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MY Ergonomic Advice
Understanding the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Does your wrist hurt or go numb sometimes? You might be suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome. You are not alone. According to compiled information from a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics study in 2018, carpal tunnel syndrome is the third most common type of work-related injuries.
A 2010 study done by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine said that those who are in the office and do administrative support are among those who are more at risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome. Other occupations include being in production and personal care and service.
All told, it is a condition that needs to be addressed right away. While carpal tunnel syndrome is not fatal, it can lead to complete, irreversible median nerve damage. If left untreated, it comes with consequent severe loss of hand function.
What causes carpal tunnel syndrome?
Carpal tunnel syndrome happens when the median nerve, which runs from your forearm through a passageway in your wrist to your hand, is compressed. According to Mayoclinic.org, the median nerve is responsible for providing sensation to the palm side of your thumb and fingers, except the little finger. It also provides nerve signals to move the muscles around the base of your thumb (motor function).
There are studies that link mouse and mousepad activitie
What the heck is Tech Neck?
Have you ever heard of Tech Neck?
If you spend long hours on your laptop or on your phone and are experiencing pain in your neck, you probably have tech neck. In this article, we’ll be exploring the causes, symptoms and remedies to this modern ailment.
What is Tech Neck?
If you’ve ever experienced aches and pains in your neck after using your phone or your laptop, chances are you’ve experienced tech neck. Tech neck isn’t a formal medical diagnosis but rather more of a modern day term to express the pain or discomfort that comes with using various forms of technology (i.e. your phone, laptop or your game console). Despite it’s catchy name however Tech Neck doesn’t just concern the pain in your neck, although it's the most common. Tech Neck is an overall term that can cover various aches and pains in your body such as your lower back and shoulders. What defines Tech Neck is that it’s caused by the strain of using technology.
While many are quick to point the finger to technology, Tech Neck isn’t an issue of too much screen time. Rather it’s an issue of posture, position and screen height. To fully understand just how Tech Neck is developed we have to see first how and why it’s so widespread and how you can be more mindful when it comes to spending long hours in front of the screen.
Let’s first look into the neck, given that that’s where Tech Neck truly gets its reputation from. Your neck or cervical spine is the most flexible part of your spine, while
5 Tips How to Protect Your Joints
Joint health matters. When the joints are in good working condition, you can bike, run, jump, and walk smoothly. Joints are present where two or more bones join -- so this means they are in charge of keeping everything intact for mobility.
Most joints have cartilage on the ends of the bones. The cartilage helps you move by reducing friction and absorbing shock when bones move together. If the joints and cartilage are in poor condition, the body is more prone to injury, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
What can I do?
Luckily, there are many ways to keep your joints healthy. Keeping a balanced and active lifestyle can help your joints to stay in tip-top shape. Here are five ways to protect your joints:
1. Stay in motion -- Move, move, move. Avoid a sedentary lifestyle and look for ways to stay active. If you are always at your desk, you can try a height adjustable table so you can stand and sit whenever possible. This Huffington Post article noted that too much sitting in with bad posture can wear and tear the discs and joints as well as tighten hip joints.
Incorporating
Why Working From Home Can Make Your Shoulders Sore
There’s some bad news for remote workers: Working from home may be making your shoulders sore. Specifically, your makeshift home office is wreaking havoc on your body. If you have been working from your bed, sofa, or spare kitchen chair, chances are these non-ergonomic workstations are putting a strain on the body.
A DailyMail article noted that in a recent survey by the Institute of Employment Studies, there has been a 'significant increase in musculoskeletal complaints' during the quarantine period. It continued to show that “more than half of those surveyed reported new aches and pains: 58 percent in the neck, 56 percent in the shoulder, and 55 percent in the back.”
Why do the shoulders hurt? Poor posture is the culprit
Your work equipment may be limited at home. You use a regular telephone so you cradle the phone between your neck and shoulders most of the time. Or you slouch when you peer down into your laptop. These are some recipes for body ache.
When you work with poor posture, the back, neck, and shoulders suffer. This cycle of body pain can cause great distress. If the pain becomes chronic, it might lead to depression, a Cleveland Clinic article said.
If you work on a traditional desk and chair, there are limited options on how you can work nearer to your laptop to read files or write a report. The result is that you crane your neck forward and put you in a “C-position” which would put a strain on the back and surrounding muscles like the
Warning: Cigarette Smoking Can Increase Back Pain
Every stick that you light brings harm to the body. Now studies show that even back pain can stem from SMOKING.
A May 2020 study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) showed that tobacco kills more than eight million people each year. This is a dark fact, but something that everyone must know -- especially those who have the habit of smoking.
Talking about the mortality rate is one thing but living with the damaging effects of smoking is another. One of these health risks is chronic back pain. According to Medical News Today, which cited the study done by Bogdan Petre of the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern, smoking interferes with a brain circuit associated with pain, making smokers more prone to chronic back pain.
Back pain is a prevalent medical condition that hampers productivity. According to a WHO study, it is one of the reasons why workers miss days at work. In the United States, an estimated 149 million work days are lost every year because of low back pain, with total costs estimated to be US$ 100 to 200 billion a year.
The association between smoking and chronic back pain
How does smoking trigger chronic back pain? Let’s just say that the substance in the cigarettes alters the brain’s response to pain.
How to Work From Home Without Hurting Your Back
With the order to stay at home to stymie the spread of the coronavirus, workers had to make do with makeshift home offices. But it comes with a cost -- physical discomfort can stem from working in a place that is not ergonomically sound. One of the body parts that suffer most is the back, which bears the brunt of less activity and too much sitting on hard surfaces.
Your back, being an important muscle in the body, has the strength and ability to see you through the day. But most of our daily activities wreak havoc on our back, especially if we sit at a desk for a long period. Having a sedentary work can also affect the back and may lead to more serious problems as the discomfort can reach to your legs and hips as well. This is why it is important to protect your back and not to ignore any strains that are already bothering you.
What can you do?
All hope is not lost for those who experience back pain. With interventions and small changes in your work routine, you can save your back in no time.
- Take a break - Pausing from work is important for your mind but also for your back. It does not have to be drastic at all. It can be taking advantage of the afternoon lull when you have finished your deliverables or waiting for your boss’ response. Or maybe, to put a twist on your Zoom meetings, you can make th
How is Foot Pain Related to Low Back Pain?
Do you remember the time you were unable to work properly because of that unbearable pain from time to time? The time you keep toss and turning at night because you can’t find the right sleeping position to ease the back pain? Or how about the time you woke up in the morning and you felt that sore on your feet and legs when you walk?
If you experienced the mentioned scenes above, then it’s possible that your current foot pain is related to your lower back pain. To get to know how these two are related, we’ve rounded up some interesting facts on the causes and how to relieve the pain.
The Relation Between Foot Pain and Lower Back Pain
It may come as a surprise but most pain we feel in the foot has nothing to do leg or foot itself, unless we’re injured. Foot pain can be caused by an irritated or compressed nerve root located in the lower back. This pain can radiate along the sciatic nerve (the longest nerve in the body), and transcended into the foot.
As stated in an article, it’s not only the feet that’s affected with low back pain – it can be knees, hips, shoulders and spinal joints if left unattended.
Written below are some of the symptom of foot pain:
- Inability to lift the foot upward. Sometimes, it also comes with numbness in the middle lower leg and foot. This pain occurs if one of the spinal nerve roots in the lower back that innervates the sciatic nerve is affected.
- Hard to walk on tiptoes. This is a common foot pain felt by people which has basically something to do with sciatic nerve. People who has this experiences difficult
Facts You Should Know About Low Back Strain
It’s no easy dealing with lower back strain from time to time, and I think anyone can agree with it. 8 out of 10 people have this dull ache in the back, either from waking up in the morning or probably due to an unhealthy sedentary lifestyle.
So what does low back strain feels like? If you feel this pain and stiffness in the back, in the buttocks, legs, and back of the thigh, and sometimes it worsens when you bend or stretch, then you probably are experiencing a low back strain.
We may have these myths on our head on the causes of how we get the lower back strain, but to dig deeper into the issue, we’ve written down a list of causes and simple at-home treatment you can do to ease yourself with these back troubles.
3 Major Causes of Low Back Strain
Extreme Physical Activity. Gym buffs and those who carry a lot usually experience the low back strain from time to time. Too much stress, especially when you’re lifting something heavy, can form tiny tears in a muscle, known as a muscle strain, which is a very common form of back injury. Learn some proper ways of lifting heavy load without causing pain the back.
Poor Sleeping Position or Inappropriate Mattress Bed. There are two types of mattresses in the market you should consider depending on your preference. However, for those experiencing low back strain, it’s highly recommended to get a memory foam mattress and avoid sleeping on your stomach as much as possibl
Try These Back Exercises at Home for Remote Work Relief
With the COVID-19 pandemic, the home office has become the only office for many workers. Some are leaning into the comforts of home and sitting down on the cozy couch or bed with a laptop for the day. Unfortunately, long hours in these positions can cause back pain.
The advantage, however, of working in comfortable clothes and a private space is that you can do back exercises at home to provide some relief. We’ll start below with tips for pain prevention and continue with a back pain exercise plan you can work into your new routine.
Advice for Work from Home Pain Prevention
Aim for proper posture. It may be tempting to sit on the sofa or even in bed, but selecting an ergonomic chair and desk is best. Sit with feet flat on the floor, legs at a 90-degree angle, and head, neck and spine aligned. Adjust the monitor so that your eyes align with the top – avoid angling head and neck downward, as this puts strain on the back.
Avoid being sedentary. Get up and move for a few minutes every hour. Even better, use a height adjustable desk to switch up your body position while you work. Proper posture for standing work is similar to that of seated work – just bring your legs into alignment with the head, neck and spine.
Exercises to Relieve Back Pain
The focus of many of these exercises if strengthening the core, so they’re beneficial for anyone. Even if you aim for correct posture, back pain can still creep in. Try these back exercises at home to heal, recover and strengthen.
-Partial Crunch
For partial crunches, lie on the floor with knees bent and feet flat. Use your hands to support the back of your neck, or cross your arms over your chest. Inhale, and
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