Computer Ergonomics: Work Pain Free

Donna asks:

I have lower neck and left sided upper back scapular pain that is severe from working on my computer and I don’t know how I can continue in my job without pain.

Dear Donna,
Thank you for your interest in Work Pain Free.

Your discomfort is a common one. The cause is simple to determine and there are several solutions. The work pain free program will empower you to determine which skills will solve your problem.

The solution has two parts, sometimes three.
1) Correct your equipment and workstation ergonomics (how it fits your unique body) and working technique so you are not causing physical stress from simply sitting at your computer.

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Headaches from computer work are upsetting my life! For the last few years I have been getting a headache at the base of my skull after 2-3 hours working on the computer. It used to be a few times per week and would soon pass after I stopped working. It has been coming more often and now it comes every time I work on the computer, and is so strong I have to take medication or I can not keep working. The thing that is scaring me is that in the last few weeks I have felt it when reading at home. Can I solve this problem or do I have to find a new job? I hope you can help me,

Alisha in Chicago

Dear Alisha,

Do not worry. The headaches you are describing are “Muscle Contraction Headaches” and are easy to eliminate.

Let’s first understand what they are. There are several muscles from your neck and upper back that attach at the upper end to the base of your skull, exactly where you are having your headaches when working on the computer. The most commonly affected muscles are the Trapezious, the Levator Scalula, and the Cervical Erector Spinae.

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Your chair is one of the most important pieces of equipment at your computer workstation. Used properly it will reduce stress, fatigue and pain, and increase productivity. Used improperly it will contribute to pain, fatigue, injury and poor productivity.

Many people think you have to get the most expensive chair to feel good. That is a mistake. There is a way to customize any chair, even a simple inexpensive one.

The only necessary factor is it must be adjustable in height. Sit in the chair and adjust the height so your feet are flat on the floor. If the chair is so high that your heels are off the floor, you do not realize it but you are constantly contracting leg muscles to hold that position. This contributes to fatigue and leg tension, which will then travel up your leg to your trunk and low back. This then make you prone to low back pain and injury.

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6. You must drink water at work.

Without drinking enough water, you become dehydrated and this causes muscles to be unhealthy and tighter, and causes or intensifies headaches. Some people drink soda, tea, coffee, etc. and no water. Increasing water intake will often reduce many minor muscle discomfort.

This series of articles explained the most common causes of headaches from computer work, how to evaluate your workstation and technique to see if you have conditions that need to be corrected, and how to make the corrections.

==>> This is a part of a 6 part series of short articles on the causes and solutions to headaches related to working on computers. View them all under computer headaches.

This is the third in a series of posts regarding [tag]computer headaches[/tag], causes and solutions.

3. Monitor is off center or to the side, resulting in prolonged and repetitive neck and trunk rotation. It requires constant contraction of neck muscles to hold your head looking at the monitor to the side. This off center position causes this problem even if it is only slightly off center.

RISKS

Twisting of the spine in the neck causes excessive compression of the facet joints on one side, and stretching and tearing of muscles and ligaments on the other side. This risks facet joint injury, spinal instability, and a tendency to spinal degeneration, an arthritic condition too often found in office based workers. There is also excessive pinching of the outer layers of the lumber discs, contributing to the risk of ruptured or herniated discs. Finally, there is significant muscle work to maintain a rotated posture, with resultant fatigue, tension and headaches.

SOLUTION

A] Move monitor by rearranging desktop so operator, keyboard, and monitor are lined up.
B] Leave the monitor where it is and install a keyboard tray so the operator can face the monitor. These hold the keyboard and mouse and attach under the desk and pull out, raise or lower, rotate sideways, and tilt so you can easily work in your most relaxed posture.
C] When the monitor is at the corner of an L-shaped desk, install a corner extension to hold the keyboard.

==>> This is a part of a 6 part series of short articles on the causes and solutions to headaches related to working on computers. View them all under computer headaches.

The back of my legs (thigh area) get very painful after sitting for a while. Do you have some advice as to what will take the pressure off my legs while I’m sitting?

There are 3 things that commonly can cause pain in the back of your legs when sitting.

You can try making one change only per day. The one that takes away or reduces your discomfort is the one that is most important for you.
They are:

1. When the seat pan pushes against the back of your knee. This causes muscle tension in the back of your leg.

Solution: If the seat pan presses on the back of your knees, this will cause leg stress and tension. It will cause you to be fatigued and that leg tension over a period of months will travel up your legs and cause low back discomfort, eventually going all the way to your neck. The solution is simple. Either get a chair with a shorter seat pan so it’s not pressing on the back of your knees or place a pillow or a piece of foam behind you. This will bring you forward and will keep the seat pan from pressing against the back of your knees.

2. When the seat height has your heels off the ground. This causes you to constantly contract leg muscles to hold the position leading to leg tension

Solution: Adjust the chair height so you feet are flat on the floor with your knees slightly lower than the hips. When your legs are in the posture in this position there is minimal stress, tension and fatigue. If the seat is too low and the knees are higher than the hips that will cause a closed angle at the knees which will then result in decreased blood flow to the lower leg.

The decreased blood flow to the lower leg will then result in leg tension. This tension can travel as pain over a period of months up the legs to the hips, to the low back causing low back discomfort, and can even eventually travel up the back all the way to the neck.

Now if the seat is too high the toes or balls of the feet are on the floor and the heels are up off the floor. Unconsciously you are going to be contracting muscles to hold you in an uncomfortable posture and this can cause leg tension and pain.

If you have a proper seat height there’s going to be minimal stress in your legs, you’ll be less fatigued at the end of a work day and there will be less chance of having injury and discomfort in your legs, back and neck.

3. Not supporting your low back curve. This can cause a nerve irritation which causes a pain in the back of your legs. This is actually the most common cause of pain in the back of your legs from sitting.

Solution: To determine where to place the pillow to support the low back curve, this is what you do. Sit up straight and arch your back by sticking out your belly. Put your hand behind you and run your hand up and down your back and feel where the deepest part of your curve is. It’s usually higher than you think with most people.

This is where you need to have your low back support. You are supporting your natural curve. So arch your back as I’ve described. Put you hand back there and feel where the deepest part of your curve is, and that’s where your low back support is going to go. Now what should you use for low back support? Many chairs have built into them a low back support. You simply adjust the height so it’s exactly in this curve.

Other options are you can buy a lumbar pillow, and there are three or four different styles. You want to have access to several of them and try the one which feels most comfortable to you.

Finally, the one that most commonly is used, simply roll up a towel and place rubber bands around it to hold it in place and use that as a pillow for your low back.

Now whether you are using the support build into the chair, a commercial pillow or a rolled up towel, you now know where to place it. But how big should it be?

It’s as simple as this. It should be the most comfortable size. So try using different-sized pillows or different-sized rolled up towels. The correct size for you will obviously feel better as soon as you sit with it.

Do the 2 low back stretches every 15-20 when sitting at your computer. Both will take a combined 10 seconds to perform and you can do them without getting up from your workstation. They are the seated low back extension and the knee pull.

I am confidant this will reduce or eliminate the pain. If it does not, you may have a condition that requires treatment and you will need to see a doctor to get appropriate evaluation and treatment. Then the techniques in www.WorkPainFree.com will keep it from returning.