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 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

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Our pillow, bed, or sleep position is not always responsible for our stiff and painful neck when we get up in the morning. 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.” Though it may seem so, one singular event is seldom the cause of most neck problems, but instead the cumulative effects of unsuitable sitting posture, unhealthy work and lifestyle habits, and lack of proper exercise for strength and flexibility. Obviously, some neck misalignments are due to traumatic events such as a whiplash accident, a fall, or a sports injury.

To understand neck pain, it is helpful to have knowledge of the anatomy of the spine. The movement of the spine is guided by neck vertebrae that are made of posterior joints, called facets, that link vertebrae to one another. Inter-vertebral discs, made of dense cartilage, join the “bodies” of the vertebrae. This strong cartilage covers the nucleus, a soft material in the center of the inter-vertebral discs. The discs act as shock absorbers and spacers between the vertebrae. The spinal cord is situated between the facets of the vertebrae. The spinal nerves go out from the spine between the vertebrae and supply the energy to make the muscles and other organs of the body function. They also carry impulses from the body to the brain regarding pain, touch, position, temperature, as well as other senses.  The nerves that exit 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 neck has a natural forward curve when looked at from the side that helps properly balance the weight of the head, as well as to decrease stress on the neck joints. For more information please feel free to visit your Chiropractor.

Risk Factors: Neck Pain and Computer Use

Computer use has risen dramatically over the years, at home and in the workplace. Nowadays, many people spend eight to ten hours a day, or more, bent over a keyboard and staring at a 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 immense strain. Furthermore, the normal forward curve of the neck may become reversed and produce more stress on the surrounding tissue of the neck. Awkward posture and repetitive stress can cause spinal problems including disc herniation and subluxations, which are the primary causes of spinal nerve inflammation. Conjointly with general pain, spinal nerve pain in the neck can generate 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 misalignments of the cervical spine. Symptoms, from a dull ache to throbbing pain, are produced when the cervical vertebrae lose their normal position or motion and sensitive nerves and blood vessels, related to structures in the head are stretched or agitated. Trigger points, the tight knots in the muscles of the neck, can also refer pain to the head.  Many other factors are associated with headaches such as toxic fumes, certain foods, additives such as MSG, alcohol, caffeine, and stress. Nevertheless, the alignment of the neck and the inflammation of surrounding tissues should be a main consideration when treating headaches and migraines. Chiropractic care has been shown to singularly valuable in the treatment of headaches. Your Chiropractor can give you further information regarding treatment and pain relief.

Whiplash and Chiropractic Care

Many people are involved in car accidents. By far the most common auto accident is when one car collides into the rear-end of another car. During such a collision, the head of the passenger in the front car is powerfully jerked back, and then forward, causing damage to the structure of both the front and back of the neck. This sort of trauma is often called a whiplash. Even at low speeds, the amount of force arising from such an accident is very intense and can cause trauma to the ligaments, muscles, facet joints, discs, and spinal nerves. Whiplash injury includes neck pain and immobility, and other symptoms such as headaches, nausea, vertigo, arm and should pain, tingling in the hands and fingers, and weakness of the arms and hand. It is crucial to get immediate evaluation and x-rays to rule out the possibility of fracture. Usually 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 Chiropractor is educated to understand whiplash injury, and is more than capable of managing the case from injury to recovery.

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