How to Avoid Everyday Pains

Photo credit: http://www.nowcarepainrelief.com

Do you regularly have a heavy pocket -book dangling from one shoulder?

Are you a phone cradler, too – holding the phone between your ear and shoulder while multitasking? Do you hunch over the computer for hours without a break? Are there too many books and binders in your child’s backpack?

                The list of self-inflicted musculoskeletal mistakes goes on and on, and each one is a recipe for back pain. Fortunately, according to Jerome F. McAndrews, DC, national spokesperson for the American Chiropractic Association, there are many simple steps you can take to protect your back from everyday wear and tear…

                BACK-FRIENDLY POCKETBOOKS AND BACK PAINS

                Carrying a heavy purse or an overloaded backpack on one shoulder is the most common mistake we make. Because our body leans to one side to handle the extra weight, our spine is forced to curve toward that shoulder, warns Dr. McAndrews. This contract the shoulder muscle, which can go into spasm (when it remains in a contracted state). Because shoulder muscles extend upward into the neck and downward into the back, neck and back pain as well as shoulder pain and headaches can develop.

                To prevent these problems, Dr. McAndrews recommends that you carry a pocketbook with a strap long enough to put over your head onto the opposite shoulder. This centers the gravity of the bag’s contents and projects its weight to a point between your feet. Of course, it also helps to reduce the size of the purse and the amount in it.

                The same goes for backpacks. They should never be carried on one shoulder. To distribute the weight evenly, straps should go over both shoulders and the bulk of the pack should rest against the lumbar region (the lower part of the back that arches forward). If you can convince your child that it’s cool, you also might consider backpack with wheels.

                A back-friendly backpack has…

·         Contents that weigh no more than 10% to 15% of the child’s body weight.

·         Two wide, padded straps that go over the shoulders.

·         A waist belt and multiple compartments to distribute the weight more evenly across the entire body.

·         A width that is not greater than the width of the torso.

BACK PROTECTION AT THE COMPUTER

                Many of us spend countless hours hunched over our computers and, not surprisingly, this is another common cause of back pain. Dr. McAndrews offers the following tips for back protection at the computer…

·         Don’t slouch. Sit up straight, with knees bent and feet flat on the floor in front of you.

·         Place a cushion behind your lower back to encourage a slight forward bend. If you lose this natural bend through poor posture, you compress the disks in your spine. Dr. McAndrews notes that lumbar support is also a good idea in the car, in airplanes or just sitting on the couch in your living room.

·         Position your monitor so that you are looking slightly down at it.

·         Position your keyboard so that your wrists and elbows are at 90-degree angles to the upper parts of your arms. For the best wrist protection, invest in a wrist rest at you local computer store.

·         Take breaks. Periodically stand up, walk around and stretch. This loosens joints, stretches muscles and relieves the pressure on disk.

·         Consider using an exercise ball in place of a conventional desk chair. This encourages flexibility and muscle tone.

·         When the phone rings at your desk, do not cradle it between your head and shoulder. A better alternative is to use a handsfree head set.

THE SECRETS OF HEALTHY LIVING

                If your job involves lifting rather than typing, a whole new set of back-protection tips comes into play. When you are lifting a heavy object, never turn your head, cautions Dr. McAndrews. If one side of your body is contracted and the shoulder is relaxed, the weight has no stable base and the spine will end up carrying an imbalanced load. This can end up resulting in a serious injury.

                The correct way to lift an object…

·         Move close to the object you’re about to lift, and spread your feet shoulder-width apart.

·         Bend your knees and keep your back straight, move in close to the object and lift it.

·         Concentrate on using your leg muscles instead of your back muscles while lifting.

IS YOUR BODY IN BALANCE?

                With all of the foolish things we do to our backs, many of our spines are out of alignment and we don’t even know it. To determine whether your musculoskeletal system is in proper balance, Dr. McAndrews recommends this simple test. Stand in front of a mirror with your eyes closed. Turn to the right and then to the left. Now, guess which way is straight ahead, and point your head in that direction.

                If you’re like many people, when you open your eyes, you will discover that your head is slightly turned to one side or tipped upward or downward. This is a sign of a problem in your musculoskeletal system.

WHEN TO SEE THE CHIROPRACTOR

                Dr. McAndrews believes that everyone should be examined by a chiropractor at least once a year. We frequently traumatize our bodies in many ways, throwing our musculoskeletal systems into misalignment. In order to avoid serious health problems down the road, it is best to see a chiropractor to correct these misalignments and restore functionality sooner rather than later.

References:

Jerome F. McAndrews, DC, national spokesperson for the American Chiropractic Association, Arlington, VA.

For more information, contact eh American Chiropractic Association at www.amerchiro.org.