you your back. Visit Katasi Physiotherapy at Kerai Office, Mogotio Road off Muthithi Road, Westlands, Nairobi. Call or WhatsApp 0705 717 353 to book. Open Monday to Friday 7am–6pm and Saturday 8am–4pm.