How to Improve Your Posture at Work

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Article featured on Atlanta Spine Institute

How to Improve Your Posture at Work

A majority of Americans spend long periods of time sitting down while at work. Having an improper posture day after day can put those people at risk of chronic back pain, disorders, or future injuries. Read on to learn more about improving your posture at work.

Sitting Disease

The term sitting disease is a relatively new term. It refers to sitting for extended periods of time with little movement and poor posture, which results in multiple long term medical conditions, with chronic back pain being the most common. Even with a healthy level of exercise before or after work, the long periods of sitting can still cause health issues. Sitting disease is most often caused by the following:

  • Long periods without movement which can restrict blood flow to the spine.
  • Workstation or desk setup that causes neck strain, typically a result of monitors that aren’t at eye level.
  • Crossing your legs or ankles for long periods which can cause misalignment of the hips.
  • Slouching over with a rounded back, putting additional stress on your back.

Improving Work Ergonomics to Reduce Neck and Back Pain

Work ergonomics refers to fitting your job to your body and what it needs. For office work, this usually entails adjusting your workstation, desk, computer, chair, and your working habits to better fit your body. Improving work ergonomics generally focuses on keeping your body in a neutral position, not slouching over, and not leaning back too far. Some general tips to improve your work ergonomics include:

  • Rest with your feet flat on the ground and limit the amount of time with your feet or ankles crossed.
  • Keep your back against the back of your chair.
  • Make use of the lumbar support on your chair to help prevent slouching.
  • Adjust your computer monitors so that they’re at eye level, making sure that you’re not always looking down or up on them, which can strain the neck.

Take Breaks

Even with an improved work ergonomics, it is still important to take breaks, stretch, move around, stretch your legs, and promote blood flow. Research has revealed that taking a break about every half hour can significantly reduce the potential for health risks associated with prolonged sitting.

Listen to What Your Body Tells You

Awareness is another key factor in preventing chronic neck and back problems. If your body starts to become sore or stiff, analyze your work ergonomics. Maybe something needs adjusted, or maybe you just need more breaks. Try adjusting and see if the soreness or stiffness improves. If you suffer from chronic neck or back pain, schedule an appointment with your spine specialist to diagnose and recommend treatment to improve your neck and back.

The Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center of Oregon is an award-winning, board-certified orthopedic group located in downtown Portland Oregon. We utilize both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal trauma, spine diseases, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors and congenital disorders.

Our mission is to return our patients back to pain-free mobility and full strength as quickly and painlessly as possible using both surgical and non-surgical orthopedic procedures.

Our expert physicians provide leading-edge, comprehensive care in the diagnosis and treatment of orthopedic conditions, including total joint replacement and sports medicine. We apply the latest state-of-the-art techniques in order to return our patients to their active lifestyle.

If you’re looking for compassionate, expert orthopedic surgeons in Portland Oregon, contact OSM today.

Phone:
503-224-8399

Address
1515 NW 18th Ave, 3rd Floor
Portland, OR 97209

Hours
Monday–Friday
8:00am – 4:30pm

Why Sitting Too Much Is Bad For Your Health

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Article featured on WebMD

1. It Hurts Your Heart

Scientists first noticed something was up in a study that compared two similar groups: transit drivers, who sit most of the day, and conductors or guards, who don’t. Though their diets and lifestyles were a lot alike, those that sat were about twice as likely to get heart disease as those that stood.

2. It Can Shorten Your Life

You’re more likely to die earlier from any cause if you sit for long stretches at a time. It doesn’t help if you exercise every day or not. Of course, that’s no excuse to skip the gym. If you do that, your time may be even shorter.

3. Dementia Is More Likely

If you sit too much, your brain could look just like that of someone with dementia. Sitting also raises your risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, which all play a role in the condition. Moving throughout the day can help even more than exercise to lower your risk of all these health problems.

4. You’ll Undo All That Exercise

The effects of too much sitting are hard to counter with exercise. Even if you work out 7 hours a week — far more than the suggested 2-3 hours — you can’t reverse the effects of sitting 7 hours at a time. Don’t throw away all that hard work at the gym by hitting the couch for the rest of the day. Keep moving!

5. Your Odds of Diabetes Rise

Yup, you’re more likely to have it, too, if you sit all day. And it isn’t only because you burn fewer calories. It’s the actual sitting that seems to do it. It isn’t clear why, but doctors think sitting may change the way your body reacts to insulin, the hormone that helps it burn sugar and carbs for energy.

6. You Could Get DVT

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a clot that forms in your leg, often because you sit still for too long. It can be serious if the clot breaks free and lodges in your lung. You might notice swelling and pain, but some people have no symptoms. That’s why it’s a good idea to break up long sitting sessions.

7. You’ll Gain Weight

Watch a lot of TV? Surf the web for hours on end? You’re more likely to be overweight or obese. If you exercise every day, that’s good, but it won’t make a huge dent in extra weight you gain as a result of too much screen time.

8. Your Anxiety Might Spike

It could be that you’re often by yourself and engaged in a screen-based activity. If this disrupts your sleep, you can get even more anxious. Plus, too much alone time can make you withdraw from friends and loved ones, which is linked to social anxiety. Scientists are still trying to figure out the exact cause.

9. It Wrecks Your Back

The seated position puts huge stress on your back muscles, neck, and spine. It’s even worse if you slouch. Look for an ergonomic chair — that means it’ll be the right height and support your back in the proper spots. But remember: No matter how comfortable you get, your back still won’t like a long sitting session. Get up and move around for a minute or two every half hour to keep your spine in line. 

10. It Leads to Varicose Veins

Sit for too long and blood can pool in your legs. This puts added pressure in your veins. They could swell, twist, or bulge — what doctors call varicose veins. You may also see spider veins, bundles of broken blood vessels nearby. They usually aren’t serious, but they can ache. Your doctor can tell you about treatment options if you need them.

11. If You Don’t Move It, You Could Lose It

Older adults who aren’t active may be more likely to get osteoporosis (weakened bones) and could slowly become unable to perform basic tasks of everyday life, like taking a bath or using the toilet. While moderate exercise won’t prevent it, you don’t have to go out and run a marathon or take up farming to stay mobile in your golden years. Just don’t plant yourself on the couch for hours at a time.

12. Your Cancer Risk Goes Up

You may be more likely to get colon, endometrial, or lung cancer. The more you sit, the higher the odds. Older women have higher odds of breast cancer. That doesn’t change if you’re super-active. What matters is how much you sit.

13. How to Take a Stand

Work more movement into your day: Stand up and stretch every half hour or so. Touch your toes. Take a stroll around the office. Stand at your desk for part of the day. Get a desk that raises or make your own: Set your computer on top of a box. Talk to your boss about a treadmill desk. All these things can help stop the negative effects of uninterrupted sitting and keep you on the road to good health.

The Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center of Oregon is an award-winning, board-certified orthopedic group located in downtown Portland Oregon. We utilize both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal trauma, spine diseases, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors and congenital disorders.

Our mission is to return our patients back to pain-free mobility and full strength as quickly and painlessly as possible using both surgical and non-surgical orthopedic procedures.

Our expert physicians provide leading-edge, comprehensive care in the diagnosis and treatment of orthopedic conditions, including total joint replacement and sports medicine. We apply the latest state-of-the-art techniques in order to return our patients to their active lifestyle.

If you’re looking for compassionate, expert orthopedic surgeons in Portland Oregon, contact OSM today.

Phone:
503-224-8399

Address
1515 NW 18th Ave, 3rd Floor
Portland, OR 97209

Hours
Monday–Friday
8:00am – 4:30pm

What to Know About Lower Back Pain When Sitting

What to Know About Lower Back Pain When Sitting

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Medically reviewed by Emelia Arquilla, DO— Written by Hana Ames on October 14, 2020. | From Medical News Today

The cause of pain in the lower back while sitting may involve posture, an injury, or a health condition.

Back pain is one of the most common medical problems in the United States. About 1 in 4 adults in the country have at least 1 day of back pain in any 3-month period.

Here, we describe the causes, treatments, and prevention of lower back pain while sitting.

What does it feel like?

Back pain may be acute, in which case it comes on suddenly and usually lasts a few days or weeks. Or, the pain may be chronic, lasting longer than 12 weeks.

Pain in the lower back may be sudden and sharp or a dull, constant ache.

Causes

A variety of factors can cause pain in the lower back while sitting, and the best approach to treatment depends on the cause.

The treatment plan might include over-the-counter pain relief medication, physical therapy, a new exercise routine, surgery, or a combination.

Posture

Poor posture can cause or worsen lower back pain. Improving posture involves changing a person’s position as they sit or stand. It can often ease or relieve the pain.

Injury

A person might injure their lower back while lifting something incorrectly, leading to a strain or sprain in the area.

The injury might instead result from trauma, sustained during sports or from a car accident, for example.

Sciatica

Sciatica happens when something presses on the sciatic nerve, which travels through the buttocks and extends down the back of the leg, and the issue can cause pain throughout the area.

The pain may be intense and feel like an electric shock or be a dull ache.

Herniated disk

A herniated disk refers to a disk in the spine bulging outward and pressing on a spinal nerve. Any disk in the spine can be affected.

Treatment for this condition usually involves medication and physical therapy.

Lumbar disk disease

Lumbar disk disease, also known as degenerative disk disease, is not actually a disease. Usually, it results from aging.

It occurs when the disks between the vertebrae of the spinal column wear down.

Spondylolisthesis

Spondylolisthesis involves a vertebra of the lower spine slipping out of place and pinching nearby nerves.

Home care strategies

A person may not need professional treatment for lower back pain while sitting.

Often, a person can take steps at home to relieve the pain and keep it from returning. Some strategies include:

Staying active

It can be tempting to rest as much as possible, but the medical community recommend keeping active to ease lower back pain.

Try not to do too much at once, however. Instead, try coupling physical therapy or a recommended form of exercise below with other home treatments.

Using heat and cold

Alternating between heat and cold can often help ease lower back pain.

Taking a hot bath or using a hot water bottle may help alleviate the pain. Heat can also increase blood flow to the area and promote healing in the muscles and tissues of the back.

Applying ice packs or bags of frozen vegetables to the area can also ease pain, but ensure to wrap them in a cloth first.

Heating or cooling sprays are also available over the counter, and they can stimulate the nerves in the area.

Taking pain relief medication

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs can help ease pain in the lower back. Many, such as ibuprofen, are available without a prescription.

People tend to take these medications orally, but they also come as creams, gels, patches, and sprays.

Stretching and exercising

Exercises and stretches can help strengthen the lower back and prevent the pain from occurring.

Routines that focus on working the core, or abdominal, muscles may also help speed recovery from chronic lower back pain.

Yoga, for example, can help relieve pain in the lower back and neck, and other forms of exercise that may help include:

  • swimming
  • walking
  • Pilates

Stretches that can help alleviate lower back pain include:

  • Deep lunge: Kneel on one knee, with the other foot in front. Facing forward, lift the back knee up. Hold the position for 5 seconds.
  • Back stretch: Lie on the stomach, using the arms to push the upper body off the floor. Hold the position for 30 seconds before allowing the back to relax.
  • Sagittal core strengthening: Standing 3 feet away from a wall with the feet should-width apart, tighten the abdominal muscles, then reach through the legs to touch the wall, keeping the hips and knees bent. Use the hips to push the body back to a standing position, then extend arms and reach over the head and slightly backward.

Prevention

Lower back pain is more common in people with obesity and people who smoke.

Also, people who are infrequently active are more likely to have lower back pain, as are people who tend to be inactive but occasionally engage in strenuous exercise.

The best sitting position

The Department of Health and Human Services warn against slouching and recommend sitting up straight, with the back against the back of the chair and the feet flat on the floor.

They also recommend keeping the knees slightly higher than the hips when sitting.

Diagnosis

To determine the cause of back pain, a healthcare provider will ask the person about their medical history and perform a physical examination.

If the pain is acute, further tests are usually not necessary, unless the pain results from an injury.

The treatment for chronic pain depends on the cause, and surgery may be an option.

When to see a doctor

Seek medical attention if lower back pain is severe, lasting, or does not improve with stretches, exercises, and other home care techniques.

Also, contact a doctor if the pain results from an injury.

 

 

The Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center of Oregon is an award-winning, board-certified orthopedic group located in downtown Portland Oregon. We utilize both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal trauma, spine diseases, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors and congenital disorders.

Our mission is to return our patients back to pain-free mobility and full strength as quickly and painlessly as possible using both surgical and non-surgical orthopedic procedures.

Our expert physicians provide leading-edge, comprehensive care in the diagnosis and treatment of orthopedic conditions, including total joint replacement and sports medicine. We apply the latest state-of-the-art techniques in order to return our patients to their active lifestyle.

If you’re looking for compassionate, expert orthopedic surgeons in Portland Oregon, contact OSM today.

Phone:
503-224-8399

Address
1515 NW 18th Ave, 3rd Floor
Portland, OR 97209

Hours
Monday–Friday
8:00am – 4:30pm

Work-from-Home Ergonomics 101: Setting Up Your Remote Office

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From Rachel Pelta at FlexJobs

Since many of us are working at home right now (and weren’t expecting it), lots of people are improvising their “workstation.” For some, that means working at a desk, and for others, that means sitting on the couch or commandeering the kitchen table during work hours.

We’ve got some advice on how to set up an ergonomic workspace at home. While it’s best if you can buy the right equipment, that doesn’t mean you have to. Sometimes simple works, so we’ve included some DIY work-from-home ergonomic hacks you can use with things you’ve probably got at home. Read more