Tag Archives: shoulder pain

Apr 24

Using your laptop safely to avoid neck injury

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Using your laptop safely to avoid neck injury – By Olivia O Leary D.C BSc ( Hons)

Unsafe: An ongoing trade off between poor neck/head posture and poor wrist/hand posture exists with Chiropractor Yvonne in this image

Unsafe: An ongoing trade off between poor neck/head posture and poor wrist/hand posture exists with Chiropractor Yvonne in this image

Laptop computers are lightweight, portable and convenient but unfortunately their design with the screen and keyboard attached forces laptop users into awkward postural positions. When the screen is positioned by the user at the right height, the keyboard position is too high and when the keyboard is at the correct height the screen is too low.

Laptops pose less risk when used for short periods but with many using the laptop as  their main computer our team at here at Gorey Family Chiropractic were asked for some guidelines applicable for this type of computer user.

A COMFORTABLE WORKSTATION SETUP ON A  DESKTOP COMPUTER OR LAPTOP PROMOTES NEUTRAL POSTURES AVOIDING STRAIN THEREFORE:

  • the neck should be aligned with the spine (a neutral posture – not bent or thrust forward)
  • the back should be relaxed but supported,
  • the shoulders should be relaxed (not hunched or rounded),
  • the elbows should be close to the body and bent at an angle between 90 and 120 degrees and
  • the wrists and hands should straight (not bent or turned).

So If you use a laptop frequently, it is worth investing time into optimising your home or office workstation to promote better ergonomic postures for your laptop use, to avoid what research has shown is the long term inevitability of neck pain and back pain otherwise.

Safer: Using an external keyboard and mouse and raising the screen with paper reams improves this laptop workstation for Chiropractor Yvonne

Safer: Using an external keyboard and mouse and raising the screen with paper reams improves this laptop workstation for Chiropractor Yvonne

SETTING YOUR LAPTOP UP FOR FREQUENT USE

Maintain a neutral neck posture by placing the top of the screen at about eye level or slightly lower if using bifocal glasses.

Use a laptop stand or place your laptop on a stable support surface, such as monitor risers, reams of paper, or phone books so that the screen height can be adjusted.

Attach a regular size, external keyboard and mouse to the laptop, and place them on an adjustable keyboard tray or desk if possible. They should be positioned at or slightly below elbow height when it is possible to use an adjustable keyboard tray.

Angle the screen to reduce bending your head forward. Use your eyes instead of your neck to adjust your line of vision.

Reduce glare by positioning the screen at a right angle to windows and away from overhead lighting. Laptop lights that plug into a USB port can be used to provide extra light, if needed.

REMEMBER TO:

  1. Clean the screen frequently as dust can make it difficult to read and may increase eyestrain.
  2. Watch for glare from external light sources on your screen which also causes eyestrain.
  3. Use a document holder where possible to angle documents vertically to keep the neck well aligned with the spine.
  4. Take frequent stretch breaks every 30 to 45 minutes.

QUICK ERGONOMIC FIXES FOR SHORT TERM LAPTOP USE

  • Use a chair that supports a comfortable upright or slightly reclined posture. In a reclined position,
    Safer: A binder helps keep wrists straight and optimises the screen height. Note a ream of paper props feet adding stability. A rolled towel adds lumbar support.

    Safer: A binder helps keep wrists straight and optimises the screen height. Note a ream of paper improves the trunk/thigh angle. A rolled towel adds lumbar support.

    prop your feet up on a box or something similar to maintain a neutral trunk/thigh angle.

  • Be sure to maintain a neutral neck posture (in other words not leaning the neck forward). Use a towel roll or inflatable lumbar pillow to provide low back support.
  • Place the laptop on your lap to help keep your wrists straight while using the keyboard. A 2-3 inch binder with the wider edge toward you knees will create an angle that will help keep your wrists straight and maximize the height of the screen.
  • Don’t place your laptop on top of a pillow or other soft material. The lack of circulation could shut down the fan, which can overheat the computer.
  • On a sofa, place a rolled towel as a lumbar support, raise the feet on a small box so that you are tilted slightly backwards to maintain  straighter spinal alignment.
  • Remember to stand up and stretch frequently.
GOREY FAMILY CHIROPRACTIC: SUPPORTING RECOVERY, MAINTAINING RECOVERY AND PREVENTING INJURY

Our specialist Chiropractic team are trained and hold extensive occupational health experience both in Ireland and the U.K and are specialists in the diagnosis and treatment of back pain, neck pain and other workplace related muscle and joint problems. No referral is necessary.

We have x-ray facilities  located on site and offer spinal health screening programmes and ergonomics assessments to companies and organisations to prevent and manage workplace injury. For your convenience all of our Gorey Family  Chiropractic team are registered with VHI, Glo, Aviva and Laya Healthcare allowing clients claim reimbursement from a wide range of private healthcare Insurance providers.

For further information on our range of services to private individuals or companies contact info@chiropractor.ie or alternatively call 053 94 83338

Mar 07

Frozen shoulder, the most restrictive shoulder problem of all?

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It is on frozen shoulder gorey, e of the most common, frustrating and painful conditions to affect the shoulder especially in the 45+ years age group. It can develop following a trauma or an accident with your shoulder, such as dislocation or fracture, or can slowly develop for no clear apparent reason.

Usually, clients present to us when the arm becomes very painful and when it feels stiff and weak and when they are getting unable to work, sleep, or use it properly because of the pain. Female patients often complain that they cannot hook their bra, or dress easily and men say that they cannot reach their wallet in their back pocket!

If ignored with time the situation progressively deteriorates leading to more extreme restriction of the arm and to an immobile painful shoulder.

It can’t be stressed enough that early evaluation is always the best approach in order to avoid progression and deterioration of a frozen shoulder. Shoulder exercises alone do not effectively stop progression and often patients then may be given the impression nothing can be done. Left to progress, it is not uncommon that a frozen shoulder can last 2 years or more.

Our chiropractors are specialised and extremely experienced in the examination, treatment and rehabilitation of frozen shoulder and it is a special interest area of both chiropractors. We would be delighted to offer guidance and help to anyone potentially affected by the condition which is both a frustrating and painful condition to suffer.

After a thorough and careful initial assessment of your shoulder which may include x rays (x-ray facilities onsite) or further imaging our chiropractors can confirm the presence of frozen shoulder or another potential shoulder disorder and specific advice will be given to you as to how your condition should be best treated and managed.

The focus of chiropractic treatment and rehabilitation of the shoulder will be to help you regain movement and flexibility in your shoulder which will significantly ease the shoulder and arm pain. Specialised chiropractic manipulative and soft tissue treatment techniques are used to help your shoulder, together with specific prescribed exercises that clients are taught to perform at home.  Our focus will be to bring your shoulder back to proper mobility and strength through non invasive physical treatment in the fastest possible time allowing you to feel that life can go back to normal!

You may not only need treatment in your shoulder joint where you feel the pain, but also in your upper back and the back of your shoulder neck and shoulder pain Goreyblade, since these areas are often affected by the frozen shoulder. Advice may also be given concerning your posture for those clients with shoulder pain that may be linked to poor posture.

Gorey Family Chiropractic is covered by VHI, Irish Life Health, Laya as well as smaller health Insurance companies such as HSA, Garda Medical etc.

For further information please call 053 (94) 83338
or feel free to email us with your enquiry at info@chiropractor.ie

Jul 16

Neck Pain, Poor Posture and Women: How to Avoid a Hunchback Posture

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by Olivia O’ Leary D.C BSc Hons Chiropractic

We have been practicing Chiropractic in Gorey, County Wexford for over seven years now. One of the most common problems we see in clinic are patient’s complaining of neck pain. And what can particularly disturb female patients, apart from the pain itself, is when they also notice the development of what can be known as a hunchback posture.

Over time, poor posture may be caused by habits from everyday activities such as sitting at a desk, looking at the computer, driving, standing for long periods of time, or even sleeping.  As many as 63 percent of all office workers will suffer from neck pain sometime this year, with women at particular risk, according to a recent comprehensive review of neck pain studies.

Poor posture is partly to blame for this: with an ever-increasing dependence on computers the main contributory. Happily, some of the main factors affecting posture and ergonomics are completely within a person’s ability to control and are not difficult to change.

Lets examine this area;

Why Does it Matter if we Have Poor Posture or if the Shoulders Appear Hunched?

To begin with, we all notice it. It does not look good and we feel that our bodies are out of alignment. Something doesn’t seem right. You may not even notice it yourself. Maybe someone else notices your posture or you go to try on a top that doesn’t have a collar and something doesn’t look right…. and you would be correct.

This phenomenon can happen when the spine in the neck has shifted forward. This is termed forward head posture. It can also be known as “military neck” or a “loss of cervical lordosis” or “loss of neck curve”.  This represents a big problem to the spine leading to a variety of different problems including muscular imbalances, muscular weakness and stiffness within the spine itself. This can in the longer term lead to increasingly serious spinal problems.

“Forward Head Posture leads to long term muscle strain, disc herniations, arthritis and pinched nerves.”- Mayo Clinic, Nov 3, 2000

Unfortunately by this stage poor posture can easily have become second nature to us, causing or aggravating episodes of neck pain and interfering with daily living whilst damaging these sensitive spinal structures at the same time.
Hunched back and forward head posture can be the culprit behind the development of many symptoms such as

  • 
-neck pain
  • -headaches
  • -stiff neck
-
  • stiffness and tightness in the upper shoulders
-
  • pain between the shoulder blades
-

  • upper back pain

” for every inch of forward head posture, it can increase the weight of the head on the spine by an additional 10 lbs.”
 – Kapandji, Physiology of Joints, Vol 3.

So How Do We Prevent the Development of Problems Like These?

Firstly, having correct posture means keeping each part of the body in alignment with the neighboring parts. Proper posture keeps all parts balanced and supported. With appropriate posture (when standing) it should be possible to draw a straight line from the ear, through the shoulder, hip, knee, and into the middle of the ankle.

For those working in an office environment here’s how to set up a workstation in an ergonomically efficient way to help prevent these types of problem and maintain good posture in a seated environment.

How to Create a Perfect Workstation for Both Mind and Body.

  1. Sit up straight with your shoulder blades pulled back and your chin up.
  2.  

Position your monitor so that the top of the screen is at or just below eye level. One study found that people who tilt their heads more than 3 percent to view their monitor have a 50 percent greater risk of neck pain.
  3. Move your keyboard so that the distance from the edge of your desktop to the J key is greater than five inches.
  4. Use a chair with armrests, which an international task force on neck pain found decreases the risk of neck discomfort.
  5. Place your keyboard so that, while you’re typing, your forearms are parallel to the floor or tilted slightly upward.
  6. 

The soles of your feet should rest comfortably on the floor (or a footrest) and your thighs should be roughly parallel to the floor.
  7. Remember to take a break every 20-40 minutes to get up, walk around and stretch out.

Unfortunately if you are already experiencing neck pain and have a forward head posture, making these type of modifications will certainly be helpful but chances are you may need some treatment from a chiropractor or similarly qualified health professional with experience in dealing with these disorders on a daily basis. If when you stand sideways and your ears do not align over your shoulders and if you are suffering from any of the symptoms mentioned it may be time to be checked. Poor posture is  a primary cause of neck pain that unfortunately may be chronic if not managed correctly.

We realise it can be confusing knowing where to choose for your healthcare services. If you, a friend or family member requires care for neck or back  pain, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services and look forward to helping you in the future.

Tel: 053 94 83338 to schedule an initial consultation appointment.

Opening hours Mon 8-7, Tues 9-5, Wed 8-7, Thurs 9-5, Fri 8-7.