 Office ergonomics and lifting techniques (430 kb)
Ergonomics in the Workplace Do you want better posture???
If you want better posture, set up your desk to MINIMISE the time spent LOOKING DOWN.
This happens naturally if the TOP of the monitor is level with the top of your nose.
Times this over hours, weeks and years and you can imagine that this one step could prevent serious back and neck issues in years to come.
Your monitor needs to be at a height where the top of the screen is at least in line with the bridge of your nose. This keeps our whole body much more upright without any effort rather than slumping down to look at the computer screen. Prop your monitor up by putting on stand, book or box.
When sitting at your desk you should have two feet on the ground in front of you. If you need to have your chair higher so that you are better aligned with the height of your desk then get a foot stool to rest your feet on.
Once on your chair with your feet on the ground in front of you, your elbows should be bent and your wrists and forearms should be resting in a relaxed position on the desk infront of you. Make sure your shoulders also relaxed down and not sitting up around your ears. This is very important!!
For those of you that work off a laptop…
Essentially you want to turn your laptop into a PC when you are using it either at home or in the office.
Do this by getting a separate mouse and keyboard to plug into the laptop. Use the laptop for the screen only propped up on a book, stand or box. This allows you to look straight ahead at the computer and not down therefore preventing neck and back strain.
If you are looking down over long periods of time at your desk we get strains in our neck and back muscles, this can even cause you to get micro tears in the postural muscles of the neck and back… you don't want this do you? So make sure you follow the above guide lines to setup your desk correctly to avoid back and neck pain.
Osteopathy and the Workplace
As Osteopath's it is our goal to help people achieve optimal health, and it is for this reason why we chose to become health care practitioners. Every patient is an individual and their body and state of health is each and to their own. However what a number of people share in common is occupational strain.
Some questions for you?
- How often do you get home from work and think ‘oof' finally the day is over, my body is aching?
- How long do you spend in front of a computer per day? Are you constantly reaching for the mouse with the same arm all day?
- Are you sitting down for the majority of the day?
- Does your shoulders, neck or back begin to tighten up during the day?
- Does your job involve repetitive lifting, twisting and bending over?
Does your job contribute to your health???
Unfortunately our bodies weren't designed to endure the pressure that modern day occupations place on us, whether it be an office worker sitting at a computer all day, or a plumber on their hands and knees. Even as an osteopath, our job places incredible amounts of strain upon our body. It is for this reason that we receive osteopathic treatment on a maintenance basis, so we keep our body in shape and prevent an injury (you can too).
It is much better to receive treatment before injury or strain sets in, and it is a good way of minimising the amount of visits to the osteopath or doctor you need, as an injured patient usually requires twice as many treatments as one who prevents one. Management and prevention are often the keys to maintaining a better state of health, and osteopathic treatment on a maintenance basis may be a way of managing your health. It makes sense to manage and deal with the pressures of everyday life rather than letting it get the better of us. Take control of your life don't let it control you!
Tomorrow when you are at work just take a moment to think 'Is my occupation contributing to my health'?
How frequent is maintenance treatment?
Every person is different and their current medical state, activity levels, diet and occupation are just some of the factors that govern their health and whether treatment is the correct thing for them or not. A number of people benefit form receiving osteopathic treatment on a maintenance basis. Some people may present to our clinic every few weeks and some may come only every few months. However from clinical experience we have realised that it is those people who are aware of their health and maintain their health that are the ones who benefit the most and end up requiring the least frequent treatment. As holistic health care practitioners we realise that Osteopathy is not the ‘be all and end all' of the complementary medical field, and we will give advice on other avenues that a person can explore to seek help, because it is the patients health that is our priority .
Common symptoms of occupational strain may include:
- Headaches.
- Neck pain.
- Upper back pain.
- General stiffness.
- Low back pain
- Repetitive strain symptoms
Final important note: We have one life, one body…Please look after yourself. :-)
Brügger's Relief Position
Posture is one of those things we often forget about, that is, until somebody or something reminds us to straighten up. For most of us, we are not born with bad posture, it is something we learn, that eventually becomes habit. Luckily, habits can be broken! Posture is vitally important in all aspects of life, whether it be watching television, working out at the gym, sitting at your work station or participating in sport – it is the basis from which our bodies operate.
When poor posture sets in, the bones, muscles, joints and ligaments all take on more stress and strain than what was intended for them. This can lead to fatigue as your muscles have to work harder; this can then lead to soreness caused by muscle fatigue, and ultimately can decrease the range of motion available in your joints, leading to stiffness.
The good news is it's not too late to improve your posture. By committing to the simple exercise set out below, you will not only boost your confidence but also your breathing, circulation and digestion. It is also an excellent tool for balancing out your muscles. 
The best news is it can be performed either sitting at your desk or standing on the work floor. This technique must be done every 20-30 minutes to be at its most effective. So set an alarm, keep an eye on the clock, and look forward to improved posture in no time. Sitting
- Sitting on the edge of your chair, perching on the end
- Hold your head up high
- Spread your legs slightly apart to the sides
- Turn your legs/feet outward slightly
- Rest your weight on your legs and feet evenly
- Relax your abdominal muscles whilst drawing your belly in slightly toward your spine
- Tilt your pelvis forward and raise your breastbone up
- Keeping your shoulders down, turn your hands so your palms are facing outwards
- Turn your arms slightly further outward and spread your fingers apart
- Add in a slight head nod
- Hold this position and take deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth for 10 seconds
Standing
- Stand tall and proud with your head held high
- Spread your legs slightly apart to the sides
- Turn your feet outward slightly
- Draw your belly in slightly toward your spine
- Tilt your pelvis forward and raise your breastbone up
- Keeping your shoulders down, turn your hands so your palms are facing outwards
- Turn your arms slightly further outward with your arms somewhat raised from your sides
- Add in a slight head nod
- Hold this position and take deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth for 10 seconds
Once you have performed this exercise on a regular basis it should become second nature, so much so that when you slouch, you will find this to be more uncomfortable than sitting or standing straight!
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