If you are working from home, have you experienced an increase in neck and back pain? You are not alone. The 2020 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Survey shows the facts: about 41% of people working remotely reported lower back pain, 23.5% reported neck pain, and 50% said their neck pain has gotten worse since they started working from home.
What is the solution? It’s not so much that you’re sitting in a certain position while you do your work, the problem is likely that you are sitting in one position for too long. It’s the prolonged nature of posture that’s going to hurt. One key to improving your aches and pains is movement — you’ve got to keep moving, and that can be as simple as stepping away from your desk and stretching. But at times you may need other healthcare support.
You need to take steps to address your pain
This is really important because, in the long run, if steps aren’t taken, it will translate into more serious health issues that can impact your ability to work and every aspect of your life.
Neck pain may be isolated, or the pain may radiate as a dull, non-throbbing headache over your forehead, temple, and areas around your eye or ear. Often shoulder and arm pain is common too, and you may even have blurred vision.
Back pain can range from a muscle aching to a shooting, burning or stabbing sensation. The pain can radiate down a leg. Bending, twisting, lifting, standing, or walking can make it worse.
Musculoskeletal issues like these can affect your mental health. Experiencing chronic pain makes you much more likely to develop mental-health issues.
If you are experiencing persistent or severe neck and back pain from your virtual work, you should consult a professional for diagnosis and treatment. A professional can identify the root cause, provide insight to help prevent further physical issues or offer treatment before your neck and back condition becomes a chronic problem.
Health insurance helps make resources available to help you
Health insurance helps you pay for a wide range of healthcare costs not covered by your government plan. For back and neck pain, here are just some of the expenses you can face that can be covered:
Prescription drugs
Back and neck pain is one of the most common reasons people are prescribed pain medication and for most people, costs are not covered by your government health plan.
Vision care
Discomfort in your neck and back pain can be symptomatic of an eye problem, and eye discomfort (in the form of headaches around the eye area) can point to neck and back issues. You may need to visit an optometrist and get prescription lenses to help. These costs are also not covered by your government plan.
Coverage for Professional / Registered Therapists
From physiotherapy to help with tendonitis or help you better cope with a chronic condition like arthritis or sciatica, therapy can help relieve and give you new ways to manage your pain.
Health insurance plans also include many online support tools that help you to learn new ways to deal with the expected and unexpected in life including pain, and to help you cope with feeling the distress it causes. You can use search tools to help find a health facility, or community support group in your area as well as provincial health resource information. You can even arrange a doctor’s appointment from the comfort of your own home.
Plans can include access to secure medical consultations with friendly, knowledgeable clinicians on your mobile smartphone or tablet by text or video chat whenever and wherever you need it.
How do you choose the health insurance that’s right for you? That’s where SBIS can help.
At SBIS we offer you experience and proven expertise to provide the best health and dental insurance plan for your needs. We offer online information and selection that is quick and easy, or our representatives are available to work closely with you to identify the most appropriate affordable health insurance plan that fits your budget and specifications, with options from:
- Manulife health insurance plans including Flexcare®, FollowMe™, Association and Guaranteed Issue, designed to help offset the cost of seeking treatments that are not covered by provincial healthcare plans in Canada. Some plans are offered on a “guaranteed acceptance” basis, which means they are available without the need of a medical questionnaire, while others will require the completion of a medical history form. With customizable add-on features, Manulife customers can choose separate coverages to get exactly what they need out of their health and dental insurance.
- Our exclusive Prism programs including Prism Continuum®, Prism Spectra® and Prism Precision® by Green Shield Canada. Understanding that everyone’s health care needs and finances are unique, PRISM offers you these three programs to choose and each has four different plans, each offering varying levels of coverage, so you can decide on the one that’s best for you. Being able to choose the coverage that suits your individual requirements ensures that you are not paying a higher premium than necessary or paying for coverage you don’t really want or need. The more basic your requirements, the lower your premiums will be.
- GMS Personal Health Insurance and Replacement Health Insurance plans offer great health coverage that you can apply to enrol in on any date, not just the 1st of the month like most insurance providers. No matter what stage of life you’re in, GMS health insurance plans offer the convenience of a pay-direct card so you can skip submitting claims documents every time you use the plan. Just present your card at participating pharmacies, dentists, massage therapists, physiotherapists, psychologists, and more — and they’ll bill GMS directly for covered costs. No need to pay out of pocket! Whether you’re interested in basic coverage, want to add to your work benefits plan, or are looking to complete a wellness package, GMS has something perfect for you.
Whichever health insurance plan you choose, you will have ‘lifetime coverage’, renewable every year no matter what your occupation is.
Take control of your back and neck pain with health insurance now
At SBIS, we’re ready to answer your questions. Just give us a call at 1-800-667-0429 Monday to Friday, 8:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. ET or go online to discover health insurance options for yourself.
