Ergonomics

Proper Hand and Wrist Position for mouse

Working at the computer can sometimes be a daunting and repetitive task, but it shouldn’t affect your health! Proper hand and wrist position is just as vital to your overall health and well-being as is the proper sitting posture. Here’s a few tips on how to achieve the proper position for your hands and wrists, and why this is so important.

Prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

According to Mayo Clinic, carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition that affects the hand and arm of a person due to over-use or consistent, repetitive motion of the wrist and arm. The carpal tunnel is a small passage located inside your hand, on the palm side of the wrist, which contains and protects the primary nerve that delivers blood from your heart to the tendons in your hand. This allows you to bend and move your fingers. When this passage becomes compressed, it typically leads to tingling, numbness and weakness in your hand and fingers.

Proper Hand and Wrist Position is Key

While research studies have not confirmed whether frequent keyboard and mouse usage can lead to the onset of carpal tunnel, theoretically it is quite possible! If you work or play at the computer often, practice these tips to help prevent the onset of carpal tunnel syndrome:

  • Keep the keyboard placed directly in front of you with the mouse positioned next to it.
  • Position the mouse so that, while using it, your wrist and arm are straight. Your wrist should not bend, nor should you need to reach for the mouse in order to use it properly.
  • If possible, purchase a desk that includes a keyboard tray. Keep the keyboard and mouse on the keyboard tray. If sitting in the proper position, this will help you to maintain proper hand and wrist position while using the mouse and keyboard without even realizing it!
  • Consider purchasing a wrist rest to use with your mouse and keyboard. 

In addition to these tips, you should also be aware that bending your wrist in an awkward position for any reason while working on the computer for extended periods of time, whether its bending it sideways or upwards, will put you at a potential risk for developing carpal tunnel.

How to use mouse

Alternative mouse and keyboard options may also help prevent pain, discomfort, and the onset of carpal tunnel. If you’re in the market for a new mouse or keyboard, consider purchasing a mouse with a trackball and a split-key keyboard. A trackball mouse will give your wrists and hands the added comfort it needs when scrolling, pointing, and clicking; and a split-key keyboard will help you to position your hands correctly over the keyboard for easy, pain-free typing.

Don’t Become a Statistic

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 3.1% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 64 had carpal tunnel syndrome in 2010. Don’t be a statistic! Take care of your wrists and hands now; follow these tips to help prevent against this condition.

What is the Best Chair for Sciatica?

Sitting down on a conventional chair can be torturous for people suffering from sciatica.  Read more to learn about an amazing ergonomic solution to this chronic pain issue.

What is Sciatica?

body diagram

For those of you who do not know, the sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the human body, running from the pelvis to the feet. Sciatica is a painful condition caused by the irritation or compression of this nerve, most commonly because of a lumbar slipped disc.

Besides the constant pain, numbness, and tingling in the buttocks and leg of the affected side, people suffering from this condition truly face a nightmare every time they have to sit. Using ergonomic chairs can therefore make a big difference.

What is a Kneeling Chair?

ergonomic posture chairUnlike conventional chairs, where the spine is perpendicular to the floor, sitting on a kneeling chair maintains a 135 degrees angle between your spine and your thighs. This ‘kneeling posture’ is also called an open-angled posture.

Kneeling chairs (also known as ergonomic knee stools) are considered the best chair for sciatica because of the following reasons:

  1. When sitting on a kneeling chair, you not only support your upper body on your buttocks, but also take support from your leg below the knees. This increases the surface area in contact with the chair and reduces the pressure on your back and legs while sitting, thus relieving pressure on the sciatic nerve.
  2. Research has shown that having an open-angled posture while sitting greatly reduces the pressure on your lumbar spine, thighs and buttocks as compared to while sitting on conventional chairs. This is of main importance to people suffering from sciatica because the course of the sciatic nerve is along these anatomic parts of the human body.
  3. They improve blood circulation to your lower limbs, an area that is typically aversely affected in cases of sciatica.

Kneeling Chair Precautions

  1. It takes a while to get used to the new sitting posture, so approach patiently.
  2. It is a little time consuming to get in and out of the chair.
  3. Sitting on a kneeling chair for prolonged periods of time can affect your knees in the long run if precautions are not taken. It is always best to stretch your muscles every hour.
  4. These chairs only allow movement in the forward direction, so make sure you have everything in place, and within your reach, before you sit down.

Where to Buy a Kneeling Chair

Flash Furniture in GreyAs with everything in the market, it is always best to read reviews and top 5 lists before you buy one. And this is very important in the case of a kneeling chair because the sitting posture is so new that it can be a little uncomfortable in the beginning. This makes sense because we have been using conventional chairs since birth.

Additionally, since they are ergonomic chairs, they cost a little more than conventional chairs. So always compare prices before you make a purchase.

In the end, always remember that chronic lower back pain is a medical problem and needs proper medical treatment for its correction. So don’t forget to consult a physician regarding the same. But in the meantime using the best chair for sciatica can definitely make sitting down a lot easier and a lot less painful.

6 Reasons Why Your Back Pain Might Actually Be Caused By Your Hips

the hip jointThere are different reasons why back pain is experienced and unless the discomfort has been caused by a specific accident, such as a fall, or a sudden movement – it’s not always obvious where the pain could be coming from. It can have the tendency to linger, for long periods of time or radiate at different intervals and at varying levels of intensity. Given the nature of its unpleasantness, experiencing back pain is generally prolonged by the mental anguish that it brings along with it. Understanding how our body works, brings us a step closer to not only minimizing this pain but by taking adequate steps we can eliminate it in the future.

Common hip Issues which lead to back pain

1. Overstretching

The hips are the largest joints in our bodies, which enable us to move in any direction. Not only that, but because of its weight bearing qualities, the hip consist from a ball and socket, as well as a supporting system of ligaments. Depending on the type of activity, different ligaments can be exposed, pulled or tugged in a way that causes pain to radiate to the back. The most common reason is through strain, caused by overstretching when sudden movement takes places from stillness to activity. Because of the rotation in the joint, the pain can radiate to the lower back region causing most to think that the spine is at fault for causing them discomfort.

Suffering from Pain from Sitting? Here Are 5 Chairs that Got Your Back

backache
Are you suffering from back pain as a result of sitting at work all day? You’re not alone. According to the American Chiropractic Association, half of all working Americans report back issues each year. Sitting for most of the day can ruin your posture. The constant force of gravity puts chronic pressure on the intervertebral discs and the supporting mucles of the spine. As a result, aches, soreness, and pain are commonplace for office workers.

Luckily, there are chairs that are ideal for your achy back.

3 Sitting Habits you Should Avoid at all Costs

sit backpainResearchers say that the average American spends 75% of his or her waking hours sitting in a chair.  With so much repetition, it becomes increasingly important that we become mindful of our sitting habits.  Any activity that is sustained over hours at a time, deserves careful attention of its side effects.

Sitting is, for lack of a better word, dangerous.  It puts tremendous pressure on the spine, internal organs, and muscles.  To help avoid complications that can arise due to sitting, avoid these three habits.

3 Chiropractic Desk Tips that Will Save Your Back

man with pain in lumbar

Back pain is a major problem in the American work force.  When your job involves physical labor, you become prone to injuries from repetitive movement.  Often lifting is a major culprit of injury cause.  On the other hand, working in an office can put you at serious risk due to musculo-skeletal injuries.  At the desk, stagnation is the issue and gravity is the enemy.  Poor sitting habits should be avoided at all costs.

There are many methods for preventing back pain and treating back injuries.  As chiropractors  dig deeper into the causes of work injuries, more information allows to become capable of taking care of our spines.  In this article, you’ll find simple and effective adjustments that will help you avoid back pain in the office.