Back Pain And Computers

March 19th, 2011 | Author: The Doc

The other day I had a new patient shuffle 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 (leg 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 usually comes from bad posture like 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 they lead to irritation of the joints and muscles resulting in back pain.

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 you, the little things that you do on a regular basis that stress your back don’t become apparent until after you 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 care of their back.

We are bound to spend a great deal of time in front of our computers. Do yourself a big favor and examine the ergonomics of your desk, chair, monitor and mouse – fixing little problems now could help you avoid major issues in the future.

Here’s To Your Health

Dr. Jones

Economic Mouse Pad
San Diego Chiropractic
Pain Relief San Diego Chiropractic