A few months into the pandemic, Allen Conrad's patients began complaining about increased pain in their neck and shoulders.
Some struggled to turn their heads and experienced increased tension in their wrists. Conrad, owner of Montgomery County Chiropractor Center in the US, immediately knew the cause.
"My patients are sitting at home, working at their kitchen table for hours on end," he said. "One patient I have is doing his work on an ironing board because there's just not enough room in his apartment for a desk, and that can definitely have a negative effect on the body."
When offices closed and people with desk jobs transitioned to working at home last March, creating an ergonomic workstation was not a priority as many expected to be back commuting within a few weeks. But many people have decided to continue working remotely, or have been forced to by new lockdowns, and chiropractors and orthopaedic surgeons say working from home has meant more pain for many.