Before I went through my pilonidal sinus journey, the ideation of using a standing desk was foreign to me.
The pain I suffered during my 18-month battle against pilonidal sinus disease forced me to discover an alternative way to find comfort other than sitting.
Most people sit for multiple hours a day, so when it is taken away from you, the difference is noticeable – instantly.
For me, using a standing desk to work was the solution to avoiding the pain that came with sitting down on my chronic, infection-ridden wound.
In this help guide, I want to show you how a standing desk helped me during my pilonidal sinus recovery journey.
Benefits Of Using A Standing Desk
According to the Orthopaedic Hospital of Wisconsin, there are multiple benefits to using a standing desk; however, I wanted to highlight a couple of advantages that I found relevant to me during my pilonidal sinus aftercare:
Improved Circulation
When standing at a desk, you improve blood flow throughout your body. The more blood circulates around your body, the better it is for healing.
As you are standing and your body requires more energy, it is working harder to pump blood around your body – including the site of your pilonidal sinus disease.
Improved Focus
During the recovery phase, I wanted to ensure I had as many distractions away from my wound as possible, and using a standing desk helped with that.
As I was not sitting on the wound, my mind was not distracted by the pain and ‘what if’ scenarios that would come into my mind.
Using a standing desk allowed me to focus on my work as opposed to fixating on the open wound and potential issues that could arise from sitting on it.
Pilonidal sinus recovery is not just a physical battle. The mental strength it takes to get through is something most patients are not aware of beforehand, so any small tweaks you can make to help with that will steer you in the right direction.
Transitioning To A Standing Desk
When you first transition to a standing desk, it will feel different and will take time to adjust.
I purchased a Flexispot desk, which allows me to adjust the height of the desk to what I want it to be.
During my recovery, I kept it to the standing height that worked for me and it also means that now, post-recovery, I can alternate between sitting and standing while working.
Here are a few tips you can take away when you first transition to a standing desk:
- Start with 10-15 minute spells of standing up, followed by 5 minutes of laying on your side.
- Take small, regular breaks.
- Gradually increase the length of time you spend standing in one iteration.
- If you feel pain or distress, stop!
Managing Discomfort
When it comes to managing the discomfort or pain of pilonidal sinus wounds, standing desks massively helped me with that.
Due to the complications I had during my recovery process, I found it extremely painful to sit down on the wound.
Using a standing desk removed that pain and allowed me to make personal progress in my career while fighting pilonidal sinus disease.