NECK AND BACK PAIN FROM SITTING TOO LONG? THESE 5 TIPS CAN HELP

 

Neck and Back Pain From Sitting Too Long

Neck and Back Pain From Sitting Too Long

Most people these days spend far too long sitting at a desk and working or playing games on their computers. If around eight out of 10 people are now expected to suffer from neck pain and upper, mid and lower back pain during some stage of their lives, chances are you are one of them, especially if you sit for too long.

But why is sitting too long bad for you?  And what happens when you sit too long at work/home?  The answer? Sitting is the new smoking, this sedentary work and lifestyle is a risk factor for poor health and poor posture, which can cause discomfort, neck pain, lower back pain and numbness which is at times is acute but also can become chronic.

 


Pakenham Osteopathy started in 2004 in a little room at the back of a health food shop with a simple idea: to make every client feel well and to feel special. 

Fast forward 17 years and we are now one of the largest Osteopathic clinics in Melbourne.  


GOOD POSTURE MATTERS

The importance of good posture is often overlooked when people are busy working to deadlines or keeping track of sales etc. But sitting too long in the wrong posture can eventually lead to serious lower back pain, numbness, neck pain and even leg pain due to muscle, joint and disc problems. An ergonomic lumbar supporting office chair should help you to control your posture.

For a good posture, keep your back flush against your chair and place your feet flat on the floor. If you can’t reach the floor use a device for the purpose. Keep your head in a neutral position with your ears in line with your shoulders.

If you have lower back pain, your shoulders might be slumped, so adjust the chair height so your thighs are angled slightly down. It helps distribute your weight evenly.

 


At Pakenham, we are a forward-thinking healthcare team of 10 Osteopaths with a collective 50 years of clinical experience. 


ADJUST KEYBOARD AND HEIGHT OF MONITOR

The most ergonomic way to sit and work at a desk in front of a computer is to place the monitor so that the middle of the screen is directly in line with your nose. A monitor that is positioned too low causes you to angle your head downwards and put pressure and stress on your neck, causing neck pain. If the monitor is too high, your head will angle upwards and strain the neck muscles. If you work mainly on a laptop, try using a separate monitor if you can.

Place your keyboard close enough so your elbows bend about 90 degrees and high enough so you aren’t slumping your shoulders to reach the keys. Your mouse should be at the same level as your keyboard.

STAND AT YOUR DESK MORE OFTEN

Sit/stand desks are still popular in most offices, but they’re not meant for standing all day as this can be as bad for you as sitting too long. The secret is moving. The simple act of getting up and down burns more calories than either standing or sitting too long, so try alternating between them about every half hour.

You might think sitting in your office chair will help ease your fatigue, but it can add to your tiredness because it’s harder to maintain a good posture if you’re sitting too long.

LIMIT USING YOUR PHONE SCREEN

This is a hard one because wherever you look someone’s head is bent as they focus down into their phone or tablet screen, either texting, checking emails or social media apps or playing games. Using your phone for anything other than calls, with your head upright and the phone a proper distance from your ear and head can lead to a modern condition called ‘text neck’.

With your head held forward looking into a phone screen for a prolonged time can, in the short term, cause you to strain your neck, shoulder and back muscles. Worse, in the long term, this posture can even lead to joint and disc problems. It’s best to answer emails on your computer for the best chance at avoiding neck pain, lower back pain, and leg pain.

TAKE BREAKS, WALK AROUND THE OFFICE

To help avoid developing neck pain, back pain or shoulder and leg pain from sitting too long, get up and walk around the office every half hour or so. Walking breaks and getting up and stretching or moving about can help if you feel tightness or aches starting. While simple exercises can help, it’s best to consult your health provider for the right exercise program for your lower back pain, neck pain, shoulder or leg pain from sitting too long.

TALK TO AN OSTEOPATH

If you find yourself still dealing with aches and pains, we recommend talking to our professional Osteopaths at Pakenham Osteopathy. We match you with an Osteopath who takes the time to listen to your specific concerns and issues, and provides you with a tailored treatment plan for the best recovery.

Make a booking online today.

Stretching: Preparation and Recovery for Game Day

Unfortunately most of us just can’t move around like we used to when we were kids.  Remember the days of running around like a headless chook without so much as a stiff back or a tight muscle?  Sadly, ageing takes its toll.  Our bodies just don’t bounce back the way they once did.  Therefore, the importance of a proper warm up and cool down is crucial to avoiding sports injuries. 

This article is particularly timely given the start of the winter sports season is upon us.  At Pakenham Osteopathy, we want to keep you active and enjoying the sports you love!

In this first 3 part series we’ll explore:

PART 1: Understanding dynamic vs static stretching

PART 2: Warming Up

PART 3: Recovery

PART 1: DYNAMIC VS STATIC STRETCHING

Most of us have stretched at some point in our lives and nearly all of us have been told we are not doing it enough! You may have heard about two main types of stretching, dynamic and static, and with scientific research into athletic performance forever evolving, the timing of when to use each of these is frequently spoken about.

So before we jump into part 2 and 3 of the series explaining what we should include in our warm up and recovery protocols, we need to understand the difference between these two categories of stretching.

STATIC STRETCHING

Think back to primary school when your PE teacher would take you through a couple of stretches before or after activity. You’d stretch your hamstrings by bending over to touch your toes, hold it for 30 seconds, and compete with your mates to see who could reach the furthest. This type of stretching where you hold yourself in a position for an extended period of time is what we call static stretching. The goal… to elongate your muscles to allow for greater flexibility.

DYNAMIC STRETCHING 

06 June 2001: Jason Akermanis (left) of the Lions performs stretching exercises with teamates during a team training session held at the Brisbane Lions Training ground, Brisbane, Australia. DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Wood/ALLSPORT

 

Picture your favourite AFL team warming up before their big game, holding on to a teammates shoulder and swinging their legs back and forth. This is what we call dynamic stretching which requires active movement, taking our joints through its full range of motion with the goal of getting the body prepared for the type of movements specific to that particular sport.

 

 

 

 

SO WHEN SHOULD WE USE THESE!?

  • STATIC
    • Day to day flexibility
    • Cool down and recovery
  • DYNAMIC
    • Warm ups
    • Active recovery

I hope the information above helps you prepare for and recover on game day. 

For the upcoming 2nd part of this series, we’ll drill down on the warm up and how you can best prepare for your chosen sport.

The Shoulder – This Joint Can Move!!!

“Osteopathy… that’s bones right?”

 

Contrary to popular belief, Osteopath’s treat more than just bones. As allied health care professionals, we treat a vast range of conditions in the field of the musculoskeletal system, the shoulder joint being one of them.

 

Now the shoulder joint is a complex joint, with one main point to bear in mind. This joint can move! The shoulder joint is the equivalent to the breakdancing joint of your body – it can move in ways your other joints cannot. In comparison, the hip joint is a weight bearing joint and is engineered to have more stability to be able to withstand heavy loads. The shoulder joint on the other hand (bad pun intended) has a greater range of motion, which it incurs at the cost of stability.

 

As always with break dancers, they are prone to injury. Having that level of mobility comes at certain costs.

 

Stability vs mobility. A joint with a great amount of mobility relies and is dependant on the surrounding muscles to provide dynamic stability. This is where things becomes unstuck. The muscles surrounding the shoulder joint provide stability and support, this in turn makes them susceptible to injury. When a muscle is injured, the ligaments within the shoulder are exposed to injury as well due to now having a greater load placed on them without the support of the surrounding muscles.

 

Other factors that come into play are congruency of the joint which is affected by posture, overworked muscles, weakened surrounding muscles, neck movements and older injuries. As osteopath’s we look at a number of different ways to help aide in your recovery process once injured and get your shoulder dynamics back on track through a complex screening system which takes into account these factors and more.

 

If you’re having trouble with your movement, please make an appointment online today by clicking here. Or call the clinic directly on 5941-4157.

Thanks for reading!

 

Breanna Kerr

5 Common Misconceptions About Low Back Pain

Approximately 90% of Australians will experience low back pain in their lifetime.  With the numbers so high it’s no wonder it gets so much attention. However often people don’t manage it well due to the sheer volume of information – and not all of it is correct!  There are a lot of unhelpful myths about what low back pain actually is and what we should do about it. This blog aims to debunk some of the common misconceptions about low back pain.

 

Myth 1: “I’m in heaps of pain so I must have really damaged my spine!”

As a general rule, there is little correlation between the intensity of back pain an individual is experiencing and the degree of tissue injury. Each individual’s experience of pain is unique and we all have different pain thresholds. Patients may report significant pain levels with minimal tissue damage, or alternatively feel very little discomfort with a severe injury. Often, patients experiencing very intense pain will have a significant decrease in their pain levels once their body understands it is no longer under threat.

 

Myth 2: “I should rest completely to let my back heal”

Whilst it may feel better to rest and do nothing, this can be one of the least beneficial things to do when experiencing back pain. In fact, prolonged sitting or immobility may worsen symptoms.

During acute back pain, it is best for you to keep mobile within pain free limits. This could include walking around the house every 20 minutes or simply changing positions frequently while you’re resting.

Recent studies are also showing exercise is an effective therapy for reducing chronic lower back pain and improving function.

Motion is lotion! It may help to improve healing, increase blood flow, lubricate joints and reduce muscular weakness associated with immobility.

 

Myth 3: “I need to get an Xray or scan to diagnose what is wrong”

Osteopath’s can typically develop a diagnosis based on the patient’s presentation so imaging is not always necessary. Imaging can be indicated when there is no improvement with treatment, to clarify the degree of injury or to rule out underlying conditions if suspected.

Commonly when patients undergo imaging, it reports very little significant findings relative to the patient’s back pain. Alternatively, some patients can experience no lower back pain but have incidental findings on imaging, for example, disc bulges.

 

Myth 4: “I should apply a heat pack to my back when it is painful”

For acute injuries, it is best to apply ice to the area of discomfort. As a general rule, do this for 10-20 minutes, 4 times per day within the first 24-48 hrs of injury. This acts as an anti-inflammatory measure, therefore may reduce pain and improve recovery.

Heat is generally more effective for chronic conditions that haven’t involved a specific injury, particularly muscular tightness. This helps increase the blood flow and nutrients to the area which may promote healing and reduce tightness.

 

Myth 5: “I have ‘put my back out’ and ‘need to see someone to put my back in’”

This is a very common myth! When our joints go “out” this refers to a dislocation which would indicate a medical emergency. More accurately, what is actually happening in an episode of back pain, is that a spinal joint become immobile.  There are various causes for this including muscular strain or spasm, joint sprain or inflammation of the underlying tissues just to name a few.

Osteopaths work to release muscle tightness and improve joint mobility to relieve pain.

 

Hopefully this blog has shed light on some of the common misconceptions surrounding back pain.  Should you be experiencing back pain or if you have any questions regarding this article, please email us on osteo@pakenhamosteopathy.com.au .  We’d love to hear your feedback!

Thanks for reading!

Rebecca Kurrle (Osteopath)

 

Dreisinger, T. E. (2014). Exercise in the Management of Chronic Back Pain. The Ochsner Journal, 14(1), 101–107. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3963038/

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