Chiropractic and Ergonomics

by Sean Thornton, DC
Doctor of Chiropractic

Many people think you either need to have an injury to seek Chiropractic care, or that you need to have a physically demanding job. There are many people that have musculoskeletal pain and discomfort due to overuse in sedentary occupations or desk jobs. Accountants, Lawyers, Insurance workers, and many executive assistants have neck, lower back, and carpal tunnel pain. Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSD’s) are the leading cause of lost workdays and workers' compensation costs. In response to this, OSHA is currently working on ergonomic standards for small businesses. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, WMSDs account for 34% of all lost workday injuries and illnesses. In 1996, there were 647,000 lost days attributed to WMSDs. OSHA has found WMSDs to account for more than $15-20 billion dollars in Workers Compensation costs. Leading the list were carpal tunnel syndrome cases, which averaged more days away from work (25) than any other workplace injury.

Ergonomics is the applied science of designing and developing equipment; workstation layout and work strategies to best suit and protect the human body. The goal of ergonomics is to minimize fatigue, injury and emotional stress. It is important to realize that having an ergonomically correct workspace is helpful but even with the best set-up the body can still be over-worked. The human body can only endure so much repetitive activity. When your body is over-worked you are exposing yourself to the potential for serious injury or permanent damage to your musculoskeletal system. Sitting in a slouched position over time can lead to overstretching of spinal ligaments and strain the spinal discs. Straining to look at computer monitors and looking down at paper-work for extended periods can strain the joints and muscles in the neck. Operating the mouse and reaching for things with an inappropriately angled wrist can lead to devastating and painful injuries to the bones and ligaments in the wrist and hands. Chiropractic and ergonomics has always been a natural match. Doctors of chiropractic are trained in proper body mechanics and assessing for improper body positioning and motion. By using this knowledge of body mechanics and guiding the body to neutral positions for work, the doctor of chiropractic can provide education and guidance for sedentary workers that will help prevent such injuries and disfuntion. Chiropractic can also help to alleviate the pain from overuse injuries by realigning the joints of the body to remove pressure from the joints, thus restoring proper motion and function and promoting healing and decreased inflammation.

Lets look at some things we can do to decrease the problems of working at a desk. Your first step is to start by choosing the right chair. The chair should be adjustable. The seat backrest should have a good lumbar support and should slightly incline backwards, this helps to relax spinal muscles and decrease the pressure on the spine. Armrests should also be adjustable to help support the arms at a good angle with the desktop and reduce pressure on the shoulders. The seat bottom angle is a personal preference but should be able to tilt to keep your spine in a neutral position and should be comfortably padded. Seat height is also very important. You should be high enough to reach the desk but keeping your knees at or above 90 degrees and feet touching the floor. If you can’t reach the floor with your feet, then use a stool or something to rest you feet on. The layout of your desk is also very important to minimize the stress on your body. Your computer monitor should be placed straight ahead and at a height that you can look at with your head and neck in a neutral position. Your keyboard should be below your elbows; consider using a keyboard tray placed under the desktop. Your mouse should be placed at a comfortable distance so you don’t need to extend your elbow to reach for it. All other things that you use on a regular basis should be placed within a comfortable reach.

It is also very important to take several mini-breaks throughout the day and move your muscles and joints. This helps to relieve the tension on the body. It is important to get the blood moving and fluid in the joints moving to keep your body from becoming stiff and sore. Once an hour or every 30 minutes would be great. There are several simple stretches that can be done at your desk. You can go through neck ranges of motion like chin to chest, eyes to the sky and ear to shoulder. Also torso stretches such as lateral stretch and anterior and posterior stretch can be done seated or standing. There are many stretches you can do for the upper and lower extremities also to remove some stress from the body.

If you are tired and sore at the end of your workday, or suffer from these types of problems, call and make a Chiropractic appointment! We will get your body back into the proper alignment and give you some advice on your workstation to minimize your risk for overuse injury and pain.