There is an army out there.  Day in and day out, in silicon trenches they hone their skills on desktops and laptops.  They train hard and they work hard.  And they have the battle scars to prove it: back, neck, and wrist pain; headaches and eye strain.   They are the Workstation Warriors.

And you’re part of that army.  You show up diligently for your job; be it web design, accounting, programming or any of the myriad vocations that require hours of sitting in front of your computer.  Things usually start off alright, but slowly a change happens.  A tension starts building in your body.  And it grows from an annoying discomfort to outright pain.  But it’s not just the pain that’s the problem; it also affects the effort and energy you have to stay at the top of your game.  Studies show that there is significant productivity loss associated with the muscle and joint aches and pains of desk and computer work.

In light of this let’s take a look at some simple things you can do to reduce pain, make your workspace more comfortable, and improve productivity.

Ergonomic and environmental factors

Much research has been done into what the best way to sit/type/read is.  And what the research shows is that there is no single best way to approach any of those variables.  However, even though there is no perfect position, there are some general steps to take to position yourself and your workstation to function well.

Keyboard – Have your keyboard positioned just above your lap and have your arms relaxed freely or use arm rests that just support but do not elevate your elbows.

Monitor – Your monitor should be directly in front of you with the centre of the screen at eye level.  The monitor, keyboard, and you should all be in line (none of that twisting your body to reach the keyboard on one side while you look in another direction for the monitor).

Phone – When it comes to talking on the phone either use a headset or hold the phone with your hand but refrain from cradling it between your ear and shoulder (it might have made you look like you were really takin’ care of business in the 80’s, but not so much now).

Chair – Adjust your chair so that your knees are bent at approximately a 100 degree angle with feet flat on the floor while sitting upright.  Have the chair back providing support to the small of your back.

Individual factors

Along with desk and chair positioning there are also steps you can take to make sure that your internal environment is functioning well.

Move around – I’ve said many times before that our bodies are made to move and be active.  The problem, however, is that a workstation (station: from the Latin meaning to stand still) by definition is a place where very little movement happens.  So the first piece of advice is to frequently change your position.  Change how you’re sitting; stand up and move around for 30 seconds every twenty minutes or so; instead of emailing something to a co-worker, get up from the chair and bring it to them.

Stretch – Muscles will get tight.  And then they’ll get sore.  Take a preventative approach and stretch them out frequently throughout the day.  Pick one or two muscles each hour and make it a part of your routine to stretch.  It’ll make a difference.

Drink water – I sometimes think I sound like a broken record¹ but having enough water in your system is important.  Water keeps your blood flowing, your neurons firing, and your nose running (a runny nose is actually a good sign that your immune system is working).  Drinks such as coffee and tea contain caffeine which is a diuretic.  Although there are health benefits associated with them they tend to dehydrate you.  My suggestion: drink an equal amount of water for every coffee/tea you consume.  Now some may say that this will have them frequenting the washroom more frequently…but that works well into getting up and away from the desk more often.

Give your eyes a break too – Use the 20-20-20 rule: take a 20 second break every 20 minutes to look at something at least 20 feet away.  This helps the muscles in your eyes to relax (yup, even in there you have tiny little muscles working hard for you)

Sometimes, however, even the best executed plans still need some extra help.  And when that’s the case, come and see your chiropractor.  Through a variety of therapies we can help reduce muscle tension and joint stiffness.  We can show you the most appropriate stretches and exercises for your specific needs.  We can just plain help you to feel better and stay well.  If you need help, contact us.

1.  Records were like big, vinyl CDs²

2.  CDs were like smaller, shiny plastic records¹

Photo credit

Passive Stretching

Last week I had spoken about self stretching of tight muscles.  While that can be beneficial, a passive approach to stretching, where someone else does it for you, can also help muscles to relax, especially during those times when it can be too painful to move on your own.  The big difference between stretching on your own and having someone else facilitate the stretch is that passive stretching enables you to let all of the muscles in a particular region relax.  As with self stretching, however, the environment should be calming and void of unnecessary distractions so as to allow proper focus and cooperation between patient and practitioner.

Myofascial Release

When muscles have been tight and tense for a prolonged period of time (as is often the case with chronic headaches) they can start to develop adhesions between the muscle fibres. These adhesion inhibit and distort the normally smooth and relaxed motion of the muscles leading to further dysfunction and often resulting in pain.  Myofascial release therapy is a technique aimed at reducing the muscles’ adhesions and restoring proper function.  The technique involves first identifying the tight and tender areas within specific muscles. Next, manual tension is applied over that tight/tender area while that muscle is stretched out through its’ range of motion.  A good analogy is to think of the process of an iron moving over fabric and taking out the wrinkles – in a similar manner, the muscle is “smoothed out” and can better relax allowing it to move more freely again.  Again, better motion helps to reduce the physical stresses contributing to a headache.

Chiropractic Adjustment and Mobilization

In response to prolonged tension, one of the ways your body can react is by stiffening up. I’m sure that most of you are familiar with the sensation of tightness in the upper back, neck and shoulders after a stressful day.  Just as muscles become tight, so too can joints become restricted and lose their normal range of motion (for a little more background on the mechanics of how and why joints become restricted see this post.  The same principles that apply in the low back apply here as well).  Stiff joints can become painful joints as inflammation builds up.  And painful joints can contribute to headaches.  Here is where we get into what chiropractors are often known best for – adjustment.  An adjustment is a procedure wherein a quick impulse is applied to a restricted joint to help free up the joint’s range of motion.  Two really neat things happen because of this.  First, the joint can start to move more easily again.  This means that good, healthy motion within the joint can help to reduce the build up of inflammation and pain.  Second, there is a release of endorphins (your body’s natural pain killers) locally around the joint.  Endorphins are chemicals – your body’s natural pain killers.  These two effects of the adjustment build on one another: better motion leads to less pain and less pain leads to better motion.  A powerful combination to reduce the build up of factors causing the headache.

Now adjustments aren’t for everyone all the time.  There are instances with certain health conditions, timing, and patient preference when another therapy technique called joint mobilization may be more appropriate.  Mobilization is similar to adjustment in that manual motion is applied to specific joints in order to restore normal function.  Instead of one quick impulse, however, a slow and repetitive motion is applied to the various joints as needed.

Stretching, myofascial release, and adjustment/mobilization are but three approaches in an almost endless variety of techniques and therapies to be applied in the management of headaches.  These three techniques are also among the safest and most effective in managing headaches with a musculoskeletal component.  As we have seen in the previous posts on headaches there are many other factors that come into play as well.    Finding the right approach and combination for you comes from your specific needs, abilities, and relationship with your chiropractor or other health care provider.

If you’d like more information on treatment for migraines and tension headaches or finding a Guelph chiropractor, you can contact Guelph Chiropractors at Clear Path Chiropractic.

Headaches come in a variety of sensations, intensities, durations, and of course causes. Today we’ll be focusing on the more common headache types.  And while most headaches are benign in nature it’s recommended to see your chiropractor or other health professional for evaluation in order to rule out any other underlying causes.

Migraine Headaches (with and without aura)

Migraines are one of the most well known reasons people seek treatment for headache type pain.  Migraines present as a throbbing or pounding sensation typically affecting one side of the head.  It is often debilitating in nature.  Sometimes the actual headache portion of the migraine is preceded by an aura.  The aura may consist of the formation of a blind spot within the field of vision and accompanying flashing lights around the edges which can increase in intensity.  This is soon after replaced by the pounding headache sensation which typically can last anywhere from one to three days.  Patients often seek out a quiet, dark room in order to avoid aggravation of sensitivity to light and sound.  There may also be associated nausea and vomiting.

Common triggers for migraines can include variations in sleep patterns, environmental pollutants, medications, and specific foods including but not limited to:  chocolate, caffeine, nitrates, cheese, nuts, and wine.  Tightness and restriction of muscles and joints in the neck can also be associated with migraine headaches.

Tension Type Headaches

Tension headaches are usually described as feeling like a tight band wrapping around the head.  Unlike migraines, tension headaches are most often felt on both sides and are steady in their pain as opposed to pulsing.  The headache may last for days or even weeks.

The underlying cause for tension type headaches is usually a buildup of trigger points (focal areas of tight and tender muscle) in the neck and suboccipital (base of the skull) region.  This is often due to, you guessed it, a build up of tension and increased or chronic stress. Some research indicates that tension type headaches are a part of a larger continuum of headaches where patients may start out with a migraine which then develops into a tension headache.

Cervicogenic Headaches

These headaches can arise from dysfunction of pain referring structures in the neck.  Joints and muscles, when out of whack (that’s the technical expression), can become irritated locally and eventually refer, or transmit that local irritation to the head.   With cervicogenic headaches there may also be reduced movement in neck motion which can produce neck pain in addition to the headache.  These headaches may present on a daily basis.

There can also be overlap between cervicogenic headaches and other headache types. Dysfunction in the joints and muscles of the neck are often found in migraine and tension type headaches.  Again, daily stresses or even minor trauma can precipitate neck dysfunction and the resulting cervicogenic headache.

Headaches hurt.  If given the opportunity, I would suggest avoiding them.  If you can’t avoid them then check out the next two posts coming up on treatment options.  And if you know of someone having a headache, help them out, because they’re not having any fun.

For more information on headaches, treatment options or finding a chiropractor in Guelph, you can contact Guelph Chiropractors at Clear Path Chiropractic Health Centre.

]]> http://www.clearpathchiropractic.com/headaches-part-1-identifying-the-main-players/feed 0