People with busy jobs and long working hours often believe that the pain and discomfort associated with their work all just comes with the territory. What many people don’t realize however, is that it’s possible to work the exact same hours and to do the exact same jobs pain-free! Some of the most common causes of time off work that cost both employees and employers billions of dollars each year are workplace related injuries that are incredibly easy to avoid with ergonomic techniques or to treat with chiropractic support.
Workplace Ergonomics To Prevent Workplace Injuries
Workplace
injuries that are sustained due to poor ergonomic practice range from
musculoskeletal symptoms (including back pains and discomfort in joints
and ligaments) to severe headaches. If you’re spending more than a few
hours a day at a desk or in front of a computer screen, take note of your:
1. Posture: Leaning forward towards a computer screen or
cellphone is instinctive for most
people; however, this is a habit that increases the pressure on your discs and
puts stress on
your back muscles. Taking breaks, sitting straight and looking down towards a
screen can help to lessen the load on your body.
2. Mouse: Have you ever given thought to the size of your
mouse or your cursor speed? Using a mouse that is too small for your hand
could force you to use a stronger grip – this can result in muscle
cramping in your wrist and arm. Likewise, if your cursor speed is too fast,
it’s likely that you’re exerting too much pressure on your wrist to gain
more control over the cursor.
3. Monitor: The ideal position for a screen is right in
front of you; you shouldn’t have to turn your head in order to see
anything on it. Keeping the monitor at about arms length away from you and
trying to avoid glare from windows or lights will help you to keep your posture
upright, as well as to avoid painful migraines from straining your eyes.
A Chiropractic Approach To
Treating Workplace Discomfort
Chiropractors specialize in caring for patients with disorders of the
musculoskeletal and nervous systems; this is why chiropractic support is
ideal for patients suffering from workplace injuries. Below are three of
the many benefits of this approach:
1. Drug free: Because no drugs are involved during a
chiropractic session, you don’t have to worry about feeling drowsy
afterwards, or about any potential negative side effects that may
hinder your ability to get right back to work as soon as you wish to.
2. Hands-on: Chiropractic doctors typically use their
hands (and occasionally other specialized equipment) to manipulate
different joints in order to reduce inflammation, pain, and
other musculoskeletal symptoms. This hands-on approach often results in
instant relief for patients.
3. Efficient and Effective: Chiropractic
adjustment/manipulation is both a highly controlled procedure and a
flexible one in the sense that it can be adapted to meet the needs
of individual patients – with this approach you won’t have to worry about
cookie-cutter solutions. The duration of the procedure can also be adapted
to fit in with your working schedule, making it ideal for people in need
of both immediate and effective treatment at work.
Developing Healthy Habits At
Work
Working in pain and discomfort shouldn’t be the norm. Leaving what may seem
like a minor injury or muscle pain unchecked could result in even more
painful (and potentially more severe and difficult to treat) conditions in
the future. When at work, make a quick check of how ergonomic your
workplace is, and the next time you feel a muscle cramp or a killer
headache sneaking up on you, getting chiropractic support could make all
the difference to your productivity, health and mood!