BACK to basics

I'm going to kick off The Health Dance opening week with some basic BACK education.

Let me guess either you or someone close to you suffers from chronic back pain? Now for the shock factor... back pain is the SECOND most common reason for a visit to a physician, THIRD most common indication for surgery, and FIFTH most common diagnosis for admission to a hospital (1). When all is said and done back pain is one of the most expensive health care problems in the NATION draining over 90 BILLION DOLLARS a year (2)! Do I have your attention yet?

The most common cause of back pain is not an injury at one point in time but rather an additive effect of poor posture and body mechanics over a long period of time. THIS IS A GOOD THING! It's hard to prevent a single injury such as a car accident, or fall but we can prevent a lifetime of bad posture and body positioning.

MY CHALLENGE TO YOU: Take charge of your workstation.

Studies have shown that on average adults spend 60% of their day SITTING (3).

1. CHAIR: It is important to have a chair that can be adjusted to your dimensions.
• Adjust height such that your feet are flat on the floor. You never want your knees to be above your hips (chair too low) or your feet to be hanging off the ground (chair too high).
• Some people like to put a cushion or towel roll under the fronts of their feet. This slight elevation of the forefoot puts the ankles in a more neutral (ideal) alignment for prolonged sitting.
• Adjust the angle of the seat such that you are tilted slightly forwards. This position puts your shoulders in line over your hips and forces you out of a slouched posture.
• Adjust the arm rests such that your shoulders are in a relaxed positions. If you notice your shoulders creeping up by your ears your arm rests are too high! Arm rests are a great way to take a little weight off your shoulders and relieve tension in your upper trapezius muscle.
• If you STILL find yourself slouching add a lumbar support to your back rest. This can be as simple as a rolled up towel or a store bought version such as The Original McKenzie Lumbar Roll.
2. DESK:
• Choose a desk height that you can comfortably rest your arms on without hiking your shoulders up.
• Move your keyboard back far enough such that your wrists can be supported on the desk. You may want to add a wrist support pillow if you do a lot of typing, such as The Imak Non-Skid Wrist Support.
• Adjust the height of your computer monitor. The top of your screen should be in line with your eyes and should be directly in front of you. These little changes can take the strain off of your neck muscles. You may need to stack a few books under your laptop to bring it up to the correct height.
3. YOU:
• Your body was built to move! Avoid sitting still for prolonged periods. When you are sitting don't turn into a statue... wiggle around a bit! Every time you move your back around you are increasing blood flow to the spine... and with blood comes nutrients.
• Every so often stand up, do a little stretch, and take a short walk.
• Stay hydrated! This point can not be emphasized enough. The majority of people right now are walking around in a state of dehydration. The discs that are between each vertebrae in our backs are composed of water. Think of these discs like pillows that help cushion every movement for our spine. 

WHY Should I Make These Changes???

All of the above changes will help to bring your spine into better alignment (your shoulders directly over your hips). When you leave this position you tend to SLOUCH, this means your spine is in a position of flexion (forward bend). This position over time puts a large about of strain on the muscles and ligaments of your back along with pushing the discs out of position. The math is simple: Bad Posture + Time = INJURY + PAIN.



(Spine and Sports Medicine of HoHoKus)



Watch this cute 3 minute video to review: Ergonomics- Workstation Education video

What's To Come This Week: 

• Back pain prevention techniques during lifting, sleeping, and standing.
• Some exercise tips for back pain. What is the single most important thing I can do to relieve back pain? What's the difference between strengthening my core and my abs?
• What's cooking in my kitchen? A batch of my favorite Farmers Market Turkey Chili as we enter fall.
• What am I reading right now? My new favorite Wellness Magazine and a review of a few of this months topics.

References:

(1) Anesthesiology News entitled; Nonsurgical Spinal Decompression To Treat Chronic Low Back Pain.

(2) https://www.virginiamason.org/home/body.cfm?id=158&action=detail&ref=612

(3) Diabetes Care February 2008 vol. 31 no. 2 369-371