More and more people are spending a lot of time sitting at computers these days. Computers are a necessary and helpful tool in most people’s every day lives but that helpfulness comes at a cost. Sitting in a computer chair without using good posture can cause a number of neck and back problems as well as several other conditions. These conditions can also affect other parts of your body as well. Here are a list of computer-related injuries as well as how a Sandy chiropractor can help:
Bad posture while sitting at your computer can cause headaches as well as excessive tension and pain in your neck, chest, shoulder, arms, back, hip, thighs and legs. All of these things cause fatigue in your muscles and ligaments that support your lower back. This can eventually lead to spinal joint dysfunction and tissue injury.
Symptoms of computer-related back problems include but are not limited to:
Muscle pain and spasms in the neck and back area
Inflammation in the soft tissue of the neck and back
Pain when moving muscles related to the neck and back
Pain in the thighs, buttocks, or running up the spine
Preventative techniques for back pain caused by sitting:
Get an ergonomic chair with lumbar support that does not have armrests
Adjust the height so that you thighs run parallel with the floor
Make sure the back support is adjusted so that your back is angled slightly back and well supported by the back rest with the feet supported by the footrest or floor
Get an ergonomic key board and adjust so that your hand, wrist and arms are at a 90 degree angle in relation to your back
Take a short break every hour to stand and stretch your neck, back, arms, and legs
How a chiropractor can help:
Chiropractors specialize in treating spinal dysfunction. They can help with neck and back pain related to sitting at a computer by helping to adjust the neck and spine using manual manipulation. By doing this, they make sure that the neck and back are properly aligned. They can also use their knowledge of muscle imbalances to identify the injury. By doing this, they make sure that the neck and back are properly aligned. Chiropractors also employ massage techniques in order to help alleviate back pain. Electronic-stimulation can also be used to help with the tension in the neck and back muscles, this will help alleviate pain in the neck and back.
Neck and back pain can affect your whole life, from working to sleeping, even your ability to enjoy a day out with friends and family. Nobody should have to live with the burden of neck and back pain. While preventing and treating neck and back pain related to working on computers is not yet an exact science, there are steps and measures that can be taken. Prevention is the best course of action but if it’s too late for that, a chiropractor can be a valuable asset in helping you achieve and maintain a higher quality of life.
Dr. Ken Andersen provides top notch chiropractic care in Sandy, UT. For a list of services, please visit http://drkenandersen.com/services/ .
