Osteopathic perspective of Computers
• Make your computer back-friendly
• If you use a laptop use a separate keyboard and mouse
• Take care with your chair
• Keep moving
The aim is to give you a some advice in sitting appropriately in front of your computer and work posture suggestions.
Make your computer back-friendly Sitting badly in front of a computer for hours on end is storing up trouble.
The body can tolerate being in one position for only a short period of time before you feel the need to adjust. Positioning monitor, keyboard and mouse correctly can help to ensure good computer posture and the proper chair is essential. Repetition – performing the same movement over and over again, can also lead to muscle fatigue or injury, especially if your body is badly positioned.
Here are some ways to keep your computer and back in harmony.
The advice I provide, you will need: a decent size table, a decent chair (adjustable height), and a "grandma" cushion (not too small not too thick 40cm*25cm).
The Mouse Syndrome:
No - it is not a state in which you develop a long tail, some fur and an increase appetite for cheese.
The mouse syndrome is a series of signs and symptom that a desk worker tends to develop.
-Neck pain
-Upper Back pain
-Shoulder pain
-Headaches
-Thoracic outlet syndrome
-Carpal tunnel syndrome
-Stress...
Analysis of the typical posture in an office:
Too often people slouch in their chair which because of its price is generally quite comfortable, but in fact wrongly comfortable. When you slouch you:
-decrease your lumbar lordosis (decrease extension of low back) which feels good because you stretch some muscles but in fact you over stretch for 8 hrs a day your ligaments , capsules and discs of your low back.
-increase of thoracic kyphosis (flexion of mid back). This leads to a poor relaxed posture which compromise greatly the function of your diaphragm. In fact your diaphragm cannot contract properly because it sits on your abdominal organs. This obliges you to breathe with your upper chest and use breathing accessories muscles.
-Bring your head back, as the you might have a bit of wear and tear in his neck this neck extension is precipitating some neck pain and headaches.
-Only the wrists or first third of the forearm is resting on the desk. By doing so you need to carry the weight of your arms and forearms. And well known muscles for their tendency to give neck and shoulder pain !
-Tendency to use the mouse moving all the arm and shoulder. The shoulder is not made to do some precise movements but wide ones. if you try to do precise movement with your shoulder you need to contract all the muscles of the shoulder! Mouse Syndrome.
Analysis of a better
posture at work
:-Sit right back on your chair, not your back but your buttocks. Now lean forward and insert the grandma cushion down your low back. Now straighten up. How do you feel? if you have the good size cushion you should feel being straight without any effort. The cushion should be situated at the upper part of your low back, if this make sense. Don't try to force your shoulders to touch the back of the chair. Just sit straight.
-Now come closer to your desk, a bit more, a bit more. Be close enough from the desk to have 2 inches between your stomach and the desk.
-Your feet should be flat on the floor with a nice 100 degree angle at your knees, as your leg slope down, (hips above knees). Add a foot rest if your legs require this.
-Now rest your two forearms on the desk, your keyboard should be at least 25 to 30 cm away from the edge of the desk. Adjust the height of your chair to feel your shoulder relaxed and your arms/forearms resting comfortably on the desk. You should be pretty comfortable in this posture and should feel your shoulder much more relax than earlier. In fact you don't carry the weight of your arms anymore, but the desk does it for you.
- Position the screen at 90 degrees to any light source avoiding glare/reflections. Have regular eye checks and ensure, if you need glasses, that you select the appropriate lenses for VDU use.
-The mouse is situated at the same level than your keyboard. Have your mouse sensitive enough so that you can run through the screen only using your wrist.
-The screen should be standing at least 45cm away from the edge of the desk. I would recommend a 17 or 19 inches flat screen.
- It is useful to be ambidextrous with the mouse so that either arm can be rested if doing a lot of mouse work.
-Telephone Cradling the phone between you neck and shoulder causes severe muscle tension. If you regularly use the phone, consider a headset.
- Take mini breaks regularly - at least hourly. Use this time to move around, change posture and maybe do some of the exercises shown by David.
- Find ways to create movement in the office environment.
- Laptop Use All the above principles apply. If using a Laptop for extended periods, a height adjustable stand and seperate keyboard/mouse is recommended.
Another recommendation would be to adopt a more abdominal breathing.
Each time you breathe in avoid to breathe with your chest but pushing out your abdomen. When you breathe out pull in your stomach and contract your abdominal muscles and pelvic muscles firmly, and when you breathe in just relax them. Doing this will promote a good breathing, a better digestion, a firmer abdo belt, decrease your stress and being more focus on your work !
Take Care, David
Spinal manipulation is effective for low back pain (BEAM trial, 2004)
Government guidelines recommend osteopathy for persistent low back pain (NICE, 2009)
Osteopathy is possibly effective for infantile colic (Hayden 2006)