Your Ergonomic Writes for Headache-free Adventures

Figure One

In our last blog post, we mentioned the dreaded ‘computer neck’ (see Figure One). Looks awkward, right?

Computer neck is not only awkward, it’s damaging. Each time you hold or move your head outside of an upright position, you put force moments of up to three times (!) the weight of your head through your neck joints (1). And our heads are heavy little melons!

Usually we hold our heads in end-of-range positions for short periods of time – to look down, to reach up. Screen time invariably becomes lengthy, so if your head is positioned poorly, you will strain your neck. Once you get to the point of chronic pain, you’ve already experienced significant changes towards serious injury.

You’ve probably got the idea by now that prolonged sitting (i.e. more than four hours per day) contributes to an array of health issues: tight soft tissues, pressure and strain on joints and spinal discs, reduced cardiovascular fitness, poor circulation, and pain. Often we spend hours each day tapping away on various electronic devices. The secret to prevention: add in activity – and make sure your desk set-up is sound. (Can you guess what’s next?)

Figure Two

Consider Figure Two. This depicts good ergonomic set-up (2). An ideal chair should have fully adjustable lumbar support (forward/back, up/down), backrest and seat tilt, removable (or even better, no) armrests, adjustable seat height, and when you sit with your bottom fully into the chair (don’t perch), the length of the seat should end a couple of centimetres behind your knees.

Adjust your chair first. Once your back is supported and your shoulders and head in a neutral position (think: ‘My head is like a puppet on a string’), adjust the seat height so your hands rest comfortably over the keyboard with your elbows bent to the angle shown.

You shouldn’t be reaching for your mouse or keyboard (your chair should enable you to sit close enough for this – another place where armrests can be problematic), and your elbows should be near to your body, not propped out (including on arm rests!) like wings. Ensure your feet aren’t dangling. Use a stable footrest, if required.

Next, adjust the monitor height so you’re looking at the top of the screen (use a text book or two?), and then treat yourself to a pair of glasses that focus on the screen. (Blink, blink.) Measure the distance to the screen (arm’s length) and give this to the optometrist to make them specific for computing use.

Don’t forget this all applies to laptops as well. (A remote keyboard and mouse are recommended!) Also, good posture isn’t limited to computer work. Jutting out your chin will often cause headaches. Think about your posture when driving, and apply these same ergonomic principles.

Once you’ve got your set-up sorted, remember to take your breaks and keep active. This doesn’t mean you should jump straight from the office chair into vigorous activity. Muscles fatigue when holding sustained postures, even when sitting. Always warm up beforehand and stretch afterwards. Remember, only exercise within the pain-free range (can you hear all the PTs out there groaning?), and if pain persists or is present at night, see your doctor or physiotherapist.

Happy – and painless (physically, at least) – writing!

References:

(1) Oatis, C 2009, Kinesiology: The Mechanics & Pathomechanics of Human Movement, 2^nd Edition, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore.

(2) myDr.com.au  2014, Office ergonomics: Workstation comfort and safety,  http://www.mydr.com.au/pain/office-ergonomics-workstation-comfort-and-safety

About the Authors

Pamela Heemskerk has worked as a physiotherapist for over 25 years and has seen firsthand the impact of relatively recent, recognised pain syndromes associated with prolonged use of technology – occurring even in young people. She has undertaken further training in the field of education and is also passionate about educating the community in the effects of hearing loss. She is a keen artist, working primarily with watercolours, and has had numerous short works published.






Adele Jones is the wife of a rehabilitated repetitive strain casualty and has been active in organisational work health and safety roles. Having witnessed the consequences of ergonomic neglect, she is an advocate of sound ergonomic practices. She writes a variety of short works, YA novels (http://rhizapress.com.au/integrate) and historical fiction (http://www.roseandcrownbooks.com). Her writing is inspired by a passion for family, faith, friends, music and science – and her broad ranging imagination. To find out more visit www.adelejonesauthor.com.

The 'Eyes' Have It

By Adele Jones and Pamela Heemskerk

As mentioned in our earlier blog posts, strain injuries that develop over many years don’t go away in a hurry. Recent injuries generally respond quickly to treatment, whereas long-term injuries require extended treatment as underlying muscle changes need to be addressed. So prevention is paramount!!

Great – but how do we do that?

If you caught the post-blog chatter last time, you’d have seen a wise suggestion of timing your breaks. Brilliant. Every half-hour you need to get up from your desk, get moving and (here’s the trick) STRETCH out your muscles! Below are some basic stretches to get you started, but if you’re experiencing pain or persistent discomfort (especially at night), ensure you see a health professional for proper assessment and tailored treatment.

Start these stretches gently and hold for a few seconds each time (click on links for more ‘how to’ information). As you limber up, you can deepen the stretch (no pain) and hold it for a little longer.

Cerrvical Spine (neck)

• Chin tucks (Stretches the muscles between your neck and skull – and no, it won’t give you a double chin! But don’t do this if you have a headache.)
• Rotation in sitting
• Side bend in sitting

Thoracic spine (upper back)

• Shoulder blade squeezes, shrugs and circles (helps prevent shoulder hunch)
• Rotation in sitting
• Side bend in sitting
• Flexion in sitting

Latissimus dorsi stretch (ahhhhhh...)

Pectoral stretch

(All these exercises and more can be found at Physioadvisor.com.)

Not only are stretches important, they also make you feel so good! But just a moment, is there something small we’re overlooking?

(Blink. Blink.)

Every day we blink thousands of times. Tears both moisturise and disinfect our eyes. Blinking ‘washes’ our eyes preventing soreness and infections. Eyes focussed on screens blink much less frequently – as little as once every 30 seconds instead of every 4-6 seconds. (Know that glazed red-eyed stare? Watch someone at a computer and see.) Fortunately prevention is simple – blink, blink!

Our eyes need movement, too. The six little muscles around each eye tire if they work in one position, just as any other muscle does. It’s important to look at objects both nearby and distant to change focal length, as well as looking around to move the eyeball in the socket. (Blink, blink. Eye roll or two?)

Speaking of eyes, do you use glasses to type? Are they old ‘readers’ an optometrist suggested you now use at the computer or multi-focals that just don’t quite focus on the screen? Are you tipping your head back or forward to see properly? Congratulations – you are on the way to getting ‘computer neck’! But that’s a whole other discussion ...

So check in next week for our final post on pains in the neck (... arm ... back ...) where we’ll explore excellent ergonomics, including preventing the dreaded ‘computer neck’. And remember when it comes to writing, no pain – is great!

About the Authors

Pamela Heemskerk has worked as a physiotherapist for over 25 years and has seen firsthand the impact of relatively recent, recognised pain syndromes associated with prolonged use of technology – occurring even in young people. She has undertaken further training in the field of education and is also passionate about educating the community in the effects of hearing loss. She is a keen artist, working primarily with watercolours, and has had numerous short works published.





Adele Jones is the wife of a rehabilitated repetitive strain casualty and has been active in organisational work health and safety roles. Having witnessed the consequences of ergonomic neglect, she is an advocate of sound ergonomic practices. She writes a variety of short works, YA novels (http://rhizapress.com.au/integrate) and historical fiction (http://www.roseandcrownbooks.com). Her writing is inspired by a passion for family, faith, friends, music and science – and her broad ranging imagination. To find out more visit www.adelejonesauthor.com.

Pre-POSTURE-ous Perils of Ineffective Ergonomics – Part 1

"What do you mean, you can’t sit at a computer for more than five minutes before you’re in excruciating pain?"

Imagine enforced restriction of technology usage – and if you persist, being in such pain you can scarcely function. As writers, this is the stuff of nightmares!

For our family this nightmare became a reality seemingly overnight, when my husband fell victim to a repetitive strain injury. Of course, initially we didn’t understand his intense neck, back, shoulder, arm and hand pain was caused by a strain injury. Eventually we came to understand that this was also not an overnight occurrence, rather the consequence of long-term, inadequate ergonomic management.

Rehabilitation was slow, painful and frustrating (a right pain in the neck, really ...), but over those years (yes, years) we learned many lessons, including:

a) People generally have little idea of the severity of chronic ergonomic-related strain injuries
b) Symptoms attached to muscle and joint strain caused by poor ergonomics are many and varied
c) These diverse symptoms can be mistaken for more serious medical conditions and the wrong treatment instigated
d) These types of strains are highly preventable

This might come as a shock, but we’re NOT intended to sit all day!!! This of course gets tricky in a world where most endeavours revolve around some form of technology. Let’s face it, our lives are becoming increasingly sedentary. A static lifestyle enables joints to stiffen and soft tissues to shorten and tighten, which can lead to inflammation and pain cycles (ouch!). To maintain flexibility of soft tissue and joints our bodies need to move. A lot!

Physiotherapists have seen firsthand the impact of recognised pain syndromes associated with prolonged technology use. Little twinges can swiftly escalate into persistent aches, and these can include:
• muscle and joint pain
• headaches
• chest, neck, back, arm and shoulder pain
• nausea
• numbness, weakness and tingling in hands, wrists
• burning and tingling in feet, hips, legs and gluteals
• fatigue
• bruising of muscles
• swelling, inflamed and stiff joints
• intense nerve pain

To keep strains and pains at bay, prevention is paramount. Don’t ignore early pain indicators – they won’t go away!

In the writing industry we spend hours sitting at a computer or using other electronic devices. This puts us in a high risk category. For this reason we must be informed about ‘writing risks’ and adopt preventative measures, including appropriate health regimes. Over the next few weeks we’re going to explore keys to minimising the risk of ergonomic related strains and pains. Make sure you join us for these practical and informative tips for keeping ‘write on track’.

About the Authors

Pamela Heemskerk has worked as a physiotherapist for over 25 years and has seen firsthand the impact of relatively recent, recognised pain syndromes associated with prolonged use of technology – occurring even in young people. She has undertaken further training in the field of education and is also passionate about educating the community in the effects of hearing loss. She is a keen artist, working primarily with watercolours, and has had numerous short works published.

Adele Jones is the wife of a rehabilitated repetitive strain casualty and has been active in organisational work health and safety roles. Having witnessed the consequences of ergonomic neglect, she is an advocate of sound ergonomic practices. She writes a variety of short works, YA novels (http://rhizapress.com.au/integrate) and historical fiction (http://www.roseandcrownbooks.com). Her writing is inspired by a passion for family, faith, friends, music and science – and her broad ranging imagination. To find out more visit www.adelejonesauthor.com