Managing Neck Pain In Glendale Through Ergonomics

Back pain in Glendale is one of the most common injuries that happen in the workplace, and it’s generally caused by basic work activities, such as sitting in an office chair or doing a lot of heavy lifting. Working to apply basic concepts of ergonomics can help avoid injury and keep you healthy. While pain management in Glendale will be here as an option, it’s a good idea to know what you can take care of preventatively as well.

What Is Ergonomics?

When we talk about applying ergonomic ideas from a plain clinic in Glendale to the workplace, it generally boils down to adapting the workplace to the needs of a specific worker. Keeping this in mind, there are two main situations that will lead to people getting back pain in Glendale or a true injury while they work. The first is a non-accidental injury, where soreness comes from normal activities and requirements. For example, bad body mechanics, like staying slouched in an office chair, prolonged activity, as well as repetitive motions can all factor in. These may stem from sitting in an office chair or standing for too long.

The second point of concern is accidental injury. This tends to happen when an unexpected event leads to an injury during a given task. For example, a shifting or slipping load can jolt key parts of the body, leading to muscle strain or soft tissue tears. For both non-accidental and accidental issues, the largest risk of injury is going to be those occupations that are both heavily demanding and require repeated lifting, like nursing or heavy industry. For healthcare, for example, dealing with patients with different weight and stature can pose a problem when helping them walk or rise from a chair. Construction workers deal with a similar issue when it comes to their job sites and requirements.

With this said, these aren’t the only sources of injuries and issues. The classic desk worker, at their computer while sitting inside of an office chair, is at risk for non-accidental injuries as well. Office ergonomic practices can lower the risk of repetitive injury, such as carpal tunnel syndrome. These also lower risks that come with sitting in an office chair, such as sprains and soreness. What can employees and employers do alike to avoid risk here?

One good idea is working to alter your existing job description. Be sure to include facts like the forces present in a work environment, how long certain tasks will be performed and the biomechanics involved. These define human motion and seated position in an office chair over a given task. Posture can be a tool modified to meet job demands with lower stress on muscles, bones, and joints. It’s also important to learn and use body mechanics to cut down on extra mechanical stress when completing a task.

Issues Leading To Chronic Pain In Glendale

There are also a lot of potentially harmful scenarios that can lead to injury, but can also be avoided with proper attention. One major source of concern is prolonged static posture. What exactly does this mean? Well, a healthy body generally can only handle being in a single given position for approximately 20 minutes or so. This is why we tend to get so uncomfortable in airplanes, office chairs/desks, or in a movie. The same thing happens when standing in a single place, like a concrete floor on an assembly line for an extended time period. This lowers elasticity in the soft tissues, like muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Stress then builds up leading to discomfort.

How do you end up dealing with these issues? No matter the setting, be sure you have a plan in place to move positions rapidly. Any movement will do. You can stand or sit, stretch out, or walk around shortly, after you return to a standing or sitting posture, you can use an alternate posture for a few moments and regain some of that elasticity that protects your joints.

Another source of problems can be frequent, repeated stretching that pushes your end range of motion. Another source of concern is awkward or angled postures that bind your joints. Some jobs require long-term seating in a chair, but others that have a lot of repetitive motion also lead to discomfort. This includes lifting from a floor, lifting overhead, bulky loads, or having to twist while handling materials. The heavier the load, the greater the risk. Make sure you have the proper tools if you know you’re going into this type of job. We should also talk about the role of fatigue. Whether it’s from your job cycle or personal life, fatigue makes people move more awkwardly. This raises the risk for injury, so you don’t want to lift objects alone or quickly.

Failing to keep good posture leads to issues as well, such as additional strain for muscles and spine stress. If this happens for a prolonged period, the stress can change the spine’s characteristics, meaning constricted blood vessels and issues with muscles, discs, or joints. All these can lead to discomfort and other issues. Sometimes even organ and breathing problems may occur.

So, if posture does all that, how can you make sure your posture is solid? Ideally, you want every part of your body in alignment with the neighboring parts. This will make sure everything stays supported and balanced. If you hold to the proper posture, you should be able to trace a straight line from your earlobe to the shoulder to the hip to the knee to the center of the ankle.

A lot of people may find themselves in certain positions during the day, like sitting, bending, or standing. Because of this, proper posture in all positions is paramount. As you shift positions, make sure that your posture moves in a smooth and fluid way. The good news is after you stop your bad habits, these movements become automatic, with little added effort to keep up.

The ideal situation is that one's posture is adjusted smoothly and fluidly. After initial correction of bad posture habits, these movements tend to become automatic and require very little effort to maintain.