Creating An Ergonomic Computer Space To Ease Back Pain

April 18th, 2012 AmeeL

Computers play a central role in many of our daily activities, whether we’re at school, work or home. Considering the amount of time we spend sitting in front of the screen, it is important to consider ergonomic computer options.

Ergonomics is the science of shaping our workplace and home environments to fit the needs of the human body. Making your computer space body-friendly requires more than just a certain type of computer; you must consider the keyboard setup, desk and chair you use as well.

According to OSHA, the following specifications must be facilitated by your computer space in order for it to be considered ergonomic:

Screen at or just below eye level
Neck in line with torso and head centered
Shoulders relaxed
Elbows close to body and supported on arm rests
Wrists and hands aligned with forearms
Adequate space allowed for keyboard and mouse
Lumbar support
Feet flat on the floor

Traditionally, it is also considered ergonomic to have 90 degree angles at the hip between the upper and lower body, the knee between the thigh and calf and the elbow between the upper and lower arm.

Computers and Keyboards

When choosing a computer, the desktop has one clear advantage over the laptop: separate keyboard. This allows the monitor to be set higher than the keyboard and in line with the eyes, encouraging the head and neck to stay aligned.

Laptops are becoming more adjustable, though. Separate keyboards can be purchased for laptops, although this does conflict with the laptop’s main advantages, which are compactness and portability. There are also laptop stands that allow you to open the computer wide, positioning the screen significantly higher than the keyboard. This has the drawback of requiring a number of other adjustments; with the keyboard more vertical, you will need to recline your seat way back in order to keep your wrists aligned with the forearms as well as a 90 degree angle between the upper and lower arm. This reclined position would also cause need for a wedged footrest.

A laptop called the DreamCom 10 has been designed with the capacity to elevate its screen, which would be the best option for making laptops ergonomic. The DreamCom 10 is not available on the market yet, though.

Laptops with wrist rests in front of the keyboard space encourage you to maintain wrist and forearm alignment, reducing the risk of wrist injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome.

Desks

It is important to have a desk that allows the keyboard and monitor of a desktop computer to be set at different levels. There may be a keyboard tray that pulls in and out or a separate level to the desk. Desks should be adjustable to tailor appropriate monitor and keyboard height.

Even an adjustable ergonomic desk may end up being too high for you. Using a footrest will ensure that you can maintain proper angling of joints and reduce stress to the hips and knees.

Some people have begun using standing desks while at work to alleviate the stresses and strains of prolonged sitting. These desks have similar ergonomic considerations as sitting desks, but only for the upper body.

Chairs

Ergonomic chairs are fit with adjustable seat height, adjustable back rest angle, adjustable arm rest height and a lumbar support, preferably one whose position is adjustable. The material ergonomic chair are made out of also matters; it should not be too soft to support your joints or so firm that it causes excess pressure on them.

For those who can’t afford a pricey ergonomic chair or who just want to try something new, sitting on an exercise ball has gained popularity in the office and at home. Balancing on the ball requires core engagement, which both encourages optimum posture and gives you a low-grade core workout.

Kneeling chairs are also available. These include a knee rest and seat for your buttocks. Kneeling chairs create an obtuse angle between your upper and lower body, which can decrease the pressure on your lower back and the tension in your hips. As with any position, it is still necessary to move around from time to time, as the kneeling chair does put pressure on the knees.

Paying attention to OSHA’s guidelines and being aware of what is available can help free you of sitting back pain when on the computer. Whether at work or home, you can tailor your environment to suit the needs of your body.

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Cause of Stabbing, Shooting Back Pain: Muscle or Nerve?

April 17th, 2012 AmeeL

Identifying the cause of back pain is often a hard thing to do, given the number of potential causes and the overlap of symptoms associated with them. It is still possible to narrow down your back pain cause with a little research and attention to detail.

Two common types of back pain are muscular and neurological. Muscular back pain can be caused by strain, overuse, spasm, trauma, or damage to a nearby tendon, ligament or myofascia (the connective tissue surrounding muscle). Neurological pain involves obstruction of a nerve.

It is often clear when pain is nerve-related; the signature of nerve pain is a sharp, stabbing sensation that shoots through the body along a nerve’s pathway. Yet it is possible for muscle pain to cause a shooting, stabbing sensation as well.

Nerve Vs. Muscle Pain

If you have stabbing pains that travel, it’s important to determine whether it’s caused by a muscular or nerve problem. Nerve obstruction is not only associated with pain, but with sensations of numbness, tingling and weakness along the nerve’s path. Refer to the map at www.apparelyzed.com to see spinal nerve pathways.

On the map, C2-C8 refer to the nerves that exit the spine at the 7 cervical vertebrae in the neck. T1-T12 represent the pathways of nerves leaving the thoracic spine in the upper and mid back. L1-L5 indicate the pathways of nerves exiting the lumbar spine in the lower back. Finally, S1-S5 refer to nerves that exit the sacrum at the base of the spine.

The direction in which a stabbing back pain shoots may indicate whether the cause of pain is nerve-related or muscular. Nerve pain caused by impingement near the spine leads to pain and other symptoms from the site of obstruction downward along the nerve path, not upward. If you have a shooting pain in the upper and mid back, then, this would indicate a muscle pain. On the dermatome map, you’ll observe that nerves in the upper and mid back wrap around the torso rather than traveling up and down.

There are a number of muscles that span large portions of the back. Refer to the picture of back muscles at ptd.yolasite.com. The latissimus dorsi and trapezius muscles along with the deeper erector spinae muscles cover a lot of territory and may be the source of widespread shooting pains. Yet such pain can occur in any other muscle as well.

When a muscle causes shooting pain, it is likely in spasm. A muscle spasm is marked by involuntary contraction. This indicates that the muscle has run out of energy. Muscles rely on a contraction/relaxation cycle to pump nutrients and waste in and out. Oxygen and electrolytes are delivered through the blood to muscles during this cycle, making sure they have energy to work. When a muscle runs out of energy, it goes into defense mode and contracts to prevent itself from being used more. Common causes of spasm are overuse, poor posture and improper bod mechanics. Chronic spasm may be a sign of an electrolyte deficiency in your body and merits medical attention.

It is important to be careful when considering what is causing your back pain; there may be more than one cause. For example, nerve obstruction can interfere with normal muscle signaling and cause spasms nearby. If you have pain or other neurologic symptoms shooting downward beyond the span of a muscle, you should consider the possibility of nerve obstruction.

Educating yourself about the structures of your body and potential causes of pain will equip you to find effective treatment fast. Shooting back pain may be muscular, nerve-related or both.

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Exercising With Scoliosis And Back Pain

April 16th, 2012 AmeeL

Though scoliosis is asymptomatic in some, for others it is a cause of back pain. Exercise therapy is one of the main approaches to scoliosis pain management, although exercise can be too painful for some. Building a strong core is one of the most important aspects of any exercise plan for back pain. Having a curved spine can make it difficult to strengthen your lower back and abdominal muscles without pain.

Fortunately, not only are there ways to get a strong core with scoliosis, but you can exercise to reduce the curvature of your spine. In the U.S., the predominant medical opinion is that scoliotic curves can’t be reversed unless they are caused by leg length discrepancy, muscle spasm or some other identifiable condition. Most cases of scoliosis are idiopathic, meaning the cause is unknown. This type of scoliosis involves not only curvature but rotation of the spine and is thought to only be treatable by surgery.

Yet a method was developed in Germany that has helped many people with scoliosis reduce their spinal curvatures non-surgically. Despite our many advancements, the U.S. has not caught up to this nearly 100-year-old method yet.

The Schroth Method

In the 1920′s, Katharina Schroth began teaching others with scoliosis the methods she developed as a teen to relieve her own spinal condition. Eventually she opened a clinic in Germany, and her daughter, a physical therapist, helped her develop her theory further. The Schroth method is focused on relieving muscle imbalances surrounding the curved and rotated spine as well as elongating the spine.

What causes such muscle imbalance is unknown, yet the Schroth method is more concerned with acknowledging it’s there and treating it. There are many types of scoliosis, but most involve 3 curvatures. The muscles surrounding the curves are distorted in length and tension. Some are shortened and tense while others are overstretched. All are likely to be weak, since they can’t do work properly in either state.

Schroth advises an individualized approach to physical therapy for scoliosis. The exact exercises you perform depend on the locations, number and degree of your curvatures and rotations. The scoliosis exercises this treatment uses can be found in a $60.00 book which you may want to consider introducing your doctor or physical therapist to. Since the approach is individualized, it is best to consult a medical professional before choosing exercises on your own. Check out the Schroth website at www.schrothmethod.com.

Since the Schroth method focuses on muscle imbalances, it would be wise to supplement this treatment with myofascial release. This technique helps to relax and elongate tense and shortened muscles. There are very few Schroth-trained professionals in the U.S.; finding a physical therapist trained in myofascial release will likely be easier.

Caution

It is necessary to be careful when strength-building if you have scoliosis, because you don’t want to exacerbate muscle imbalances. Normal core workouts that seek to develop your muscles symmetrically may actually cause pain.

It also is important to avoid exercises that require bending backward or twisting if you have scoliosis. You should not lift very heavy objects or focus on weightlifting; this puts too much pressure on the spinal discs, which are already subjected to high pressures due to the vertebral angles around them.

Having a strong core is important for everyone, but people with scoliosis need to also be aware of the need for balance, flexibility and elongation. The Schroth method can help you treat scoliosis.

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Getting Rid Of Muscle Knots: Myofascial Release

April 12th, 2012 AmeeL

Muscle knots are notoriously difficult to rid from muscles. The pain and restriction of movement they cause can interfere with daily activities and your quality of life. Though popular medical discourse still hasn’t quite caught up to it, a technique does exist for relieving muscle knots.

Myofascial pain syndrome first entered the medical consciousness in the early 1980′s and has yet to become a popular topic of discussion among medical professionals. Yet some physical therapists, doctors, chiropractors and massage therapists are aware of what myofascial pain is and how it can be relieved.

Knots/Trigger Points

Myofascial pain syndrome is characterized by trigger points, which are dense knots of contracted fiber in a tight band of muscle. The contracted fibers belong to myofascia, the connective tissue surrounding muscles, and often to the muscles beneath them as well.

Trigger points generally form from chronic tension in a muscle, which can occur due to overuse, poor posture or improper body mechanics. An acute injury can also cause trigger points or knots to form.

There is some controversy over whether every muscle knot is a trigger point. A trigger point is defined as a tender knot that causes localizes pain when touched, restricted range of motion and, sometimes, referred pain to other areas of the body. Another key facet of a trigger point is the local twitch response; when compressed, the point causes a small twitch to run throughout the muscle it affects.

Failed Treatments

Whether or not every knot is a trigger point, treatment of the two is the same. Most people resort to stretching when a muscle is tight; this is a common sense approach to managing and recovering from pain. Yet muscle knots and trigger points don’t respond well to stretching. When a whole muscle is in spasm, it is forcibly contracting; any attempt to stretch it out will only cause it to contract more in self-protection. The same is true for the isolated spasm of a trigger point.

Heat is traditionally used to relax tight, stiff muscles and increase the circulation of blood to the area, yet heat has proven ineffective in the treatment of trigger points and knots.

General massage is excellent for muscles, yet trigger points cannot be released by having the muscle rubbed. Special techniques are required.

Effective Treatments

Myofascial release can be obtained in a couple of ways. The most careful way is to seek out treatment from a specialist. Myofascial release practitioners do more than massage; they assess patterns of tension throughout the musculature to find areas with the most tension. They use a special technique to stretch myofascia back to its normal shape and elasticity. An important part of myofascial release is that the practitioner can feel the muscle’s response to his or her touch and assess how much pressure to use during the next application. The specialist can also locate small trigger points deep within muscles that aren’t easily detected. Consider seeking out a trigger point massage therapist or myofascial release specialist.

Not everyone can afford myofascial release therapy. Luckily, self-myofascial release (SMR) has made a name for itself in the home treatment of back pain and other pain conditions. This technique involves rolling over a firm object, usually a foam roller or tennis ball, to force tense muscles and myofascia to relax and regain elasticity. SMR does not involve the same biofeedback benefits that myofascial release administered by a professional does, but for many it is still an effective and necessary component of treatment. For people with pain conditions, it is best to begin rolling with a trained physical therapist or other health professional so you know you’re performing it correctly.

For an introduction to SMR, see www.sport-fitness-advisor.com.

If trigger points are causing you chronic back pain, seek out a specialist who is familiar with myofascial pain syndrome. Effective and natural treatments exist to relieve muscle knots.

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