Occupational Hazards May Be at the Root of Your Back & Neck Pain

By Dr. Steven Warfield

As a chiropractor I treat back pain every day.  Some are caused by automobile accidents and others from overdoing physical activities.  However, one of the predominant reasons that people over the age of forty wind up in my care has to do with the fact that when it comes to getting your back out of whack, nothing is more effective and insidious than the workplace.  I’m not talking about people who work for the US Post office, FedEx or UPS or those who work in warehouses.  Those folks know the proper way to lift heavy packages.  What I am referring to are office workers.  You see, more people do more damage to their back sitting behind a desk than most other occupations combined.

The Personal Computer is Not Your Friend

If you spend a significant portion of your day staring at a computer screen, this is known to lead to forward head and shoulder posture which can cause  pinched nerves and degenerative disc disease.  If your monitor sits flat atop your desk, this necessitates that you lean your head forward to read the screen.  Doing this day in and day out sets up a domino effect of sorts caused in part by the pull of gravity on your head.    This head down posture puts strain on the vertebrae of the lower neck, which in turn causes the muscles of the upper back to work overtime in order to compensate.  Over time, the lower cervical vertebrae may slide forward, further curving the spine until sufferers of this syndrome begin to suffer neck pain, tingling or loss of feeling in the fingers and persistent muscle ache as the muscles and tendons become tight. 

Beware Your Chair

Lumbar lordosis refers to the hollow in your back which is a natural feature of the spine.  It is also one of the first areas to be affected by poor posture brought about by hunching when we sit.  The first culprit is the office chair.  Believe it or not, most people do not realize that the backrest on many office chairs is designed specifically to be adjusted to help maintain correct process. Look for a knob directly behind the backrest which can be turned right and left that moves the backrest in and out.  By twisting the knob clockwise the backrest should move forward and vice versa.   If your chair is not adjustable you can purchase a lumbar roll or even roll up a towel to properly support the lower back. 

There are also a number of exercises that you can perform for a few minutes every day that can help stretch the muscles that become overworked and tight as a result of prolonged periods sitting at a desk.  Below are a couple of exercises that can help correct the situation.

  

Corner Stretch

A basic exercise that is important for stretching the chest and shoulder muscles is the corner stretch. It is performed in the corner of a room.

This neck stretch is done as follows:

·         Patients stand approximately two feet back from the corner, facing into the corner.

·         Feet should be together.

·         Forearms are placed on each wall, and elbows are a little below shoulder height (Figure 1).

·         Lean in as far as possible without pain. Patients will feel a stretch in the front of the shoulders and chest (Figure 2).

·         Hold the stretch for about 30 seconds to a minute.

http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/neck-pain/neck-stretches

The Slouch Overcorrect Procedure

This exercise helps you find your correct sitting posture. 

·         Slouch completely

·         Sit up and accentuate your lumbar lordosis as far as possible. (Hold this posture for a few seconds.)

·         Release the strain.

http://www.drsarasolomon.com/oxygen-magazine-blog-if-you-are-slouched-in-your-chair-then-sit-up-straight-and-read-this-by-dr-sara-solomon/

One of the easiest ways to know if you are succumbing to any of these occupational postures is to stand with your back flat against the wall and note whether your head is touching the wall or whether it is several inches or more away from the wall.  (People with forward head and shoulder posture find it extremely difficult if not painful to straighten their neck so that the back of the head touches the wall.)  If you suspect that you or any one you know suffers from this condition, tell them to consult a chiropractor right away.  Not only can a chiropractor correct this problem, they can also show sufferers a number of exercises that are designed to alleviate the muscle strain that this condition can cause before it leads to more serious problems down the road.

Dr.’s Steven Warfield and Dave Edenfield offer the most advanced treatments for back pain, sciatica, neck pain, whiplash and headaches. They also treat auto accident victims with state-of-the-art technologies.  For more information visit http://www.lakewoodchiropracticjax.com/