This blog and our website are dedicated to helping computer users limit or eliminate the postural stresses that are associated with repetitive stress and cumulative trauma injuries. is associated with the .
We use this blog and our website to provide you with resources that you can use to control work related postural stress. Since we are the developers and producers of the Ergo Nav Adjustable Ergonomic Mouse Pad we are in a position to offer you our product at a discounted price.
You can learn more about our product and purchase the Ergo Nav at a discount here.
My interest in workplace ergonomics began back in 1994 after I attended a seminar on treatment of Repetitive Stress Injuries. As it turns out, once you get a Repetitive Stress Injury – also known as Cumulative Trauma Injury – they are impossible to effectively treat unless the source of the stress removed or mitigated.
Most of my RSI patients were complaining of a combination of neck pain, shoulder pain, arm pain and hand pain (essentially carpal tunnel syndrome) and that reaching to the desk for the mouse seemed to make everything worse. Pain that is associated with reaching to the desk for the mouse is what led to the development of the Ergo Nav.
The Ergo Nav allows the mouse to be placed close to your body (no reaching), and it has the ability to tilt side to side and up and down in order to further reduce ergonomic and postural stress.
Please take some time to read through the articles in this blog. Most people don’t associate the sedentary activities of office work as being physically stressful, our hope is that this blog will help provide new insight to just how stressful sitting in front of a computer can be for you.
To learn more about the Ergo Nav click here.
Essential Ergonomics for Safe Computer Use
I have always had a strong interest in ergonomics for the office. This interest in ergonomics is what led to my development of the Ergo Nav adjustable mouse platform.
We feel that the Ergo Nav eliminates most if not all of the ergonomic stress associated with mouse use. However, the Ergo Nav is only one of what we consider essential ergonomic items for safe computer use.
Below is a list of other essential ergonomic items and a brief explanation as to what role they play in relieving stress.
1) Pull out keyboard tray: The pull out keyboard tray does for the keyboard what the Ergo Nav does for the mouse. The pull out keyboard tray positions your keyboard closer to your body and it lowers that keyboard height to a healthier level.
2) Ergonomic office chair: Provided that you are not reaching for your mouse, phone or keyboard, an ergonomic office chair helps encourage good posture. Bad posture not only leads to chronic back pain and neck pain but studies show that bad posture also makes us appear older, disinterested and less confident to others.
3) Proper lighting: Proper lighting helps relieve eye strain, prevents headaches and prevents bad posture. Poor lighting makes us lean forward, toward our keyboards and monitors for easier reading. Leaning forward creates bad posture making your expensive ergonomic chair useless.
4) Headset: If you are constantly answering the phone, a headset will eliminate the need to reach for the phone. Of course a second benefit is that the headset frees up you hands as well.
All of these ergonomic essentials either relieve stress on your arms, elbows and wrists or they encourage better posture – both are necessary for injury free computer use.
Got wrist pain?
Back in the middle part of the 1990’s, my Chiropractic practice started undergoing an unexpected transformation in the kind of patients I was seeing. I started seeing more and more people complaining of neck pain, shoulder pain and hand / wrist pain that was related to computer work – specifically use of the mouse.
Standard treatment for repetitive stress injuries of the upper extremity involves some combination of wrist splints, elbow straps, massage, joint adjustments, ultrasound therapy, electric muscle stimulation, trigger point therapy and icing.
These treatments work some of the time but most of the time treatment provides temporary relief punctuated by relapses and unprovoked exacerbations.
The bottom line is that it is difficult to relieve the stress of a forty hour work week with conservative treatment without eliminating or reducing the source of the stress. In most of my patients cases, the majority of the complaints came from pain that was experienced while reaching to the desk for the mouse.
The Ergo Nav is one of a handful of chair mounted ergonomic mouse pads that eliminate the need to reach out for your mouse. I prefer the Ergo Nav for the following reasons:
- I make and sell the Ergo Nav (shameless self promotion of course!)
- Ergo Nav has a simple attachment system
- Ergo Nav has a fully adjustable mouse pad
- Ergo Nav has a small mouse pad that doesn’t interfere with your other work duties
When combined with a keyboard tray and a supportive chair with armrests that adjust up and down, this product helps allow for a very comfortable, less stressful computer posture.
Here’s To Your Health,
Dr. Jones
Ergonomic Mouse Pad
San Diego Chiropractic
Pain Relief San Diego Chiropractic
(619) 280-0554
Did you ever wonder why it is that you can sit down all day long at your computer and not perform any manual labor during the day and still manage to come home with neck pain or back pain? The answer in most cases is bad posture caused by bad ergonomics.
It is amazing that we don’t sustain more back pain and neck pain given the structure of our bodies and the physical demands we place on it.
In my San Diego chiropractic practice, I frequently treat patients who experience chronic and severe back and neck pain tied to easy-to-remedy ergonomic problems in their workspace.
Anyone at any time can develop back or neck pain. Lifting, operating machinery, sports, auto accidents, and falls are some of the most common injuries I see in my office. These kinds of injuries are typical.
The majority of my patients think that back pain develops from chores like lifting heavy sacks of concrete but in fact most are due to bad posture related to computer use. Poor placement of your mouse pad accounts for much of this.
Bad posture causes postural stress which occurs whenever the natural curve of the spine is either reversed or exaggerated.
Bad posture causes muscle fatigue, irritation, inflammation, back and neck pain, and even arthritis over the long run. To help relieve neck pain and back pain it is important to address the causes of your postural stress. For most of us this means we will be looking at our computer set-ups for bad ergonomics.
A basic guide for proper computer work station set up can be found here.
Here’s To Your Health
Dr. Jones
Ergonomic Mouse Pad
San Diego Chiropractic
Pain Relief San Diego Chiropractic
(619) 280-0554
Picture this; you are just finishing a grueling work week. Your neck hurts and your shoulders are tight. It feels as though your shoulders a drawn up around your ears.
Does all this sound familiar? It should. Stress affects us everyday. The pressures of work and personal relationships can make us feel like a giant knot all by themselves. For most of us, however, this is just the beginning of our stress. Physical ailments that exist because of current conditions and those that continue to haunt us from the past i.e. old auto accident injuries, falls off our bicycles, years of postural stress etc. also contribute directly to our general tension level.
I am sure that most of my readers can recall a time when they went to work with some kind of neck pain or other body ache that made them much less amicable.
The process that takes place is simple and much more damaging then you might think. Our bodies are very good at compensating for stresses whether they are physical or emotional. However, if the stresses exist for a long enough period of time or if they are compounded by other stresses, our bodies start to express this build up of stress in various ways. For some people, stress and tension will generate headaches. For others the continued stress will trigger episodes of neck or back pain.
For either of the above examples, the process that takes place involves the body responding to stress with muscle tension. More often than not, our physical response to stress involves a tightening of the muscles in the shoulders and upper back. In addition to this tightening of muscles causing neck and back pain, it also raises blood pressure, burns energy causing physical fatigue and in some people causes mental fatigue.
Unfortunately, we are probably stuck with our jobs and although stressful, we elect to keep our relationships. These things are pieces of our lives that many of us have no choice but to accept (we could if we really wanted).
We can more easily take better care of our bodies. Proper ergonomics at work and home, breathing techniques, yoga, exercise, massage and of course chiropractic treatment can go a long way in counteracting stress and general tension.
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Here’s To Your Health
Yours Ergonomically,
Dr. Jones
Economic Mouse Pad
San Diego Chiropractic
Pain Relief San Diego Chiropractic
(619) 280-0554
As we spend increasing amounts of time at our computer workstations, we need to be aware of how the design and arrangement of our equipment can impact our chances of injury. Computer ergonomics is the study and / or implementation of work station design with the purpose of reducing or eliminating physical stress.
My interest in repetitive stress syndromes began approximately 10 years ago when my practice started seeing a much greater number of people suffering from the effects of computer work. Despite all of my training and continuing education related to these types of injuries, I quickly realized that short of surgery and radical changes in the patient’s lifestyles, treatment for this type of injury was marginally successful at best.
The real solution had to be prevention and it was going to involve the application of basic ergonomic principals.
This article will address the specifics of injury resulting from postural stress secondary to use of the computer mouse.
Specifically, the following will be addressed:
What repetitive stress injuries are?
What role do work station ergonomics play in injury?
How reaching for the mouse sets the stage for injury?
What are the symptoms of repetitive stress injury?
How one can avoid mouse reaching injuries?
What Exactly is a Repetitive Stress Injury?
Repetitive Stress Injury is a kind of catch all phrase for many conditions. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Tenosynovitis / DeQuervain’s Syndrome, Tendinitis, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, Trigger Finger, Myofascial Pain Syndrome and Chronic Sprain / Strain are some of the actual diagnosis that are rendered in my office. All of these conditions are serious and in many cases can cause pain, permanent disability and sometimes loss of employment.
Repetitive Stress Injuries occur from repetitive movements involving a specific set of muscles and joints. RSIs are the result of an accumulation of stress and strain that causes irritation, inflammation, and eventually pain or other disability. A good analogy used to characterize the onset of RSI would be the “straws on the camels back” saying.
Initially, RSIs affects the soft tissues of the involved joint(s). Soft tissues include muscles, nerves, ligaments and tendons, if left untreated for long periods of time, the involved joint can become arthritic and form bone spurs resulting in permanent damage to the joint.
While various occupations ranging from meat cutters to construction workers develop RSIs that result from the typical duties of their professions, the most frequent cause of these injuries involve computer work. The constant demand of keyboarding and mousing combined with the postural stress of confinement in an office chair with one’s neck and back held in prolonged fixed positions has resulted in an epidemic of injuries that includes hand pain, wrist pain, arm pain, neck pain, back pain and shoulder pain.
Work Station Ergonomics
The study of workstation ergonomics tells us that the objects that are used most often should be located closest to your body and accessed easily, without awkward body positions. Repeated reaching or prolonged postures that involve leaning forward from your chair are particularly stressful and fatiguing.
Many people are aware of computer ergonomics and thus have an ergonomic mouse. An ergonomic mouse is of little use if it is positioned in an area that requires reaching and stretching in order to operate it. Limiting reaching and stretching for desk items is essential to maintaining a healthy ergonomic environment.
The most frequent complaint that I have seen in my office is due to computer work is the combination of mousing and its’ inherent postural stress.
Most computer stations are designed in a way that involves the worker operating the computer mouse on a pad on the desk. Reaching to the desk for the mouse places direct stress on the joints and soft tissues of the neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand. Additionally, reaching forward for the mouse stresses the lower and middle back.
So How Does Reaching for the Mouse Set the Stage for Injury?
Reaching for the mouse causes you to lean forward in your chair, extend your arm and support the weight of your body through your extended arm. The following section will discuss the particulars of each of these positions.
The stresses placed on the human frame when reaching for the mouse are easily explained. Contrary to popular belief, sitting, which most people believe is relaxing, is hard on the back. Sitting for long periods of time can cause increased pressure on the inter-vertebral discs of the spine.
In recent years, ergonomists have told us that proper sitting posture would have us sitting upright with our hips flexed at 90 degrees. As it turns out, the most up to date studies show that a slightly reclined sitting posture with the hips flexed at 100 to 115 degrees is ideal if you have to sit at a desk. If your mouse is not positioned close enough to your body, you will have to reach for it. Reaching for your mouse stresses your back by reducing the angle of your hips.
Next, we have to look at the effects of reaching on the neck and shoulder. When the mouse is being operated at a distance that makes the operator reach, the shoulder extends forward and the shoulder blade abducts (rotates forward). This position stretches the muscle groups that connect the medial portion of your shoulder blade to your spine and the superior portion of your shoulder blade to your neck. In the short term, this stretch aggravates the affected muscle groups causing spasm, fatigue, headaches and stiffness in the neck and shoulder. In the long term, this position creates a condition called a “stretch weakness” resulting in muscular imbalance, trigger points and chronic variations of the conditions listed in the prior sentence.
Lastly, placing the mouse too far away, too low, or too much on one side can cause shoulder, wrist, elbow, and forearm discomfort. When the operator is forced to reach for the mouse, his / her body weight shifts forward and ultimately results in weight bearing stress on the extended arm. Spending prolonged periods of time leaning on an extended arm is an unnatural and destructive posture that will eventually lead to the development of a repetitive stress syndrome; likely resulting disorders would include tendinitis of the wrist, elbow or shoulder.
What are the Common Symptoms?
· Tightness, discomfort, stiffness, soreness or burning in the hands, wrists, fingers, forearms, or elbows
· Tingling, coldness, night pain or numbness in the hands, especially around the base of the thumb
· Clumsiness or loss of strength in the hands
· Pain in the neck, shoulders, wrists, hands or back that is associated with using the computer
How Can You Avoid Injuries Related to Reaching for the Mouse?
The following recommendations are applicable to both home office ergonomics as well as ergonomics in the office.
1) Placing the input device directly in your immediate reach zone offers natural comfort and maximum hand-eye coordination. The use of a platform for the mouse is preferable. Some models of mouse platforms attach directly to your chair.
2) Your chair should have arm rests that are adjustable.
3) Your wrist should be either in a neutral position or flexed slightly downward when operating both your mouse and your keyboard. For this reason, if you select a mouse platform that attaches to your chair, adjustability of the platform is of primary importance.
4) Consider using a high quality office chair with adjustable armrests and lumbar supports. It should also allow some degree of recline.
5) Make sure that the upper arm and elbow are as close to the body and as relaxed as possible for mouse use – avoid overreaching.
6) Hold the mouse lightly, don’t grip it hard or squeeze it. Place the pointing device where you don’t have to reach up or over very far to use it. The closer you can place it to your body the better.
Here’s To Your Health
Dr. Jones
Ergonomic Mouse Pad
San Diego Chiropractic
Pain Relief San Diego Chiropractic
(619) 280-0554
Have you ever wondered how you can develop back pain or neck pain without doing anything like gardening to cause it. It is amazing that humans don’t sustain even more back pain and neck pain, given the structure of our bodies and the physical demands. In my California chiropractic practice, I frequently treat office workers who experience chronic and severe back and neck pain tied to easy-to-fix ergonomic issues in their workspace. In my California chiropractic business, I treat clients frequently who work in an office and could benefit from better ergonomics.
Anyone can experience back or neck pain at any time. I treat individuals regularly who experienced back and neck injuries from improper lifting, machinery usage, sports, falls, and auto accidents. The majority of patients think that chiropractic issues stem from lifting heavy sacks of concrete but are surprised to find that most are due to postural stress.
The “silent killer” of our spinal health is postural stress. Postural stress is experienced either while sitting or standing on one’s feet. Postural stress is felt whenever the natural curve of the spine is altered or if the spine moves past its natural balance point.
One of the various postural stressful positions is sitting at the computer leaning forward with your neck and head while typing or mousing or viewing the screen. Your body is reversed from the typical curve of your neck, as you extend your neck to the front of your body and forces your head forward of the normal balance.
The stability that is part of our structure when our postural boundaries are respected is lost when we assume postures that cause stress to our spines. Stress from the way we hold ourselves (either sitting or standing) opens our ligaments and muscles up to long periods of being stretched (perhaps incorrectly) which leads to muscle fatigue, irritation, inflammation, back and neck pain, and even arthritis over the long run.
To treat neck and back pain caused by postural stress, one must undertake a multifaceted plan. When chiropractic treatment is combined with proper stretching and nutritional supplementation, full and smooth joint motion can replace the pain and stiffness. Depending on the length of time that you have been in pain or the severity of your symptoms, this part of your recovery may take several treatments or a lengthy treatment program.
Chiropractic care alone will not alleviate the problem; you must eliminate or change the causes of the postural stress. Have your workstation analyzed to highlight any ergonomic issues that could cause postural stress. Applying ice packs for neck pain and back pain for around twenty minutes at a time is also sometimes effective for relief.
Start treatment by talking to your chiropractor.
Our Columbus based chiropractic clinic employs a complete approach to rehabilitation using chiropractic care supported by stretches and exercises. Postural stress issues and the related neck and back pain that result from it are best dealt with by chiropractors, who are well trained in that area.
Encouragement of the proper diet is made to facilitate the process of healing. It is just as important to understand and correct the cause of poor posture, which causes pain, as it is to seek treatment to relieve the pain.
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Here’s To Your Health
Yours Ergonomically,
Dr. Jones
Economic Mouse Pad
San Diego Chiropractic
Pain Relief San Diego Chiropractic
(619) 280-0554
Chiropractic Care and Back Pain
Which is worse – neck pain or back pain?
I hear this question often in my San Diego chiropractic office. Of course the answer is easy – if you have back pain, back pain is definitely worse than neck pain. If you have neck pain, neck pain is definitely worse than back pain.
Another common question that I hear regarding low back pain is why sitting makes it hurt more than standing.
This is a good question, which can be answered through physics. I remember seeing a diagram in one of my office ergonomic books that exposed the different stress levels on the spinal disks with various body positions.
The diagram had drawings of a person standing, lying down, sitting and then sitting while hunched forward with very poor posture. The disk pressure differences with these different postures was given as follows:
Standing upright 100%
Lying down 24%
Sitting upright 140%
Sitting hunched 190%
The explanation of the much higher disk pressures while sitting is explained by examining the structural changes that occur when we change from a standing to a seated position.
Our spines are supposed to have curves when viewed from the side. The neck should have a nice sweeping forward curve, the mid-back should carry a backward curve and the low back should have a sweeping forward curve. When these curves are present, the weight of your body is carried evenly across several different structures of the spine. These curves help provide stability for your spine.
Once we assume a seated position, the natural forward curve in our low backs reverses which increases the pressure on the disks and either increases back pain or causes back pain. If we stay in that seated position but flex our bodies forward at the waist (think bad posture – slumping over your keyboard or desk) the pressure in the disks elevates causing more damage and more pain.
Limiting the time that you sit will help your back pain in most instances. This is advice that I hand out to my San Diego chiropractic patients everyday of the week. I hope that it helps you as well.
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Here’s To Your Health
Yours Ergonomically,
Dr. Jones
Economic Mouse Pad
San Diego Chiropractic
Pain Relief San Diego Chiropractic
(619) 280-0554
A mouse pad simply isn’t enough – not even if it has a little gel support pad for your wrist. A mouse pad enhances the operation of the mouse but doesn’t do anything for your ergonomic situation.
I am a practicing chiropractor in San Diego California. Years ago I began to notice that most of my patients who were being treated for either Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, neck pain, shoulder pain, wrist pain or any of the other of the many symptoms that are due to stress imposed by long days at the computer had one common complaint.
That complaint was that extending their arm to reach for the mouse was a primary aggravating factors.
One of things that I have learned by treating injured people is that when they are in pain, activities that they perform without concern of postural stress when they are “healthy” suddenly become painful.
Reaching for the mouse is one of these activities. Reaching for your mouse in a way that forces your arm to assume any position other than hanging at your side while supported on your chairs armrest exposes your wrist, arm, shoulder, neck and upper back to the effects of bad posture.
With time, this ongoing postural stress will either cause a repetitive stress injury on its own or it will contribute to the development of one.
This type of injury was the basis for the development of the Ergo Nav mouse platform. The Ergo Nav attaches to your chairs’ armrest in a way that places your mouse right at your finger tips allowing for stress free mouse operation.
Independently performed EMG studies show significantly less muscular activity in the neck, back and shoulder girdle with use of the Ergo Nav as compared to reaching to the desk for the mouse. These same results were shown regardless of whether or not the desk placed mouse pad had a gel pad wrist rest or not.
While there were mouse platforms already available, they were either non-adjustable (read not ergonomic) or they were adjustable and very expensive with bulky, impractical chair attachments.
The Ergo Nav allows for easy adjustment of the platform in several planes for true ergonomic adaptability while maintaining exceptionally low pricing compared to other mouse platforms.
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Here’s To Your Health
Dr. Jones
Economic Mouse Pad
San Diego Chiropractic
Pain Relief San Diego Chiropractic
(619) 280-0554
Setting up your office space correctly definitely requires some expert input. That being said, many aspects of setting up your office space are based on common sense.
We all have specific items at work that we handle more frequently than others. In my work environment for instance, I use the mouse and keyboard more than any other object on my desk. At this point I will inject a shameless plug for my Ergo Nav. Since I use my mouse most frequently, I have it perched right at the end of my chairs’ armrest. My Ergo Nav positions my mouse close enough to my body to avoid any reaching for the mouse at all. From an ergonomic standpoint, this positioning is ideal.
My keyboard is also within my immediate reach as are my writing instruments such as pens and pencils. All of the items that I have discussed so far are within my immediate reach area, which is also known as the “usual work space”.
Most people only have a handful of objects that truly belong in their “usual work space”. The actual dimensions of this space vary with the size of the worker, therefore, you have to keep the principals of good ergonomics in mind when determining the actual size of your “usual work space”. As far as placement of mice, keyboards, pens, phones etc., within your “usual work space” you have to position these items in a way that avoids or limits hunching of the shoulders, flaring out of the elbows or forward flexion of the shoulders.
The area beyond the “usual work space” is considered the “occasional work space” and should contain objects that are only occasionally used. In my circumstances, the “occasional work space” contains my cpu, monitor, printer and my phone. Most of the time I have an assistant to answer my phone and I may only make a handful of calls each day. My monitor only requires that I turn it on and off once a day – the same being the case with my printer and the computer itself. My desk space is limited so the items that I have covered are the only items in my space. Staplers, files and paper are needed infrequently enough to not deserve the chance to clutter my work area.
Here’s To Your Health
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Yours Ergonomically,
Steve Jones
(619) 280-0554
This is the final installment in this series of blog posts. My next series will examine different job duties and how they lead to cumulative trauma disorders.
What are the Common Symptoms of Cumulative Trauma Disorders?
· Tightness, discomfort, stiffness, soreness or burning in the hands, wrists, fingers, forearms, or elbows
· Tingling, coldness, night pain or numbness in the hands, especially around the base of the thumb
· Clumsiness or loss of strength in the hands
· Pain in the neck, shoulders, wrists, hands or back that is associated with using the computer
How Can You Avoid Injuries Related to Reaching for the Mouse?
The following recommendations are applicable to both home office ergonomics as well as ergonomics in the office.
1) Placing the input device directly in your immediate reach zone offers natural comfort and maximum hand-eye coordination. The use of a platform for the mouse is preferable. Some models of mouse platforms attach directly to your chair.
2) Your chair should have arm rests that are adjustable.
3) Your wrist should be either in a neutral position or flexed slightly downward when operating both your mouse and your keyboard. For this reason, if you select a mouse platform that attaches to your chair, adjustability of the platform is of primary importance.
4) Consider using a high quality office chair with adjustable armrests and lumbar supports. It should also allow some degree of recline.
5) Make sure that the upper arm and elbow are as close to the body and as relaxed as possible for mouse use – avoid overreaching.
6) Hold the mouse lightly, don’t grip it hard or squeeze it. Place the pointing device where you don’t have to reach up or over very far to use it. The closer you can place it to your body the better.
These are just a few ideas that might help you to either get out of pain or be of use in your efforts to prevent the onset of cumulative trauma disorders. I hope that this information is helpful to you all. Remember – KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!
More Coming Soon
Dr. Jones
Economical Adjustable Mouse Platform
San Diego Chiropractic
Pain Relief San Diego Chiropractor
Chiropractic Care and Repetitive Stress
Back in 1991 when I first earned my license to practice chiropractic, I was of the mindset that my typical patient would have complaints of low back pain, neck pain or headaches. By the mid 1990s I was a chiropractor in San Diego with an office full of people suffering from Repetitive Stress Injuries like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Instead of my original expectations of having an office full of patients with typical cases of low back pain, I was studying ergonomics and spending the bulk of my time unraveling the negative effects of Postural Stress that was accumulating in these patients secondary to computer work.
The study of workstation ergonomics tells us that the objects that we use most often should be located closest to your body and accessed easily, without awkward body positions or movements. Repeated reaching or prolonged fixed postures that involve leaning forward from your chair are stressful and fatiguing.
Some people are aware of computer ergonomics and have purchased various ergonomic devices. These devices, such as keyboard trays, gel mouse pads, and ergonomic keyboards rarely provide solutions to the big picture of computer ergonomics. These items must work with each other in order to produce a significant reduction in postural stress. For example, an ergonomic mouse is of little use if it is positioned in an area that requires reaching and stretching in order to operate it. Limiting reaching and stretching for desk items is essential to maintaining a healthy ergonomic environment.
The most frequent complaint that I have seen in my office is due to computer work is the combination of mousing and reaching to the desk for the mouse.
Most computer stations are designed in a way that involves the worker operating the computer mouse on a pad on the desk. Reaching to the desk for the mouse places direct stress on the joints and soft tissues of the neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand. Additionally, reaching forward for the mouse stresses the lower and middle back.
So How Does Reaching for the Mouse Set the Stage for Injury?
Reaching for the mouse causes you to lean forward in your chair, extend your arm and support the weight of your body through your extended arm.
The stresses placed on the human frame when reaching for the mouse are easily identified. Contrary to popular belief, sitting, which most people believe is relaxing, is hard on the back. Sitting for long periods of time can cause increased pressure on the discs of the spine.
In recent years, studies on postural stress have indicated that we should be sitting upright with our hips flexed at 90 degrees. As it turns out, the most up to date studies show that a slightly reclined sitting posture with the hips flexed at 100 to 115 degrees is ideal if you have to sit at a desk. If your mouse is not positioned close enough to your body, you will have to reach for it. Reaching for your mouse stresses your back by reducing the angle of your hips.
Next, we have to look at the effects of reaching on the neck and shoulder. When the mouse is being operated at a distance that makes the operator reach, the shoulder extends forward and the shoulder blade abducts (rotates forward). This position stretches the muscle groups that connect the medial portion of your shoulder blade to your spine and the superior portion of your shoulder blade to your neck. In the short term, this stretch aggravates the affected muscle groups causing spasm, fatigue, headaches and stiffness in the neck and shoulder. In the long term, this position creates a condition called a “stretch weakness” resulting in muscular imbalance, trigger points and chronic variations of the conditions listed in the prior sentence.
Lastly, placing the mouse too far away, too low, or too much on one side can cause shoulder, wrist, elbow, and forearm discomfort. When the operator is forced to reach for the mouse, his / her body weight shifts forward and ultimately results in weight bearing stress on the extended arm. Spending prolonged periods of time leaning on an extended arm is an unnatural and destructive posture that will eventually lead to the development of a repetitive stress syndrome; likely resulting disorders would include tendonitis of the wrist, elbow or shoulder.
In my experience, chiropractic care can be very effective in treating Repetitive Stress Injuries. However, a large part of your recovery comes from reducing your exposure to postural stress. An important part of this involves a thorough ergonomic evaluation of your work station as well as making the correct ergonomic changes to relieve computer related postural stresses.
Dr. Steve Jones is a licensed Chiropractor in San Diego. Dr. Jones has treated his patients for over 15 years at his own San Diego Chiropractic practice. He is certified as a Specialist in Health Ergonomics. Dr. Jones Can be found on the web at www.JonesPainRelief.com & at www.ErgoNav.com
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Here’s To Your Health
Yours Ergonomically,
Dr. Jones
Economic Mouse Pad
San Diego Chiropractic
Pain Relief San Diego Chiropractic
(619) 280-0554
Have you ever noticed how tight your neck, upper back and shoulders are after a long day of sitting at the computer?
There are a number of factors that contribute to this tightness. Simply the stress of deadlines, an overbearing boss or an annoying co-worker can make your shoulders rise up and your head push forward. And this stress is the result of just the emotional stress of work. When you add the real physical strains of a poorly designed work station on top of the emotional stresses that already exist you have a perfect recipe for a repetitive stress injury.
A large part of designing an ergonomically friendly workstation revolves around limiting the “reach” for items that are frequently
The distance that you have to reach for any object in your workspace can have major implications on your health. In general, workers should have the items that they use on a regular basis through the day such as the mouse and keyboard for computer users or the telephone for a receptionist or a sales person, positioned close to their bodies so as to avoid awkward or overreaching.
As a general rule, the best positioning for your keyboard and mouse allows you to operate them while your shoulders hang straight down at your sides and elbows are slightly extended. This position reduces the stress of overreaching and allows for completion of your tasks with less muscular effort.
There are many ergonomic apparatus that allow for proper placement of your computer input devices. Pull out keyboard trays, split keyboards, ergonomic mouse platforms and even foot controls help reduce the ongoing stresses of computer input.
Even with these devices, it takes awareness to maintain an ergonomically friendly work environment.
For a nice selection of ergonomic office products you can visit www.comfortkeyboard.com.
Here’s To Your Health
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Yours Ergonomically,
Steve Jones
(619) 280-0554
Is your computer making you feel like you are losing a war?
For many of us who spend increasing amounts of time sitting at a computer, the answer to the question above is yes.
Postural stress is a major component of the cases of back pain that I see in my practice. Anyone who spends enough hours in enough days sitting in a static position at a computer station is bound to develop pain as a result of this stress.
Years ago I developed, patented and produced a mouse platform that was intended to reduce the chances of the development of carpal tunnel syndrome. Those of you who have read my previous blog posts are familiar with this story.
In a nutshell, I saw my patients struggle with many work related stresses due to computer use. Of these complaints, the most common complaint was the shoulder pain, neck pain, arm pain, wrist pain and hand pain that resulted from reaching to the desk for the mouse. I thought of an idea to eliminate the reach for the mouse and that thought resulted in the birth of my first patent, the Ergo Nav.
The Ergo Nav turned out to be very successful in reducing the stresses that it was intended to help relieve. However, there was a second positive effect that I had not really thought out prior to the initial months of testing this new way of mousing.
Click on button to buy Ergo Nav now. 
By positioning the mouse next to the operator as the Ergo Nav does, postural stress on the low back was reduced thus reducing fatigue of the lower back and, hence reducing low back pain.
For years it was thought that the proper hip angle of a seating posture was 90 degrees. Now, however, that angle is known to be too small. A proper angle of the hips in a seated posture is from 95 degrees to 115 degrees. This angle has your chair back tilted slightly backward, away from your desk, keyboard and mouse.
The Ergo Nav helps the worker maintain this angle of the hips by keeping the mouse at constant distance from the operator. In other words, the Ergo Nav allows the operator to tilt the chair at the proper angle without moving away from the mouse.
Here’s To Your Health
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Yours Ergonomically,
Steve Jones
(619) 280-0554
My chiropractic office, similar to many other practices all over the US, offers relief from back pain or neck pain. Often viewed as treatment for neck and back pain alone, chiropractic care helps a variety of conditions.
Never self-diagnosis back pain or neck pain; instead you should always seek professional advice and treatment. Ignoring back and neck pain could create other health problems that are more serious.
Some of the various conditions that cause back pain and neck pain can include everything from injury and infection to twisting or turning “the wrong way”. Injuries from accidents, such as a car accident, often result in stress and strain on the vertebra, the connecting ligature, the joints, and the muscles.
The most common cause of back pain that manifests as tightening or spasm of the muscles connected to the spine is overuse or under use of the back muscles. Joints and ligaments become increasingly inflamed and swollen with advancing age.
A herniated disc happens if nuclear pulposus, the substance inside the disc, comes out of a torn annulus fibrosis, the substance outside of the disc, compressing the nerve root. The most likely area to have a back/neck injury would be in the cervical and lumbar regions of the spine which have the most mobility, and the discs are more likely to wear down or become injured. The bottom two spinal vertebrae experience ninety percent of all herniated disc injuries.
One cause for aggravation and damage to the spinal cord is a condition known as spinal stenosis. There are many conditions that can cause spinal stenosis including infections, tumors, trauma, herniated disc, arthritis, ligament thickening, the growth of bone spurs, and general disc degeneration. As the vertebrae deteriorate with age, we are more likely to develop stenosis of the spine.
When something rubs or presses against a nerve creating irritation or inflammation, a pinched nerve, also known as radiculopathy, occurs. The causes of radiculopathy vary. A herniated disc, bone growth, a tumor compressing nerves, and vertebral fracture are all common causes of this condition.
Inflammation of the sciatic nerve is known as Sciatica, a certain type of radiculopathy. When the sciatic nerve is inflamed, pain shoots down the lower back through one side of the buttocks and continues down the back side of the leg.
Compressing the spine or nerve roots can cause significant pain and can be an indicator or symptom of a spinal tumor that originates in the spine (primary tumor) or tumor spreading to the spine from another part of the body (metastatic tumor).
Vertebrae infections (osteomyelitis), discs, meninges (spinal meningitis), or cerebrospinal fluid can press against the spinal cord and cause bad neurological damage if it isn’t identified and treated right away.
Facet joints are formed by two adjacent vertebra and direct the movement of the spine; these joints are often areas that are affected by arthritis. The alignment of the spine is compromised when fluid and cartilage, which functions as a shock absorber, deteriorates and bones begin to shift out of place. Bone rubbing against bone can be very painful.
Back pain and neck pain can be caused by many things and not just these few examples. Chiropractors often relieve uncomfortable back pain and neck pain, because the associated causes are usually mechanical in nature. In conclusion, neck pain and back pain are warning signals from your body that should not be ignored.
How is back pain and neck pain affected by your posture?
Have you ever wondered how you can develop back pain or neck pain without doing anything strenuous? A chiropractor can diagnose neck pain, postural stress, back pain and suggest ergonomic solutions. With closer examination of the structure of our bodies and some simple physics principles, it is a wonder that humans do not suffer from more frequent and intense back and neck pain. In my California chiropractic business, I treat clients frequently who work in an office and could benefit from better ergonomics.
Anyone at any time can have back or neck pain. Lifting, operating machinery, sports, auto accidents, and falls are some of the most common injuries I see in my office. These kind of injuries are typical or expected injuries. The majority of patients think that chiropractic issues stem from lifting heavy sacks of concrete but are surprised to find that most are due to postural stress.
The “silent killer” of our spinal health is postural stress. Postural stress is experienced either while sitting or standing on one’s feet. Any time your spine is not in its natural curves or moves forward beyond its neutral balance point, you can risk postural stress.
One of the various postural stressful positions is sitting at the computer leaning forward with your neck and head while typing or mousing or viewing the screen. This posture, in which your head and neck are extended in front of your body, reverses the normal curvature of your spine and neck, and shifts your head away from its balance point.
The stability that is part of our structure when our postural boundaries are respected is lost when we assume postures that cause stress to our spines. Back and neck pain is often a result of poor posture, which also causes fatigue, irritability, and inflammation of muscles and connecting ligatures due to extended pressure.
To treat neck and back pain caused by postural stress, one must undertake a multifaceted plan. Using this method of chiropractic care in conjunction with stretching and nutritional support relieves pain and stiffness and restores normal, full joint movement. Depending on the length of time that you have been in pain or the severity of your symptoms, this part of your recovery may take several treatments or a lengthy treatment program.
Chiropractic care alone will not alleviate the problem; you must eliminate or change the causes of the postural stress. Ergonomic problems that lead to postural stress can be identified using workstation analysis. Applying ice packs for neck pain and back pain for around twenty minutes at a time is also sometimes effective for relief.
Start treatment by talking to your chiropractor. Chiropractors are medically trained to deal with postural stress problems and the neck pain that occurs as a result. Our San Diego based chiropractic clinic employs a complete approach to rehabilitation using chiropractic care supported by stretches and exercises. In order to facilitate the healing process we encourage the proper nutritional support. It is just as important to understand and correct the cause of poor posture, which causes pain, as it is to seek treatment to relieve the pain.
Using Chiropractic and Exercise to Build a Healthy Spine
I provide treatment for many different kinds of injuries. There are many different causes for neck pain, back pain, chronic headaches, sciatica etc. and can include auto accidents, work related injuries, injuries as a result of domestic chores, and even sometimes something as easy to do as sleeping in an awkward position.
Over half of the people who come to me with neck pain or back pain want to know how they can prevent it from coming back; it is this question that I will attempt to answer in this article.
For starters, two big reasons are back pain and neck pain.
Often, people take action with regard to their health when they experience frequent pain. Eager to start, people frequently ask what kind of stretching or exercise they can implement right away. The best practice you can employ with a new injury is to apply ice packs and rest as much as possible.
During my more than 15 years in practice, I have noticed many enthusiastic people disregard this suggestion and as a consequence, their condition worsens. You want to start exercising and stretching your back when you are out of the acute stage of pain and not before.
The most challenging obstacles clients have to overcome are poor diet and lack of exercise. Outside of chiropractic care, exercise is one of the very few things that a patient can do at home to prevent or help diminish the chances of developing back pain or neck pain.
Exercise after an injury should be approached with caution – almost to a point where the exercise feels as if it is doing nothing. You should first attempt some low intensity workouts, and if you don’t experience pain, increase the resistance a little at a time.
Understand your limits when reintroducing exercise after a back injury, and proceed cautiously. When exercising and stretching, make sure it’s under the guidance of a health care professional. You can improve the support in your spine by strengthening muscle tone and adding flexibility.
Many patients of my chiropractic office have seen relief from back and neck pain from stretching and targeted exercises. Combining chiropractic care with stretching and exercising promotes faster, more complete healing.
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Here’s To Your Health
Yours Ergonomically,
Dr. Jones
Economic Mouse Pad
San Diego Chiropractic
Pain Relief San Diego Chiropractic
(619) 280-0554
Who cares about their mouse pad? Most people don’t even have one – but they should. Mouse use is a major contributor towards the development of numerous repetitive stress syndromes and the kind of mousing surface that you use can either reduce or contribute towards your level of stress.
Originally mouse pads were a simple fabric covered piece of neoprene that was intended to provide traction for the “roller ball” type mouse. The fancier pads had pictures or printed designs on them but didn’t really address the impending ergonomic needs of the person who would be using the mouse with more frequency than they ever imagined.
Later on, as mouse use started to contribute to / cause carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis and other symptoms related to excessive mouse use, some companies started to make mouse pads that have a gel-filled wrist rest that was intended to eliminate some stress that mouse use was causing. The one major flaw design that these mouse pads carried was the wrist rest itself which hampered movement of the mouse and caused direct pressure over the carpal tunnel, compressing the delicate nerves that feed the hand.
Another short fall of the current ergonomic mouse pads is that they don’t address the most stressful issue of mouse use which is reaching for the mouse. When I first started developing the idea for my Ergo Nav Mouse Pad, the sole intent was to eliminate the reach to the desk for the mouse. After speaking with the patients that I was treating for carpal tunnel syndrome, I found that reaching for the mouse was the common thread that all of them found to be at least a moderate if not severe source of aggravation of their symptoms.
A good ergonomic mouse pad has to be adaptable in order to reduce stress and help eliminate or prevent symptoms. Since the Ergo Nav Mouse Pad not only places the mouse close to your body to eliminate reaching stress, but also is adjustable regarding tilt and rotation, it does represent a truly ergonomic mouse platform. Please click here if you would like to know more about the Ergo Nav.
Happy Mousing!
Dr. Steve Jones
Chiropractor
Back in 1994 I had my first patient with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
She had developed her Carpal Tunnel Syndrome with a variety of repetitive work tasks that she performed over a span of years in the course of her employment. It seemed that data entry, keyboard use, mouse work, filing and using the ten key pad all aggravated her symptoms. Her primary complaint was right sided wrist pain that had progressed from wrist, hand and thumb pain at night to constant daily wrist pain hand pain, thumb pain, elbow pain and neck pain.
On the date of our first visit she was miserable – willing to do what ever it took to resolve her pain. It was clear to me that in addition to chiropractic care that she needed an ergonomic evaluation of her work station and the appropriate modifications to her work station in order for her to have a chance at recovery.
Treating this patient was frustrating for both of us. She was very compliant with the treatment schedule that I had laid out but her employer refused to address the ergonomic shortcomings of her work area. This resulted in a “two steps forward one step back” resolution to her problems. While my care was effective, it is hard to resolve a condition like hers when she was spending eight hours a day aggravating her injuries while I had her in for care three times weekly for a combined time of maybe 1 ½ hours.
After eighteen months of care, I was able to release the patient from care. She had made a complete recovery but I was not optimistic about her health status since she was still working in the same environment that caused her injuries.
By the first part of 1996 she had returned to me for care – this time her symptoms were much worse. I referred her to an orthopedist for additional care which only provided brief periods of relief. Over the following ten years she underwent four surgeries to help relieve her symptoms. Two of those surgeries were carpal tunnel release procedures, one surgery was for nerve entrapment in her elbow and one surgery was for a trigger finger. All of these surgeries were directly related to the poor ergonomics that she had to deal with while at work.
Today this patient still suffers from daily pain. Most if not all of this patient’s complaints could have been avoided with a simple ergonomic evaluation and a few stress reducing actions.
This is just one example of the importance of ergonomics that I have encountered over the years. If you spend your days doing repetitive tasks, especially if they involve computer use, consider how your tasks are stressing your body and try to find better ways of performing those tasks. Your health depends on it!
Your’s In Good Health,
Dr. Steve Jones
(619) 280-0554
Remember the guy who said work smarter not harder. That is how we need to approach our work stations. I am not talking about work per se, but the tools we use to perform our work – the mouse, the keyboard, the telephone, etc. Of course, the reference here is to ergonomics.
By eliminating as much of the computer related stress as we can – in general we will assure ourselves more productive and more rewarding working careers. Simple improvements such as an ergonomic keyboard, a comfortable mouse, comfortable positioning of your mouse and keyboard and proper placement of your phone and / or ten key pad can make a big difference in the aches and pains that you take home from work with you. Most of these improvements are inexpensive and some are free.
A quick look around the internet (as well as a quick look through my other blog posts) will produce volumes of information regarding the basics of ergonomics and how to apply them to your particular work environment.
Since I am a practicing chiropractor I can tell you that I see more patients now who complain of injuries related to computer work than those related to any type of heavy labor. Most if not all of these patients could have avoided their injuries by making a few simple ergonomic changes to their work stations.
In these tough economic times you have to be proactive with your health and how it relates to your ability to work. We have seen many injured workers over the years lose their jobs – don’t become one of them! Many larger companies have ergonomics specialists who will properly set your computer for your height and body dimensions. If you don’t have access to these specialists through your work consider hiring one.
Take Care,
Dr. Steve Jones
Chiropractor
(619) 280-0554
Posture, stress and computers go hand in hand.
Computers encourage poor posture which in turn causes stress. Stress is that word that we use describe the muscle tension, headaches, neck pain, back pain and wrist pain that we feel as a result of all the demands we put on our bodies and brains on a daily basis.
There are a number of ways in which we can control our posture while we hack at our computers. The first thing that we need to do is to focus on our posture. Ask yourself some basic questions such as: Is my head craned forward toward the monitor? Does my neck feel stiff or tight after any specific job tasks? Are my shoulders rounded or held back? Does anything hurt today? If you have pain, can you associate it with any specific tasks? How does my low back feel? Is my chair comfortable? Do I have any pain after work?
The first and most important action that you can take towards helping yourself regarding your own postural health is to become aware of your posture and concerned at the first sign of any discomfort. If you feel pain or stress, address it, research it and find answers – aside from help from a professional ergonomist, there are many self help tutorials that will help you find solutions to the ergonomic shortfalls of your work station. There is a simple guide here that will take you through basic dos and don’ts of computer work station set ups.
If you think you need an ergonomics specialist to identify the problem areas in your work station you should know that they are available and for what you get for your money, it is well worth the expense. An ergonomics specialist will evaluate your work environment and prepare a report detailing problem areas and recommended changes. The changes that they recommend could make a significant difference.
Yours in Good Health,
Dr. Steve Jones (619) 280-0554
In the past I have written many ergonomic articles that harp on the importance of posture in the development of repetitive stress injuries (cumulative trauma disorders).
Most cases of repetitive stress syndrome involve the neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand. Collectively this region is referred to as the upper extremity. Depending on the type of work you do, different portions of the upper extremity can be involved in your group of symptoms.
There is no list that links the type of job that you perform with a specific set of injuries that will develop as a result of that exposure. That being said, there are some jobs that are notorious for causing specific repetitive stress syndrome type symptoms – keyboard operators and carpal tunnel syndrome and construction workers and shoulder tendonitis come to mind as typical cause and effect examples.
Almost all types of repetitive stress involve some combination of postural stress, excessive force and repetitive motion.
Jobs that require people to either assume prolonged fixed positions (computer workers) or awkward positions (auto mechanics) generate significant amounts of biomechanical stress to the joints and soft tissues of the upper extremities. Usually postural stress results from overloading of specific muscle groups, uneven weight loading of joints or by assuming positions that require static muscular contractions to limit joint motion in a specific area of the body.
Muscular force without adequate recovery time is another major contributor in the development of repetitive stress injuries. Some jobs require prolonged contraction of certain muscle groups, which reduces blood circulation resulting in fatigue. Muscles do not work efficiently under these conditions and without adequate recovery time will result in injury.
Highly repetitious movements of specific joints also contribute to repetitive stress syndrome. High frequency movements demand faster and stronger contractions of the muscles. Joints and muscles that are required to work in these conditions require more recovery time. Without adequate recovery time injury to the joints, muscle and tendons occur.
All of the factors listed above have to be taken into consideration when designing a work area and work duties. Taking frequent breaks, rotating job duties and getting much needed rest will all help in keeping you healthier and more productive through the course of your work life.
Here’s To Your Health
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Yours Ergonomically,
Steve Jones
(619) 280-0554
Why do I have back pain?
Being a chiropractor in San Diego, I hear this question all the time. Back pain and neck pain are the two most common complaints that my patients have. The fact that my practice is in San Diego probably decreases the frequency of these complaints. People in San Diego tend to be more active which actually lowers the incidence of low back and neck pain.
Over fifteen years ago when I first started practicing chiropractic care in San Diego, most of my low back pain patients and neck pain patients for that matter were not related to office work. Most of the cases that I had when I first started practicing were do to injuries like car accidents and falls or heavy work.
In the mid to late nineteen nineties, I started to see a trend in injury mechanisms among my patients. They were starting to attribute their pain to long hours of sitting at the computer.
Sitting all day at the computer not only causes back pain but it also causes neck pain, headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome and various arm problems.
Lower back pain is primarily due to poor sitting posture. When we are standing up with good posture, our lower backs have a sweeping forward bowing curve that resembles a stretched out letter “c”. This shape distributes our bodies weight evenly throughout the spine. When we sit, this curve reverses, greatly increasing the stress on the joints and discs in the spine.
With time, this postural stress results in irritation and inflammation resulting in pain and muscle spasms.
Once the low back has reached a point of pain and spasms, chiropractic care is necessary to relieve the pain, improve the biomechanics of the spine and relax the muscles.
In addition to chiropractic care for back pain, the patient must seek out an ergonomic chair and have it adjusted properly for their body. In many cases, I suggest a complete workstation analysis to help prevent future problems with other computer related stresses.
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Here’s To Your Health
Yours Ergonomically,
Dr. Jones
Economic Mouse Pad
San Diego Chiropractic
Pain Relief San Diego Chiropractic
(619) 280-0554
By Dr. Steve Jones
Most new patients come to our office having no idea why they are in pain. They have no history of slips, falls or accidents. Some describe an injurious event that does not involve actual trauma. They describe waking up with neck or back pain or throwing their back out while reaching for a cup of coffee or making a quick movement to stop something from falling.
The human body is very durable; we simply cannot be injured by these types of accidents. So what gives? We are susceptible to the cumulative effects of poor lifting habits, poor posture and a multitude of other daily stresses that we give our bodies on an ongoing basis.
Our bodies remember what we have done to them. We can only compensate for the stress for so long before a break down occurs resulting in pain. Often this pain is triggered by some non-injury. It is the “final straw that breaks the camels back”.
Preventing this process is where chiropractic care excels. Stress, irritation and inflammation of the joints and muscles in our spine accumulate silently. Maintenance chiropractic care keeps this process in check, relieving the ongoing stress that we ask our bodies to absorb.
Monthly chiropractic treatment is analogous to the daily cleaning of your teeth. We don’t clean our teeth because they hurt; we clean them to keep them from hurting. Getting monthly adjustments keeps your spine healthy and mobile and helps prevent problems in the future.
Dr. Steve Jones graduated from the prestigious Palmer College of Chiropractic in 1991 and has been practicing in San Diego’s Mission Valley since 1993. He stresses the importance of health and fitness on all levels. Dr. Jones has taken a special interest in workstation ergonomics and repetitive stress injuries. This interest in ergonomics led to the development and patent of a mouse platform that is sold throughout the United States and Europe. Dr. Jones can be contacted at (619) 280-0554.
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Here’s To Your Health
Yours Ergonomically,
Dr. Jones
Economic Mouse Pad
San Diego Chiropractic
Pain Relief San Diego Chiropractic
(619) 280-0554
Have you ever wondered how you can develop back pain or neck pain without doing anything strenuous. It is amazing that humans don’t sustain even more back pain and neck pain, given the structure of our bodies and the physical demands. In my California chiropractic practice, I frequently treat office workers who experience chronic and severe back and neck pain tied to easy-to-fix ergonomic issues in their workspace. In my California chiropractic business, I treat clients frequently who work in an office and could benefit from better ergonomics.
Anyone can experience back or neck pain at any time. I treat individuals regularly who experienced back and neck injuries from improper lifting, machinery usage, sports, falls, and auto accidents. The majority of patients think that chiropractic issues stem from lifting heavy sacks of concrete but are surprised to find that most are due to postural stress.
The “silent killer” of our spinal health is postural stress. Postural stress is experienced either while sitting or standing on one’s feet. Postural stress is felt whenever the natural curve of the spine is altered or if the spine moves past its natural balance point.
As you sit at a computer, hunched over the keyboard or peering at the screen, your neck experiences postural stress. This posture, in which your head and neck are extended in front of your body, reverses the normal curvature of your spine and neck, and shifts your head away from its balance point.
The stability that is part of our structure when our postural boundaries are respected is lost when we assume postures that cause stress to our spines. Stress from the way we hold ourselves (either sitting or standing) opens our ligaments and muscles up to long periods of being stretched (perhaps incorrectly) which leads to muscle fatigue, irritation, inflammation, back and neck pain, and even arthritis over the long run.
A combination of therapies may be required to effectively treat back pain and neck pain from postural stress. Using this method of chiropractic care in conjunction with stretching and nutritional support relieves pain and stiffness and restores normal, full joint movement.If you have endured pain for a long time or if your symptoms are particularly acute, the road to recovery will not be short or easy. Don’t expect a quick fix.
Chiropractic care alone will not alleviate the problem; you must eliminate or change the causes of the postural stress. Have your workstation analyzed to highlight any ergonomic issues that could cause postural stress. Applying ice packs for neck pain and back pain for around twenty minutes at a time is also sometimes effective for relief.
Talking to your chiropractor is the first step in starting your treatment.
Chiropractors are medically trained to deal with postural stress problems and the neck pain that occurs as a result. At our chiropractic clinic in San Diego, we treat patients with a holistic approach using chiropractic care and enhanced with a regimen of stretching and exercise.
In order to facilitate the healing process we encourage the proper nutritional support.
You need to be aware of the importance of eliminating the source of the postural stress in addition to seeking treatment, regardless of which approach you take to relieve the pain of postural stress.
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Here’s To Your Health
Yours Ergonomically,
Dr. Jones
Economic Mouse Pad
San Diego Chiropractic
Pain Relief San Diego Chiropractic
(619) 280-0554
Dear Charles,
I recently acquired one of your Comfort Keyboards for use at my office. I am so excited about this product that I just had to write you a review. Please feel free to use this review as you see fit.
I was impressed with the appearance of your keyboard. I must admit, prior to this keyboard, I had no prior experience with any kind of ergonomic keyboard. That being the case, I thought that your keyboard may be too much of an extreme for me. I am happy to say that I was wrong.
After spending a few minutes acquainting myself with the basic mechanical functions of this keyboard, I came to realize that it can adjust to an infinite number of positions. This is perfect for someone like me. I don’t like change and I wondered how I could possibly hope to adapt from my standard flat keyboard to the extreme postions that the Comfort Keyboard can attain. Since this keyboard is capable of so many adjustments, I was able to start using the keyboard in a flat, traditional configuration and slowly, over the course of several weeks, separate and tilt the two halves. These adjustments made getting used to the keyboard easier than I expected. As my competancy grows, this board will allow me to make further adjustments towards a truly friendly ergonomic position that is custom tailored to my needs.
Concerning the quality of the keyboard, the only thing that I can say is “outstanding”. I have had many possessions (usually garage tools) over the years that claim to offer infinite adjustability and the ability to lock into any position. While many of these items did have a fair level of positional flexibility, they usually lack stability. Not with the Comfort Keyboard. The three individual pieces lock into ANY position and remain VERY solid. Even when I apply far more pressure to the keypads then I ever would with normal keyboarding, the Comfort Keyboard holds it positions with no flex what so ever. I also like the fact that the keyboards three separate pieces (left hand keys, right hand keys and the numeric keypad) can easily be re-arrainged into any order. The keys were quiet and crisp with a nice positive feel. Additionally, setup involved nothing more than plugging the cord into the USB port, as “they” say, this keyboard is “plug and play.”
Other features that I found exceptional were the presence of additional usb ports on the keyboard, total flexibility in the programming of every key, and the optional foot controls that can be programmed to control any function you desire (great for those struggling with mouse related pain syndromes).
Right now, this keyboard does much more than I require. That being said, as my computer skills grow so will my demands of my keyboard and this keyboard will grow with me.
Fantastic job on this Charles! I will be recommending this keyboard to all of my clients looking to improve their ergonomic situation.
Dr. Steve Jones San Diego, CA
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Here’s To Your Health
Yours Ergonomically,
Dr. Jones
Economic Mouse Pad
San Diego Chiropractic
Pain Relief San Diego Chiropractic
(619) 280-0554
“I have been using NanoGreens 10 daily for 2 months now and I am not only hooked, but I am also a believer. I have noticed a definite improvement to my energy supply throughout the day. This has helped me maintain a grueling training schedule, which has in turn helped me become a better / healthier athlete.” Kerri Walsh, 2004 Athens Olympics Gold Medal in beach volleyball
“I start each morning of my life with NanoGreens 10. I have tried many different greens products, but none compare in taste and quality. My family loves it too! I recommend NanoGreens 10 to anyone who wants to enjoy optimum wellness” Wayne Dyer, PhD
These endorsements go on and on. This is exciting stuff. I have been looking to add nutrition to my chiropractic practice for some time now. We deliver natural health care at my San Diego chiropractic office. Nutritional supplements are a logical addition.
The problem is finding the right product. Probably like many of you, I am always skeptical of nutritional products that are distributed through multi-level marketing companies. Just that thought alone eliminated many nutritional support products. I like the fact that NanoGreens are only distributed through doctor’s offices.
I have been looking at different nutritional supplements for a few years now. Quite frankly, none of them had garnered my attention.
Recently, the wife of one of my good friends started working for a company called Biopharma which makes a product called NanoGreens 10.
I like the idea of NanoGreens 10 because it is not a “heals all, provides all” type of nutritional supplement.
What NanoGreens 10 provides is phyto-nutrients. The phyto-nutrients that are provided by NanoGreens supply the equivalent of 10 servings of fruits and vegetables.
If you are anything like me, outside of salad, I generally don’t care for vegetables. They don’t stay fresh very long and it is easy to overcook them leaving a pile of tasteless mush on your plate.
At this point, I will wrap this post up. I have taken NanoGreens for three days now and I like them. In addition to giving a nice energy boost, they are easy to drink and I feel better about my diet.
I am going to be taking this supplement for the next few weeks. I will post on this again in the future to let you know how it went.
Author: Dr. Steven R. Jones DC (Steve), is a licensed Chiropractor in the state of California. Dr. Jones completed his pre-med education at California State University Hayward. He finished his doctorate work at Palmer College of Chiropractic-West. Dr. Jones has treated his patients for over 15 years at his own San Diego Chiropractic practice “<a href=http://www.jonespainrelief.com target=”_blank”>Jones Chiropractic Clinic</a>”. He holds a U.S. Patent on the <a href=http://www.ErgoNav.com/ target=”_bank”>ergonomic device, the “Ergo Nav”</a>, the only fully adjustable mouse platform on the market.
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Here’s To Your Health
Yours Ergonomically,
Dr. Jones
Economic Mouse Pad
San Diego Chiropractic
Pain Relief San Diego Chiropractic
(619) 280-0554
Sitting and reaching have a profound impact on your posture. Both sitting and reaching stress the spine. Reaching stresses both the spine, shoulder, elbow and wrist. Sitting and reaching contribute to poor posture that can cause neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain and wrist pain.
Sitting has a negative impact on your back for several reasons. Since our spines were made to move, it should come as no surprise that hours on end of sitting in a static position leads to injury.
In addition to a lack of movement, the sitting posture itself is structurally stressful to the spine. When we are standing upright, the lower back should have a sweeping forward curve which promotes stability by reducing pressure on the discs that separate our vertebra. Sitting reverses the normal curve in our lower backs and increases the pressure on the discs leading to an increased chance of injury.
From a postural standpoint, the sitting position can promote rounded shoulders, slumping forward of the upper back and jutting forward of the jaw. Not only are these postures unattractive but they contribute to the development of tendonitis and result in stretch weakness of the involved muscles.
There are volumes of information regarding ideal sitting postures both on the web and within other posts on this site. Sorting out your posture with the use of a good ergonomic chair will help you maintain good posture and spinal health.
Reaching at or beyond your normal arc of motion also contributes to poor posture and cumulative trauma type injuries, especially of the neck and shoulder. It is vitally important to the health of your frame to keep objects that you use on a regular basis within easy reach. Your phone, the mouse, stapler, etc., if used frequently through the course of your day, should be within your immediate reach. Objects that are used less frequently can be kept farther away, closer to the edge of your comfortable reach.
Take a good look at your work space. Making a few simple changes will help save your posture and your spinal health.
Here’s To Your Health
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Yours Ergonomically,
Steve Jones
(619) 280-0554
By Dr. Steve Jones
My chiropractic clinic is located in San Diego, California. For whatever reason, we see many patients suffering from neck pain, back pain, shoulder pain, wrist pain and hand pain as a result of computer work. As we spend increasing amounts of time at our computer workstations, we need to be aware of how the design and arrangement of our equipment can impact our chances of injury. Computer ergonomics is the study and / or implementation of work station design with the purpose of reducing or eliminating physical stress.
My interest in repetitive stress syndromes began approximately 10 years ago when my practice started seeing a much greater number of people suffering from the effects of computer / keyboard work. Despite all of my training and continuing education related to these types of injuries, I quickly realized that traditional treatment for this type of injury was marginally successful at best.
Any type of therapy was going to have to include the application of basic ergonomic principals to the patient’s work environment.
I am of the opinion that treatment alone or application of ergonomic principals by themselves was not going to resolve a repetitive stress injury.
This article will address the implication of work station ergonomics and injury resulting from postural stress secondary to use of the computer mouse.
Specifically, the following will be addressed:
1) What repetitive stress injuries are
2) What role do work station ergonomics play in injury
3) How reaching for the mouse sets the stage for injury
4) What are the symptoms of repetitive stress injury
5) How one can avoid mouse reaching injuries
What Exactly is a Repetitive Stress Injury?
Repetitive Stress Injury is a kind of catch all phrase for many conditions. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Tenosynovitis / DeQuervain’s Syndrome, Tendonitis, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, Trigger Finger, Myofascial Pain Syndrome and Chronic Sprain / Strain are some of the actual diagnosis that are rendered in my office. All of these conditions are serious and in many cases can cause great pain, permanent disability and sometimes loss of employment.
Repetitive Stress Injuries occur from repetitive movements involving a specific set of muscles and joints. RSI injuries are the result of an accumulation of stress and strain that causes irritation, inflammation, and eventually pain or other disability. A good analogy used to characterize the onset of RSI would be the “straws on the camels back” saying.
Initially, RSI affects the soft tissues of the involved joint(s). Soft tissues include muscles, nerves, ligaments and tendons. However, if left untreated for long periods of time, the involved joint can become arthritic and form bone spurs resulting in permanent damage to the joint.
While various occupations ranging from meat cutters to construction workers develop RSIs that result from the typical duties of their professions, the most frequent cause of these injuries involve computer work. The constant demand of keyboarding and mousing combined with the postural stress of confinement in an office chair with one’s neck and back held in prolonged fixed positions has resulted in an epidemic of injuries that includes hand pain, wrist pain, arm pain, neck pain, back pain and shoulder pain.
Work Station Ergonomics
The study of workstation ergonomics tells us that the objects that are used most often should be located closest to your body and accessed easily, without awkward body positions. Repeated reaching or prolonged postures that involve leaning forward from your chair are particularly stressful and fatiguing.
Many people are aware of computer ergonomics and thus have an ergonomic mouse. An ergonomic mouse is of little use if it is positioned in an area that requires reaching and stretching in order to operate it. Limiting reaching and stretching for desk items is essential to maintaining a healthy ergonomic environment.
The most frequent complaint that I have seen in my office is due to computer work is the combination of mousing and its’ inherent postural stress.
Most computer stations are designed in a way that involves the worker operating the computer mouse on a pad on the desk. Reaching to the desk for the mouse places direct stress on the joints and soft tissues of the neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand. Additionally, reaching forward for the mouse stresses the lower and middle back.
So How Does Reaching for the Mouse Set the Stage for Injury?
Reaching for the mouse causes you to lean forward in your chair, extend your arm and support the weight of your body through your extended arm. The following section will discuss the particulars of each of these positions.
The stresses placed on the human frame when reaching for the mouse are easily explained. Contrary to popular belief, sitting, which most people believe is relaxing, is hard on the back. Sitting for long periods of time can cause increased pressure on the intervertebral discs of the spine.
In recent years, ergonomisist have told us that proper sitting posture would have us sitting upright with our hips flexed at 90 degrees. As it turns out, the most up to date studies show that a slightly reclined sitting posture with the hips flexed at 100 to 115 degrees is ideal if you have to sit at a desk. If your mouse is not positioned close enough to your body, you will have to reach for it. Reaching for your mouse stresses your back by reducing the angle of your hips.
Next, we have to look at the effects of reaching on the neck and shoulder. When the mouse is being operated at a distance that makes the operator reach, the shoulder extends forward and the shoulder blade abducts (rotates forward). This position stretches the muscle groups that connect the medial portion of your shoulder blade to your spine and the superior portion of your shoulder blade to your neck. In the short term, this stretch aggravates the affected muscle groups causing spasm, fatigue, headaches and stiffness in the neck and shoulder. In the long term, this position creates a condition called a “stretch weakness” resulting in muscular imbalance, trigger points and chronic variations of the conditions listed in the prior sentence.
Lastly, placing the mouse too far away, too low, or too much on one side can cause shoulder, wrist, elbow, and forearm discomfort. When the operator is forced to reach for the mouse, his / her body weight shifts forward and ultimately results in weight bearing stress on the extended arm. Spending prolonged periods of time leaning on an extended arm is an unnatural and destructive posture that will eventually lead to the development of a repetitive stress syndrome; likely resulting disorders would include tendonitis of the wrist, elbow or shoulder.
What are the Common Symptoms?
• Tightness, discomfort, stiffness, soreness or burning in the hands, wrists, fingers, forearms, or elbows
• Tingling, coldness, night pain or numbness in the hands, especially around the base of the thumb
• Clumsiness or loss of strength in the hands
• Pain in the neck, shoulders, wrists, hands or back that is associated with using the computer
How Can You Avoid Injuries Related to Reaching for the Mouse?
The following recommendations are applicable to both home office ergonomics as well as ergonomics in the office.
1) Placing the input device directly in your immediate reach zone offers natural comfort and maximum hand-eye coordination. The use of a platform for the mouse is preferable. Some models of mouse platforms attach directly to your chair.
2) Your chair should have arm rests that are adjustable.
3) Your wrist should be either in a neutral position or flexed slightly downward when operating both your mouse and your keyboard. For this reason, if you select a mouse platform that attaches to your chair, adjustability of the platform is of primary importance.
4) Consider using a high quality office chair with adjustable armrests and lumbar supports. It should also allow some degree of recline.
5) Make sure that the upper arm and elbow are as close to the body and as relaxed as possible for mouse use – avoid overreaching.
6) Hold the mouse lightly, don’t grip it hard or squeeze it. Place the pointing device where you don’t have to reach up or over very far to use it. The closer you can place it to your body the better.
Sitting is a pain in the @#$%&! Or at least a pain in the back.
Our spines do not like sitting as a rule. If you remain seated in the same position for a long enough period of time you will experience some level of discomfort.
Although there are many reasons that sitting eventually causes discomfort, one of these reasons cannot be avoided. The natural center of gravity for a sitting human being is approximately 1 inch in front of the belly button. In order to park our upper bodies over our center of gravity we have to either lean forward eliminating the support of our backrests or slide our butts downward and forward assuming a slumped position. Often these postures are accompanied by crossed legs or feet and leaning our elbows on the desk or our armrests in order to promote stability of the spine.
Poor posture often results from chairs and work stations that are void of proper ergonomic considerations. Postural stress causes discomfort in the neck, back and arms resulting in fatigue and fidgeting. It comes as no surprise that these consequences of poor posture have a negative effect on your mood, your concentration and your productivity.
In the long run, poor posture can cause chronic back pain, neck pain and a host of syndromes that affect the upper extremity as a whole.
I found an excellent definition of poor posture in a book called “Backs” by Leonard Ring in which he defined poor posture as “a faulty relationship of the various parts of the body which produces increased strain on supporting structures”.
As important as proper sitting posture is for a younger person with an otherwise healthy back, it is of much greater importance to those who are older and may have some level of arthritis in their spines or a history of injury. Arthritis weakens the joints in the back and makes it more sensitive to the stresses of prolonged sitting when using good posture and much more likely to suffer consequences in situations that involve poor posture. A history of back injuries is also detrimental to the spine during sitting positions especially when it is exposed to the stress of poor posture. All of those old gymnastics, football, hockey and general horseplay falls and jolts have a cumulative effect that decreases our ability to endure stressful postures.
The bottom line is that there are many good sources on the Internet that describe the characteristics of proper sitting positions. The more stress that you can eliminate from your sitting postures the happier your back will be.
Here’s To Your Health
———————————————————————————–
Yours Ergonomically,
Steve Jones
(619) 280-0554
The other day I had a new patient walk into my San Diego, California office asking for chiropractic treatment. He was bent over 45 degrees at the waist, complaining of lower back pain and saying “Doc, Why do I have back pain? I have no idea how I got this way but I am having trouble standing up and sitting down, can you help me?” This is a common new patient presentation in our office. More often than not, the typical back pain patient can’t recall a specific cause of their back pain. Sometimes the pain has advanced enough to affect the nervous system resulting in sciatica nerve pain.
Patient’s like this always want an explanation as to how they got the way they are. Most of my patients have followed a typical course on their way to experiencing back pain.
The joints, muscles and ligaments that allow movement, move the body and provide stability in the low back are among the biggest and strongest in the body. This being the case, it usually takes a significant single injury to damage these structures. A hard fall, car accident or a long day of strenuous lifting are examples of single events that can cause back pain all by themselves.
However, most cases of back pain are caused by cumulative stress. Cumulative stress comes from postural stress (excessive sitting), poor lifting habits, awkward sleeping habits, etc. Cumulative stress also known as repetitive stress takes place over months or sometimes years.
The bottom line is that most back injuries arise from events that seem small and insignificant by themselves but after months or years of exposure to these stresses lead to irritation of the joints and muscles resulting in back pain.
Once the joints, muscles and ligaments of the lower back have been exposed to extended periods of stress, they become very vulnerable to injury. This process follows a predictable path. The joint is stressed by some activity, the stress irritates the soft tissues of the joint, the irritation causes inflammation and the inflammation causes pain and scar tissue formation. Scar tissue limits joint motion, causes pain in the joint and is often sensitive to changes in weather. We all know someone that knows better than the weather man as to when it is going to rain. It is scar tissue build up and arthritis that causes joint pain when it is going to rain.
Once this process has begun, a severe case of back pain can arise from something as simple as picking a sock up off the floor or reaching for a cup of coffee.
Unfortunately for the patient, the little things that they do on a regular basis that stress their backs don’t become apparent until after they are in pain. I always advise my patients to pay special attention to the specific activities or movements that aggravate their backs while they are in pain. These are the activities that are often responsible for the cumulative stress that I discussed at the beginning of this article.
Joints are complex structures that in most cases are very durable and work without pain. However, the process described above can happen silently, over time, resulting in severe back pain and / or sciatica for the person who has ignored proper back care through the course of their lives. Chiropractic care from a licensed chiropractor can be very effective in relieving your back pain. Chiropractic care is a safe, effective and affordable form of treatment that has a history of success with relieving low back pain.
Key: chiropractic,back pain,chiropractor,sciatica,low back pain,chiropractic treatment,nerve pain
Bio for Article city
Dr. Steven R. Jones is a licensed Chiropractor in the state of California. He received his doctorate from Palmer College of Chiropractic-West in Sunnyvale, California. Dr. Jones has treated his patients for over 15 years at his own San Diego Chiropractic practice. Dr. Jones is accepting new patients and would be happy to consult with you regarding your chiropractic needs. Click the following links to find out how we can help you start feeling better today! www.JonesPainRelief.com www.ErgoNav.com
Back Pain,Chiropractic,Herniated Disc,Pinched Nerve,Neck Pain,Muscle Spasm
Dr. Steve Jones is a licensed Chiropractor in San Diego. Dr. Jones has treated his patients for over 15 years at his own San Diego Chiropractic practice. Dr. Jones is accepting new patients and would be happy to consult with you regarding your chiropractic needs. Click the following links to find out how we can help you start feeling better today! www.JonesPainRelief.com, www.ErgoNav.com
Dr. Steve Jones is a licensed Chiropractor in San Diego. Dr. Jones has treated his patients for over 15 years at his own San Diego Chiropractic practice. He is certified as a Specialist in Health Ergonomics. Dr. Jones Can be found on the web at www.JonesPainRelief.com & at www.ErgoNav.com
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Here’s To Your Health
Yours Ergonomically,
Dr. Jones
Economic Mouse Pad
San Diego Chiropractic
Pain Relief San Diego Chiropractic
(619) 280-0554
How Does Your Posture Affect Back Pain and Neck Pain?
Chiropractor, neck pain, posture, chiropractic, back pain, ergonomic
Have you ever wondered how it can be that you can sit around all day doing nothing strenuous and develop back pain or neck pain? When you start to examine the structure of our bodies and apply some simple rules of physics, the fact that we don’t suffer from more frequent or intense back pain and neck pain is a wonder. In my chiropractic office in San Diego, California, I see office workers on a regular basis that have significant back and neck complaints related to simple ergonomic issues.
Back pain or neck pain can affect anyone at any time. I see patients that have injured their backs and necks from lifting, operating machinery, sports injuries, auto accidents and falls on a daily basis. I would classify these injuries as typical or expected types of injuries. Many non-chiropractic patients or new chiropractic patients would be surprised to find that the most common type of injury that I see in my office is not from lifting heavy sacks of concrete but from the long term consequences of postural stress.
Postural stress is the “silent killer” when it comes to our spinal health. Postural stress occurs during both seated and standing positions. Postural stress occurs any time that your spine looses its’ natural curves and / or moves forward beyond its neutral balance point.
An example of a posturally stressful position for your neck would be when you are sitting at the computer leaning your neck and head forward while keyboarding, mousing or viewing the screen. Assuming a posture in which your head and neck are extended out in front of your body reverses the normal curve of your neck and shifts your head forward of its balance point.
When we assume postures that cause stress on our spines, the stability that is inherent in our structure when postural boundaries are respected is lost. Postural stress exposes our ligaments and muscles to prolonged periods of stretching which results in fatigue, irritation, inflammation, back pain and neck pain and eventually arthritis.
Treating neck pain and back pain that has resulted from postural stress requires a multifaceted approach. Chiropractic care combined with stretching and nutritional support will relieve the pain and stiffness and restore normal, full joint motion. This part of your recovery may take several treatments or a lengthy treatment program based on the length of time that you have been in pain and the severity of your symptoms.
In addition to chiropractic care, you must eliminate or modify the causes of the postural stress. A workstation analysis can reveal ergonomic issues that are instigators of postural stress. Ice pack applications to the specific areas of neck pain and back pain in twenty minute sessions are also helpful.
The best way to begin your care is discuss your issues with your chiropractor. Chiropractors are well trained in dealing with postural stress issues and the neck pain and back pain that result from it. At my San Diego based chiropractic clinic we use a complete approach that utilizes chiropractic care supported by specific stretches and exercises. We also encourage the proper nutritional support to facilitate the healing process. Whatever approach that you take to relieve the pain of postural stress, please be aware of the importance of eliminating the source of the postural stress in addition to seeking treatment.
———————————————————————————–
Here’s To Your Health
Yours Ergonomically,
Dr. Jones
Economic Mouse Pad
San Diego Chiropractic
Pain Relief San Diego Chiropractic
(619) 280-0554
Our spines do not like sitting as a rule. If you remain seated in the same position for a long enough period of time you will experience some level of discomfort.
Although there are many reasons that sitting eventually causes discomfort, one of these reasons cannot be avoided. The natural center of gravity for a sitting human being is approximately 1 inch in front of the belly button. In order to park our upper bodies over our center of gravity we have to either lean forward eliminating the support of our backrests or slide our butts downward and forward assuming a slumped position. Often these postures are accompanied by crossed legs or feet and leaning our elbows on the desk or our armrests in order to promote stability of the spine.
Poor posture often results from chairs and work stations that are void of proper ergonomic considerations. Postural stress causes discomfort in the neck, back and arms resulting in fatigue and fidgeting. It comes as no surprise that these consequences of poor posture have a negative effect on your mood, your concentration and your productivity.
In the long run, poor posture can cause chronic back pain, neck pain and a host of syndromes that affect the upper extremity as a whole.
I found an excellent definition of poor posture in a book called “Backs” by Leonard Ring in which he defined poor posture as “a faulty relationship of the various parts of the body which produces increased strain on supporting structures”.
As important as proper sitting posture is for a younger person with an otherwise healthy back, it is of much greater importance to those who are older and may have some level of arthritis in their spines or a history of injury. Arthritis weakens the joints in the back and makes it more sensitive to the stresses of prolonged sitting when using good posture and much more likely to suffer consequences in situations that involve poor posture. A history of back injuries is also detrimental to the spine during sitting positions especially when it is exposed to the stress of poor posture. All of those old gymnastics, football, hockey and general horseplay falls and jolts have a cumulative effect that decreases our ability to endure stressful postures.
The bottom line is that there are many good sources on the Internet that describe the characteristics of proper sitting positions. The more stress that you can eliminate from your sitting postures the happier your back will be.
———————————————————————————–
Here’s To Your Health
Yours Ergonomically,
Dr. Jones
Economic Mouse Pad
San Diego Chiropractic
Pain Relief San Diego Chiropractic
(619) 280-0554
Better Ergonomics
Ergonomics, ergonomics, ergonomics – it is all that we hear. For good reason too!
Today’s workers spend more and more time sitting at computer terminals. We try to find comfortable positions at our home and work office stations but these positions are deceitful.
Regardless of my chiropractic education, without the help of a few ergonomic devices, I end up slouching over my computer.
Approximately ten years ago, I started working on the development of an ergonomic apparatus that eventually would be known as the Ergo Nav. This device was 100% inspired by my treatment of patients who were suffering from computer related ailments and syndromes.
I began to notice a pattern amongst my patients who complained of computer related neck pain, shoulder pain, elbow pain, wrist pain and hand pain.
First of all, they typically carried worse symptoms on their dominant sides. Right handed folks had more severe symptoms on the right and lefties were worse on the left.
A second prevalent characteristic among these patients was the intense and often unbearable increase in their symptoms when they were using the computer mouse.
Almost all of my patients who suffered from some sort of neck, back or upper extremity complaint that was secondary to computer use complained that reaching to the desk for the mouse greatly exacerbated their pain!
One of the things that I tell my patients is that when they are in pain, regardless if it is neck pain, back pain or pain in some other joint, to pay attention to the activities that make the pain worse. This is good information to know because barring some significant injury; most of the time pain is the end result of some ongoing low level aggravation that more often than not goes un-noticed. Once you are in pain, the activities that have silently contributed to your current symptoms will be the activities that now noticeably cause your current symptoms to worsen.
The ongoing painful stress of reaching for the mouse is what led to the idea behind the Ergo Nav. The Ergo Nav was designed to be an inexpensive, adjustable and functional mouse platform that would allow a computer operator to operate the mouse in a comfortable, ergonomically friendly position.
By eliminating the need to reach for the mouse a large amount of stress can be eliminated reducing the chances of injury.
———————————————————————————–
Here’s To Your Health
Yours Ergonomically,
Dr. Jones
Economic Mouse Pad
San Diego Chiropractic
Pain Relief San Diego Chiropractic
(619) 280-0554
Is computer work making you miserable?
If it is, you are not alone. National statistics point to the computer as a major contributor to lost days at work due to injury. I see the same thing in my San Diego Chiropractic office. Neck pain, shoulder pain, wrist pain, hand pain and back pain are common among those who don’t have the proper ergonomic set-up of their computer stations. That being said, some people get these symptoms regardless of their ergonomic set-up.
Computer ergonomics is the study and / or implementation of workstation design with the purpose of reducing or eliminating physical stress.
My interest in repetitive stress syndromes began approximately 10 years ago when my practice started seeing a much greater number of people suffering from the effects of computer / keyboard work. Despite all of my training and continuing education related to these types of injuries, I quickly realized that traditional treatment for this type of injury was marginally successful at best.
Any type of therapy was going to have to include the application of basic ergonomic principals to the patient’s work environment.
I am of the opinion that treatment alone or application of ergonomic principals by themselves was not going to resolve a repetitive stress injury.
Over the next several weeks I will write a series of articles that will address the implication of workstation ergonomics and injury resulting from postural stress secondary to use of the computer mouse.
Specifically, the following will be addressed:
1) What repetitive stress injuries are
2) What role do work station ergonomics play in injury
3) How reaching for the mouse sets the stage for injury
4) What are the symptoms of repetitive stress injury
5) How you can avoid mouse reaching injuries
———————————————————————————–
Here’s To Your Health
Yours Ergonomically,
Dr. Jones
Economic Mouse Pad
San Diego Chiropractic
Pain Relief San Diego Chiropractic
(619) 280-0554
Computer ergonomics is the study and / or implementation of work station design with the purpose of reducing or eliminating physical stress.
My interest in repetitive stress syndromes began approximately 10 years ago when my practice started seeing a much greater number of people suffering from the effects of computer / keyboard work. Despite all of my training and continuing education related to these types of injuries, I quickly realized that traditional treatment for this type of injury was marginally successful at best.
Any type of therapy was going to have to include the application of basic ergonomic principals to the patient’s work environment.
I am of the opinion that treatment alone or application of ergonomic principals by themselves was not going to resolve a repetitive stress injury.
This article will address the implication of work station ergonomics and injury resulting from postural stress secondary to use of the computer mouse.
Specifically, the following will be addressed:
1) What repetitive stress injuries are
2) What role do work station ergonomics play in injury
3) How reaching for the mouse sets the stage for injury
4) What are the symptoms of repetitive stress injury
5) How one can avoid mouse reaching injuries
What Exactly is a Repetitive Stress Injury?
Repetitive Stress Injury is a kind of catch all phrase for many conditions. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Tenosynovitis / DeQuervain’s Syndrome, Tendonitis, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, Trigger Finger, Myofascial Pain Syndrome and Chronic Sprain / Strain are some of the actual diagnosis that are rendered in my office. All of these conditions are serious and in many cases can cause great pain, permanent disability and sometimes loss of employment.
Repetitive Stress Injuries occur from repetitive movements involving a specific set of muscles and joints. RSI injuries are the result of an accumulation of stress and strain that causes irritation, inflammation, and eventually pain or other disability. A good analogy used to characterize the onset of RSI would be the “straws on the camels back” saying.
Initially, RSI affects the soft tissues of the involved joint(s). Soft tissues include muscles, nerves, ligaments and tendons. However, if left untreated for long periods of time, the involved joint can become arthritic and form bone spurs resulting in permanent damage to the joint.
While various occupations ranging from meat cutters to construction workers develop RSIs that result from the typical duties of their professions, the most frequent cause of these injuries involve computer work. The constant demand of keyboarding and mousing combined with the postural stress of confinement in an office chair with one’s neck and back held in prolonged fixed positions has resulted in an epidemic of injuries that includes hand pain, wrist pain, arm pain, neck pain, back pain and shoulder pain.
Work Station Ergonomics
The study of workstation ergonomics tells us that the objects that are used most often should be located closest to your body and accessed easily, without awkward body positions. Repeated reaching or prolonged postures that involve leaning forward from your chair are particularly stressful and fatiguing.
Many people are aware of computer ergonomics and thus have an ergonomic mouse. An ergonomic mouse is of little use if it is positioned in an area that requires reaching and stretching in order to operate it. Limiting reaching and stretching for desk items is essential to maintaining a healthy ergonomic environment.
The most frequent complaint that I have seen in my office is due to computer work is the combination of mousing and its’ inherent postural stress.
Most computer stations are designed in a way that involves the worker operating the computer mouse on a pad on the desk. Reaching to the desk for the mouse places direct stress on the joints and soft tissues of the neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand. Additionally, reaching forward for the mouse stresses the lower and middle back.
So How Does Reaching for the Mouse Set the Stage for Injury?
Reaching for the mouse causes you to lean forward in your chair, extend your arm and support the weight of your body through your extended arm. The following section will discuss the particulars of each of these positions.
The stresses placed on the human frame when reaching for the mouse are easily explained. Contrary to popular belief, sitting, which most people believe is relaxing, is hard on the back. Sitting for long periods of time can cause increased pressure on the intervertebral discs of the spine.
In recent years, ergonomisist have told us that proper sitting posture would have us sitting upright with our hips flexed at 90 degrees. As it turns out, the most up to date studies show that a slightly reclined sitting posture with the hips flexed at 100 to 115 degrees is ideal if you have to sit at a desk. If your mouse is not positioned close enough to your body, you will have to reach for it. Reaching for your mouse stresses your back by reducing the angle of your hips.
Next, we have to look at the effects of reaching on the neck and shoulder. When the mouse is being operated at a distance that makes the operator reach, the shoulder extends forward and the shoulder blade abducts (rotates forward). This position stretches the muscle groups that connect the medial portion of your shoulder blade to your spine and the superior portion of your shoulder blade to your neck.
In the short term, this stretch aggravates the affected muscle groups causing spasm, fatigue, headaches and stiffness in the neck and shoulder. In the long term, this position creates a condition called a “stretch weakness” resulting in muscular imbalance, trigger points and chronic variations of the conditions listed in the prior sentence.
Lastly, placing the mouse too far away, too low, or too much on one side can cause shoulder, wrist, elbow, and forearm discomfort. When the operator is forced to reach for the mouse, his / her body weight shifts forward and ultimately results in weight bearing stress on the extended arm. Spending prolonged periods of time leaning on an extended arm is an unnatural and destructive posture that will eventually lead to the development of a repetitive stress syndrome; likely resulting disorders would include tendonitis of the wrist, elbow or shoulder.
What are the Common Symptoms?
” Tightness, discomfort, stiffness, soreness or burning in the hands, wrists, fingers, forearms, or elbows
” Tingling, coldness, night pain or numbness in the hands, especially around the base of the thumb
” Clumsiness or loss of strength in the hands
” Pain in the neck, shoulders, wrists, hands or back that is associated with using the computer
How Can You Avoid Injuries Related to Reaching for the Mouse?
The following recommendations are applicable to both home office ergonomics as well as ergonomics in the office.
1) Placing the input device directly in your immediate reach zone offers natural comfort and maximum hand-eye coordination. The use of a platform for the mouse is preferable. Some models of mouse platforms attach directly to your chair.
2) Your chair should have arm rests that are adjustable.
3) Your wrist should be either in a neutral position or flexed slightly downward when operating both your mouse and your keyboard. For this reason, if you select a mouse platform that attaches to your chair, adjustability of the platform is of primary importance.
4) Consider using a high quality office chair with adjustable armrests and lumbar supports. It should also allow some degree of recline.
5) Make sure that the upper arm and elbow are as close to the body and as relaxed as possible for mouse use – avoid overreaching.
6) Hold the mouse lightly, don’t grip it hard or squeeze it. Place the pointing device where you don’t have to reach up or over very far to use it. The closer you can place it to your body the better.
More Coming Soon
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Yours Ergonomically,
Steve Jones
(619) 280-0554
Setting up your office space correctly definitely requires some expert input. That being said, many aspects of setting up your office space are based on common sense.
We all have specific items at work that we handle more frequently than others. In my work environment for instance, I use the mouse and keyboard more than any other object on my desk. At this point I will inject a shameless plug for my Ergo Nav. Since I use my mouse most frequently, I have it perched right at the end of my chairs’ armrest. My Ergo Nav positions my mouse close enough to my body to avoid any reaching for the mouse at all. From an ergonomic standpoint, this positioning is ideal.
Visit the Ergo Nav site to see a demo of how it Reduces Wrist, Arm and Neck Pain For Computer Users
http://www.ergonav.com/
My keyboard is also within my immediate reach as are my writing instruments such as pens and pencils. All of the items that I have discussed so far are within my immediate reach area, which is also known as the “usual work space”.
Most people only have a handful of objects that truly belong in their “usual work space”. The actual dimensions of this space vary with the size of the worker, therefore, you have to keep the principals of good ergonomics in mind when determining the actual size of your “usual work space”. As far as placement of mice, keyboards, pens, phones etc., within your “usual work space” you have to position these items in a way that avoids or limits hunching of the shoulders, flaring out of the elbows or forward flexion of the shoulders.
The area beyond the “usual work space” is considered the “occasional work space” and should contain objects that are only occasionally used. In my circumstances, the “occasional work space” contains my cpu, monitor, printer and my phone. Most of the time I have an assistant to answer my phone and I may only make a handful of calls each day. My monitor only requires that I turn it on and off once a day – the same being the case with my printer and the computer itself. My desk space is limited so the items that I have covered are the only items in my space. Staplers, files and paper are needed infrequently enough to not deserve the chance to clutter my work area.
Visit my San Diego Chiropractic Website to read more about workplace injuries and Repetitive Stress Syndrome and how I can help you set up your workspace and work with any pain you may already have
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Here’s To Your Health
Yours Ergonomically,
Dr. Jones
Economic Mouse Pad
San Diego Chiropractic
Pain Relief San Diego Chiropractic
(619) 280-0554
I have a love / hate relationship with my computer. When I went to college in the early 80’s, computers were expensive, underpowered and not readily available.
I remember doing research papers that would entail chasing down medical journal articles from my schools library and several local colleges. Hours or days would pass with me searching through the libraries of Stanford, San Jose State and Berkley just to find the content for one paragraph of a research paper.
What I would have done for the ease of our current internet. All of this research could have been performed in a matter of minutes from the comfort of my desk. It is this convenience that inspires the “love” in the love / hate relationship that I have with my computer.
Now for the downside, the “hate” of my love / hate relationship with this computer.
The more time that I spend sitting at my computer, the more I realize that it is the postural stress that my work station generates that is responsible for the “hate” part of my relationship with the computer.
Even though I am a doctor who has taken a special interest in the effects of postural stress secondary to computer use, I too succumb to the stresses of Computer Related Postural Stress Syndrome.
Computer Related Postural Stress Syndrome or CRPSS is a term that I coined to describe the effects of the postural stress that a poorly thought out work station places on the body.
CRPSS often causes neck and shoulder pain, back pain, arm pain and chronic tension headaches.
You have probably heard and used the term “ergonomics”. Ergonomics is the study of how we can make a particular work station adapt to meet the physical demands of that stations operator. The idea is to reduce the physical stresses that the work station places on the operator to a minimum. We can use basic office ergonomic principals to reduce or eliminate many of the stresses that cause CRPSS.
CRPSS can result from any one or combination of:
Poor Seating Conditions
Incorrect Monitor Placement
Incorrect Keyboard Placement
Over-reaching for the Mouse
Poor seating can be remedied with the purchase of a chair with the following characteristics:
Ability to adjust the seating height
Adjustable armrests ( up and down)
Tilting back support
Tilting seating surface
These features combined with a chair that actually feels comfortable when being sat in can be very helpful in reducing Computer Related Postural Stress Syndrome.
Incorrect monitor placement is also a common source of postural stress and neck pain. Your monitor should be positioned directly in front of you. Your eyes should be parallel with the top one third of your monitor when you are looking straight ahead. A monitor that is positioned in a way that requires the operator to look up or down will stress the neck and eventually lead to neck pain.
Much like the monitor, your keyboard should be placed directly in front of you. Its height should allow your arms to rest comfortably next to your body while your elbows are bent no more than 90 degrees and your wrists are as straight as possible. A properly placed keyboard can help reduce neck pain, shoulder pain, elbow pain wrist pain and hand pain.
The final major factor in reducing the effects of CRPSS involves over-reaching. A mouse operated on the desk top lends itself to producing an over-reaching situation. This is bad news if you do a substantial amount of mousing. A mouse that is beyond your comfortable reach zone is likely to become a primary source of postural stress and aggravation. The solution to this problem is to position your mouse as close to your body as possible. This can be accomplished with a mouse platform that mounts to the armrest of your chair. There are several of these on the market that will do the trick. Make sure that the mouse platform that you choose is adjustable.
Anecdotal evidence from my chiropractic clinic in San Diego suggests that over-reaching for the mouse is a primary factor in the development of neck pain, shoulder pain, elbow pain, wrist pain and hand pain.
Reducing the postural stresses associated with computer work stations can prevent you from developing aggravating conditions that can lead to a lifetime of disability and a loss of employment (I see this in my office all the time). In many cases, simple rearrangements of the primary components of your work station can go a long way in reducing your chances of developing CRPSS.
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Here’s To Your Health
Yours Ergonomically,
Dr. Jones
Economic Mouse Pad
San Diego Chiropractic
Pain Relief San Diego Chiropractic
(619) 280-0554
My chiropractic office is very similar to many other practices all over the US, we offer relief from back pain or neck pain. Often viewed as treatment for neck and back pain alone, chiropractic care helps a variety of conditions.
Never self-diagnosis back pain or neck pain; instead you should always seek professional advice and treatment. Ignoring back and neck pain could create other health problems that are more serious.
Some of the various conditions that cause back pain and neck pain can include everything from injury and infection to twisting or turning “the wrong way”. Injuries from accidents, such as a car accident, often result in stress and strain on the vertebra, the connecting ligature, the joints, and the muscles.
The most common cause of back pain that manifests as tightening or spasm of the muscles connected to the spine is overuse or under use of the back muscles. Joints and ligaments become increasingly inflamed and swollen with advancing age.
A herniated disc happens if nuclear pulposus, the substance inside the disc, comes out of a torn annulus fibrosis, the substance outside of the disc, compressing the nerve root. The most likely area to have a back/neck injury would be in the cervical and lumbar regions of the spine which have the most mobility, and the discs are more likely to wear down or become injured. The bottom two spinal vertebrae experience ninety percent of all herniated disc injuries.
One cause for aggravation and damage to the spinal cord is a condition known as spinal stenosis. There are many conditions that can cause spinal stenosis including infections, tumors, trauma, herniated disc, arthritis, ligament thickening, the growth of bone spurs, and general disc degeneration. As the vertebrae deteriorate with age, we are more likely to develop stenosis of the spine.
When something rubs or presses against a nerve creating irritation or inflammation, a pinched nerve, also known as radiculopathy, occurs. The causes of radiculopathy vary. A herniated disc, bone growth, a tumor compressing nerves, and vertebral fracture are all common causes of this condition.
Inflammation of the sciatic nerve is known as Sciatica, a certain type of radiculopathy. When the sciatic nerve is inflamed, pain shoots down the lower back through one side of the buttocks and continues down the back side of the leg.
Compressing the spine or nerve roots can cause significant pain and can be an indicator or symptom of a spinal tumor that originates in the spine (primary tumor) or tumor spreading to the spine from another part of the body (metastatic tumor).
Vertebrae infections (osteomyelitis), discs, meninges (spinal meningitis), or cerebrospinal fluid can press against the spinal cord and cause bad neurological damage if it isn’t identified and treated right away.
Facet joints are formed by two adjacent vertebra and direct the movement of the spine; these joints are often areas that are affected by arthritis. The alignment of the spine is compromised when fluid and cartilage, which functions as a shock absorber, deteriorates and bones begin to shift out of place. Bone rubbing against bone can be very painful.
Back pain and neck pain can be caused by many things and not just these few examples. Chiropractors often relieve uncomfortable back pain and neck pain, because the associated causes are usually mechanical in nature. In conclusion, neck pain and back pain are warning signals from your body that should not be ignored.
How is back pain and neck pain affected by your posture?
Have you ever wondered how you can develop back pain or neck pain without doing anything strenuous? A chiropractor can diagnose neck pain, postural stress, back pain and suggest ergonomic solutions. With closer examination of the structure of our bodies and some simple physics principles, it is a wonder that humans do not suffer from more frequent and intense back and neck pain. In my California chiropractic business, I treat clients frequently who work in an office and could benefit from better ergonomics.
Anyone at any time can have back or neck pain. Lifting, operating machinery, sports, auto accidents, and falls are some of the most common injuries I see in my office. These kind of injuries are typical or expected injuries. The majority of patients think that chiropractic issues stem from lifting heavy sacks of concrete but are surprised to find that most are due to postural stress.
The “silent killer” of our spinal health is postural stress. Postural stress is experienced either while sitting or standing on one’s feet. Any time your spine is not in its natural curves or moves forward beyond its neutral balance point, you can risk postural stress.
One of the various postural stressful positions is sitting at the computer leaning forward with your neck and head while typing or mousing or viewing the screen. This posture, in which your head and neck are extended in front of your body, reverses the normal curvature of your spine and neck, and shifts your head away from its balance point.
The stability that is part of our structure when our postural boundaries are respected is lost when we assume postures that cause stress to our spines. Back and neck pain is often a result of poor posture, which also causes fatigue, irritability, and inflammation of muscles and connecting ligatures due to extended pressure.
To treat neck and back pain caused by postural stress, one must undertake a multifaceted plan. Using this method of chiropractic care in conjunction with stretching and nutritional support relieves pain and stiffness and restores normal, full joint movement. Depending on the length of time that you have been in pain or the severity of your symptoms, this part of your recovery may take several treatments or a lengthy treatment program.
Chiropractic care alone will not alleviate the problem; you must eliminate or change the causes of the postural stress. Ergonomic problems that lead to postural stress can be identified using workstation analysis. Applying ice packs for neck pain and back pain for around twenty minutes at a time is also sometimes effective for relief.
Start treatment by talking to your chiropractor. Chiropractors are medically trained to deal with postural stress problems and the neck pain that occurs as a result. Our San Diego based chiropractic clinic employs a complete approach to rehabilitation using chiropractic care supported by stretches and exercises. In order to facilitate the healing process we encourage the proper nutritional support. It is just as important to understand and correct the cause of poor posture, which causes pain, as it is to seek treatment to relieve the pain.
Using Chiropractic and Exercise to Build a Healthy Spine
I provide treatment for many different kinds of injuries. There are many different causes for neck pain, back pain, chronic headaches, sciatica etc. and can include auto accidents, work related injuries, injuries as a result of domestic chores, and even sometimes something as easy to do as sleeping in an awkward position.
Over half of the people who come to me with neck pain or back pain want to know how they can prevent it from coming back; it is this question that I will attempt to answer in this article.
For starters, two big reasons are back pain and neck pain.
Often, people take action with regard to their health when they experience frequent pain. Eager to start, people frequently ask what kind of stretching or exercise they can implement right away. The best practice you can employ with a new injury is to apply ice packs and rest as much as possible.
During my more than 15 years in practice, I have noticed many enthusiastic people disregard this suggestion and as a consequence, their condition worsens. You want to start exercising and stretching your back when you are out of the acute stage of pain and not before.
The most challenging obstacles clients have to overcome are poor diet and lack of exercise. Outside of chiropractic care, exercise is one of the very few things that a patient can do at home to prevent or help diminish the chances of developing back pain or neck pain.
Exercise after an injury should be approached with caution – almost to a point where the exercise feels as if it is doing nothing. You should first attempt some low intensity workouts, and if you don’t experience pain, increase the resistance a little at a time.
Understand your limits when reintroducing exercise after a back injury, and proceed cautiously. When exercising and stretching, make sure it’s under the guidance of a health care professional. You can improve the support in your spine by strengthening muscle tone and adding flexibility.
Many patients of my chiropractic office have seen relief from back and neck pain from stretching and targeted exercises. Combining chiropractic care with stretching and exercising promotes faster, more complete healing.
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Here’s To Your Health
Yours Ergonomically,
Dr. Jones
Economic Mouse Pad
San Diego Chiropractic
Pain Relief San Diego Chiropractic
(619) 280-0554
The human body is capable of two kinds of muscular effort. These muscular efforts are known as dynamic effort and static effort. It is the static effort that creates repetitive stress trauma.
Dynamic effort is a term used to describe a muscular contraction that is used to move a joint through its range of motion. With a dynamic contraction, the length of the muscle is changed by the motion of the joint. During dynamic contractions, the body is able to supply an abundance of oxygenated blood to the muscle in use. This is an ideal muscular contraction scenario.
Static effort is a term used to describe a muscular contraction that does not move a joint through its full range of motion but rather acts on the joint to provide a static or fixed position.
The problem with static contractions is that they require more blood flow then the muscle is able to get. Muscles that are performing static contractions restrict blood flow because the blood vessels are compressed or pinched. When muscles are asked to perform with reduced blood flow, they are deprived of oxygen. Muscles that have to continue to perform in hypoxic environments build up lactic acid and other toxins that irritate and inflame the surrounding soft tissues. When these muscle groups are asked to perform under these conditions on a daily basis they reach a point that they can’t recover from. It is at that point that injury occurs.
This is the type of muscular contraction, when performed on a regular basis, which causes repetitive stress trauma. Repetitive stress trauma is the precursor to an alphabet soup of work injuries. Carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, tenosynovitis, DeQuervain’s syndrome and thoracic outlet syndrome are just a few of the conditions that can be caused by repetitive static muscular contractions.
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Here’s To Your Health
Yours Ergonomically,
Dr. Jones
Economic Mouse Pad
San Diego Chiropractic
Pain Relief San Diego Chiropractic
(619) 280-0554
Have you ever wondered how you can develop back pain or neck pain without doing anything strenuous. It is amazing that humans don’t sustain even more back pain and neck pain, given the structure of our bodies and the physical demands. In my California chiropractic practice, I frequently treat office workers who experience chronic and severe back and neck pain tied to easy-to-fix ergonomic issues in their workspace. In my Columbus Ohio chiropractic business, I treat clients frequently who work in an office and could benefit from better ergonomics.
Anyone can experience back or neck pain at any time. I treat individuals regularly who experienced back and neck injuries from improper lifting, machinery usage, sports, falls, and auto accidents. The majority of patients think that chiropractic issues stem from lifting heavy sacks of concrete but are surprised to find that most are due to postural stress.
The “silent killer” of our spinal health is postural stress. Postural stress is experienced either while sitting or standing on one’s feet. Postural stress is felt whenever the natural curve of the spine is altered or if the spine moves past its natural balance point.
As you sit at a computer, hunched over the keyboard or peering at the screen, your neck experiences postural stress. This posture, in which your head and neck are extended in front of your body, reverses the normal curvature of your spine and neck, and shifts your head away from its balance point.
The stability that is part of our structure when our postural boundaries are respected is lost when we assume postures that cause stress to our spines. Stress from the way we hold ourselves (either sitting or standing) opens our ligaments and muscles up to long periods of being stretched (perhaps incorrectly) which leads to muscle fatigue, irritation, inflammation, back and neck pain, and even arthritis over the long run.
A combination of therapies may be required to effectively treat back pain and neck pain from postural stress. Using this method of chiropractic care in conjunction with stretching and nutritional support relieves pain and stiffness and restores normal, full joint movement.If you have endured pain for a long time or if your symptoms are particularly acute, the road to recovery will not be short or easy. Don’t expect a quick fix.
Chiropractic care alone will not alleviate the problem; you must eliminate or change the causes of the postural stress. Have your workstation analyzed to highlight any ergonomic issues that could cause postural stress. Applying ice packs for neck pain and back pain for around twenty minutes at a time is also sometimes effective for relief.
Talking to your chiropractor is the first step in starting your treatment.
Chiropractors are medically trained to deal with postural stress problems and the neck pain that occurs as a result. At our chiropractic clinic in Columbus, we treat patients with a holistic approach using chiropractic care and enhanced with a regimen of stretching and exercise.
In order to facilitate the healing process we encourage the proper nutritional support.
You need to be aware of the importance of eliminating the source of the postural stress in addition to seeking treatment, regardless of which approach you take to relieve the pain of postural stress.
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Here’s To Your Health
Yours Ergonomically,
Dr. Jones
Economic Mouse Pad
San Diego Chiropractic
Pain Relief San Diego Chiropractic
(619) 280-0554
Mission Valley
(619) 280-0554
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