Posts Tagged ‘neck pain’
If you sit for extended periods at a computer, you may be experiencing lower back pain, upper back pain, and/or neck pain that also radiates down one or both of your arms generating additional pain, pins and needles, or numbness. Neck and shoulder pain are, in fact, the most common upper-extremity musculoskeletal problems among computer users. In a 2002 study tracking 632 computer users newly hired at major Atlanta companies, Dr. Fredric E. Gerr, an occupational medicine physician and ergonomics investigator at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, and colleagues observed that roughly 60 percent developed neck or shoulder pain in the first year, though the study did not track how long symptoms persisted.
Younger generations growing up in the digital age are also joining the ranks of the “typing wounded.” Surveys at two universities found that 40 to 50 percent of undergraduates experienced upper-extremity pain from using their computers. Colleges do not build dormitory furniture to be ergonomically adjustable, said Dr. Benjamin Amick, scientific director of the Institute for Work and health in Toronto, who was a co-author of those studies. “They build it to be indestructible.”
In addition to repetitive stress problems, sitting at your computer too long places your upper back in a sustained, stressful posture, especially if you tend to lean forward when you’re working. This also puts your neck at an unnatural and strained angle. Lower back pain, in addition to being generated by simply sitting for long periods of time without getting up and moving around, is aggravated by bad posture.
Problems caused by extended computer use can not only lead to an inability to perform your work duties, but can keep you from enjoying the rest of your life, too. Your Orlando chiropractor can assist in eliminating the lower back pain, upper back pain, and/or neck pain that you are currently experiencing. After that, it is important for you to become mindful of your body as you sit at your computer, and to give your body what it naturally needs. You can cultivate the habit of both sitting straight in your chair (as opposed to slouching) and relaxing your shoulders. This will help to relieve tension in your lower and upper back and neck. Take time to stretch periodically to ease muscle tension and encourage healthy blood flow. If your work station permits, sitting on an exercise ball can not only aide in keeping you in a beneficial posture, but can help to strengthen your core muscles as well. (Make sure that the ball is the right size so that when you are seated on it your arms are at a ninety-degree angle to your keyboard.)
Good posture for ease of movement, variety in the motions that you do, and short breaks to relax and stretch will go a long way in keeping your computer work (or play) pain-free.
Partial source: The New York Times, Health Review, June 22, 2009
Whenever we wake up in the morning with a stiff and painful neck, the propensity is to blame the predicament on our pillow, bed, or sleep position during that night. We also try to figure out what is taking place when sudden neck movement causes a sharp pain that feels as if “something” has slipped out of position or that a nerve is being “pinched.” It is important to understand that most neck problems are rarely caused by a single incident, but rather by the cumulative effects of unsuitable sitting posture, unhealthy work and living habits, lack of beneficial exercise and flexibility, and other lifestyle-related factors. Obviously, some neck challenges are due to traumatic events such as a whiplash accident, a fall, or a sports injury.
Anatomy
To understand neck pain, it is necessary to be aware of the anatomy of the spine. The movement of the spine is guided by neck vertebrae that are composed of posterior joints, called facets, that link vertebrae to one another. Inter-vertebral discs, composed of strong cartilage, connect the “bodies” of the vertebrae. This tough cartilage surrounds the nucleus, a soft material in the center of the inter-vertebral discs. The principal function of the disc is as a shock absorber and spacer between the vertebrae. The spinal cord is situated between the facets of the vertebrae. Spinal nerves exit the spine between the vertebrae and impart energy to muscles and organs of the body. Transversely, they carry sensory impulses, including pain information, from the body to the brain. The nerves that go out from the neck are in charge of the entire upper extremity including the shoulder, elbow and hand, as well as structures of the head and neck. The natural forward curve of the neck balances the weight of the head and decreases stress on neck vertebrae. For more information please feel free to visit your Orlando Chiropractor.
Risk Factors: Neck Pain and Computer Use
More and more people are now earning a wage sitting at a desk in front of a computer. The use of computers has risen astronomically, and many individuals spend eight to ten hours a day slumped over the keyboard and staring at the monitor. When we sit with our head in a forward bent position-the posture that most desk workers assume-the ligaments that hold the facets together and the muscles in the neck are put under tremendous strain. In addition, the normal forward curve of the neck becomes reversed causing more stress upon all the surrounding tissues of the neck. All of this can lead to spinal problems including disc herniation and subluxations, which are the primary causes of spinal nerve pain. Besides general pain, spinal nerve inflammation in the neck can produce symptoms like headaches, eye problems, giddiness, arm and hand pain (and paraesthesia), as well as shoulder pain.
Headaches and Chiropractic Care
Headaches or migraines are usually associated with dysfunction of the cervical spine. Symptoms, from a dull ache to throbbing pain, are created when the cervical vertebrae lose their natural position or motion and sensitive nerves and blood vessels, related to structures in the head are stretched or agitated. In many instances the tight knots in the muscles of the neck, called trigger points, can also refer pain to the head. Of course there are other factors associated with headaches including toxic fumes, certain foods, additives such as MSG, alcohol, caffeine, and stress. But, the alignment of the neck and the inflammation of surrounding tissues should be a primary consideration when treating headaches and migraines. Chiropractic treatment and management have proved to be very effective in the treatment of headaches. Ask your Orlando Chiropractor about the benefits of Chiropractic care.
Whiplash and Chiropractic Care
Unfortunately, many people are involved in car accidents. Rear-end collisions are the most common. During such a collision, the head of the passenger in the front car is powerfully jerked back, and then forward, causing harm to the structure of both the front and back of the neck. This type of injury is often called a whiplash. Even at low speeds, the amount of force generated by such an accident is very intense and can cause damage to the ligaments, muscles, facet joints, discs, and spinal nerves. Besides neck pain and immobility, symptoms such as headaches, nausea, vertigo, arm and shoulder pain, tingling in the hands and fingers and weakness of the arm and hand are associated with whiplash injury. Immediate evaluation and x-rays are extremely important in order to rule out a fracture. More often than not in almost all cases, the injuries are primarily to the soft tissues and joints. Proper care is essential in healing from the pain and symptoms of whiplash, and also to prevent future disability. Your Orlando Chiropractor is educated to understand whiplash injury, and is more than capable of managing the case from injury to recovery.