Ergonomically Yours

Archive for April, 2009

Dr. Steve Jones practices in San Diego, California.  This article will relate his struggles to find appropriate and effective treatment for repetitive stress injuries (such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, and symptoms including hand pain, wrist pain, neck pain, shoulder pain and elbow pain that were not extensive enough to warrant a specific diagnosis) and why his efforts eventually led prevention vs. treatment.

Back in the middle part of the 1990’s, his practice started undergoing an unexpected  transformation.  He started seeing a tremendous number of people complaining of upper extremity pain that was obviously related to long hours of computer work.

While he had studied carpal tunnel syndrome in school and had seen these patients in the past, the overwhelming numbers of these patients that were presenting to his office inspired a desire to learn more about these injuries.

Standard conservative treatment for most types of repetitive stress injuries of the upper extremity involved some combination of wrist splints, elbow straps, massage, joint manipulations, ultrasound therapy, electrical muscle stimulation, trigger point therapy and icing.  Treatment for more advanced or debilitating cases could include cortisone injections and various types of nerve decompression surgeries.

These treatments worked some of the time.  Most of the time treatment would provide temporary relief for short periods.  Many of those who would obtain relief from treatment would have periods of relief that would be punctuated by seemingly unprovoked exacerbations that would cause anger, frustration and depression in both the patient and Dr. Jones (I am sure that he was not the only doctor who was frustrated by treating these conditions).

For many of those patients who suffered with repetitive stress injuries, the end result of treatment was some level of disability followed by the loss of their employment.

Carpal tunnel surgery is questionable, statistics that show that approximately 95% of all carpal tunnel surgeries are reauthorized one year after the initial surgery date.  How hopeless does that sound?

Dr. Jones had always been a compassionate, attentive doctor who listened to his patients.  He would pay careful attention to their complaints and as a result he started to notice certain common threads that linked his repetitive stress patients.

Most of these complaints involved ergonomic issues that were easily fixed.  Some of these things included: having the computer monitor off to one side instead of placed in front of the patient, using the key board at the wrong height, and having a chair without armrests or postural correct supports.  Most of these issues were easy enough to fix.  The most common source of irritation that he was told of, however, was the neck, shoulder, elbow and wrist pain associated with mousing.

After carefully examining his treatment protocols for repetitive stress injuries, he came to an eye opening conclusion.  That conclusion was that there was no way to cure his patients with an hour per week of therapy (at the most) while they were spending upwards of 40 hours per week at work and many more hours per week at home doing computer work at ergonomically challenging work stations.  Something had to be done.

Dr. Jones’ knowledge of ergonomics told him that in order to eliminate the stress that mousing placed on the body that the mouse had to be placed as close as possible to the operator.  He looked into the various mouse platforms that were available online.  Some attached to keyboard trays, others attached to the desk, some attached to the chair and one even attached to your leg.

Dr. Jones liked the concept of a mouse platform that attached to the chair.  There are several benefits to this type of design.  First of all, a mouse platform that attaches to the armrest of the chair is natural and provides a constant distance between the mouse and the user.  With this design, the mouse is at your finger tips while your forearm comfortably rests on the armrest.  The other important feature of this design is that it allows the operator to sit back in his / her chair which allows for much needed low back and neck support.

He purchased many of the mouse platforms that attach to the chair and started his evaluations of the available products.  This seemed like such a reasonable solution to such a common problem yet these products were not readily available.  He soon realized why.  Many were expensive and had complex attachment procedures.  Furthermore, they were big.  It was difficult to get close to your desk because they protruded off the end of your armrest by 8 to 10 inches.  Lastly, they were not adjustable.  How could these platforms be considered ergonomic without the ability to rotate or tilt the platform itself?

After two years of development design and many different prototypes, he felt as though he had a solution.  Dr. Jones had developed a mouse platform that had a flexible attachment to the armrest of the chair, a smaller platform that didn’t intrude on the operator’s workspace and a platform that would not only laterally shift side to side, tilt side to side and tilt forward, but it would also tilt down and out of the way when having an attached product at the end of your armrest was not convenient.

While he recognizes that this product is not a solution for all ergonomic issues for everybody, it is a valuable component of an ergonomically friendly work environment.

When combined with a keyboard tray and a supportive chair with armrests that adjust up and down, this product makes for a very comfortable computer posture.

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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

Did you ever question why you can sit down all day long and don’t do any hard work and still your back or neck hurts? 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.
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.
Spinal health can be jeopardized slowly and insidiously due to postural stress. Regardless of whether you sit or stand, postural trauma can ensue. 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. 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.
If our posture puts pressure on our spines, the security that controls our structures when postural limitations are concerned is gone. 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. 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.
Along with chiropractic treatment, it is important to address origins of postural stress. Have your workstation analyzed to highlight any ergonomic issues that could cause postural stress. An ice pack placed on the affected area for twenty minutes can relieve neck pain and back pain.

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.

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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