Do you sometimes get a neck ache, lower back pain, headaches or feel tired from working at your computer??
Studies have shown that working at your computer for hours and hours, without a break, can lead to neck aches, back pain, eye strain headaches, back soreness, and fatigue - or even RSI, carpel tunnel syndrome or tendinitis. (Children with bad posture, who sit at their computer without a break, can start showing signs of these ailments at as young as 8 years old!).
In fact, more than half of computer users each year develop neck or shoulder symptoms and just over one-third develop an impairment or the loss of some function [1]
Sitting for long periods of time stresses your neck, back and shoulders. Working at your computer for hours on end forces your head to be held in one position for long periods and, when combined with sitting in a slumped posture (looking at your screen), is a sure-fire recipe for neck ache.
Research has found that if you work at a computer all day, by taking regular micro-stretch breaks (~60 seconds) every few hours, your energy stays fresh, your mind stays focused, and your body is protected from developing injury, strain (RSI) and muscular pains. For ideas on how to do this, visit www.StretchSmart.com
(Note: One study using www.StretchSmart.com ergonomic software found that headaches were eliminated completely, a 66% reduction in neck complaints, 61% reduction in shoulder pain due to improved workstation set-up, including monitor placement and stretching habits. [2])
When I was practicing as a Shiatsu masseuse, I found that about 70% of the stress-related ailments I treated were caused by muscle tension - often due to people not moving their body enough during the day.
You probably already know that it is important to move and stretch your body - right?
However, because your day is busy, you may not remember to stretch - and you might be unsure as to which stretches are right for you or how to do them correctly.
So what can you do??
I asked Erik N. Nieuwenhuis (MSPT), Physical Therapist and Work Injury Claims Prevention Specialist from St. Luke’s Rehab Services what he thought were some good steps to take. In his report titled, 'Stretching Exercises for Today’s Workplace', Erik suggested 10 essential stretches to keep your body in good shape and resilient to stress. Below are 3 ideas from that report (If you want to read the full article with all 10 suggestions, visit:
http://www.stretchsmart.com/articles/stretching_exercises.html )
1. Chin Tuck Stretch:
This helps to correct the position of forward head posture or reverse the stress of looking down. Better yet, this stretch is very important for relieving the symptoms of most peoples headaches---YEAH!! The idea is to gently over-correct your posture to stretch the tissues that become tight with not so good posture. Simply tuck your chin into your neck as you bring our head up tall, as in a position of military attention. Hold this stretch for 10 seconds (gently). To relieve your headaches you may need to do 2, 5, or 20 repetitions.
Another great self care technique is to put 2 tennis balls in a sock and tie the sock tight so that the tennis balls are snug together. Lie back on these tennis balls so they put pressure on the muscles (suboccipital) at the base of your skull. A physical therapist taught me these exercises
while in college at UNI after being in a motor vehicle accident. Wow, did they ever work for me
in getting rid of my chronic headaches.
2. Wrist Stretch:
Doing hand work gripping and/ or pinching can tighten forearm muscles (and is very common in today’s workplace), putting pressure on tendons as they pass through your wrist. This may lead to problems in the wrist and/ or hand if stretches are not done (you r choice). Hold your right hand palm up with your arm fully extended. Place your left hands fingers atop your right palm.
Gently pull your right hand backward and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat this stretch with your other arm. You will likely want to stretch your dominant side more often as this side is typically less flexible (secondary to doing more work during the day).
3. Relaxation Response (Excellent Stress Relief):
Constant work activity on any job can gradually tighten your working muscles. This tension is
wasted muscle work. Try this procedure to relieve Neck/ Shoulder and Upper Back Stress, see how much better you feel at the end of the day. Inhale deeply through your nose as you shrug your shoulders and clench your fists (do not clench your teeth).
Hold this position for 2-3 seconds, then exhale through your mouth and relax your upper body fully,
for 5 seconds. Do this procedure 2 times. This will result in deeply relaxed muscles that will
tolerate work much better and leave you with more energy at the end of the day.
For ideas on how to control your breathing, visit: http://www.bouncebackfast.com/smooth.html
Finally, there is computer based program that actually reminds you to stretch - and shows you how, called www.StretchSmart.com . StretchSmart is a computer based program, developed
by expert rehabilitation and sports physiotherapist, David Meyerowitz. StretchSmart reminds you to take micro-stretch breaks during your day.
After seeing the strains and injuries incurred from poor posture and computer usage, David invested over 2 years researching and developing StretchSmart's Ergocore Stretch software.
David has agreed to allow you to download a 14 day trial so that you can see, first hand, how taking regular stretch breaks helps reduce headaches, neck pain, back aches and fatigue.
You can download your 14 day trial from: www.StretchSmart.com
REFERENCES:
[1] American Journal of Industrial Medicine 2002;41:221-249
[2] http://www.stretchsmart.com/articles/ergonomics_software.html
OTHER RESOURCE ARTICLES:
* The Ergonomics of Laptops
> http://www.stretchsmart.com/articles/ergonomics.html
* Preventing RSI in the workplace
> http://www.stretchsmart.com/articles/rsi.html
* Lower Back Pain Relief
> http://www.stretchsmart.com/articles/lower_back_pain_relief.html
Want to read more articles like this one? Visit the Bounce Back article archives at:
www.bouncebackfast.com/stress_management_articles.html
