Younger generations growing up in the digital age are also joining the ranks of the “typing wounded.” Surveys at two universities found that 40 to 50 percent of undergraduates experienced upper-extremity pain from using their computers. Colleges do not build dormitory furniture to be ergonomically adjustable, said Dr. Benjamin Amick, scientific director of the Institute for Work and Health in Toronto, who was a co-author of those studies. “They build it to be indestructible.”

In addition to repetitive stress problems, sitting at your computer too long places your upper back in a sustained, stressful posture, especially if you tend to lean forward when you’re working. This also puts your neck at an unnatural and strained angle. Lower back pain, in addition to being generated by simply sitting for long periods of time without getting up and moving around, is aggravated by bad posture.

Problems caused by extended computer use can not only lead to an inability to perform your work duties, but can keep you from enjoying the rest of your life, too. Your Colorado Springs chiropractor can assist in eliminating the lower back pain, upper back pain, and/or neck pain that you are currently experiencing. After that, it is important for you to become mindful of your body as you sit at your computer, and to give your body what it naturally needs. You can cultivate the habit of both sitting straight in your chair (as opposed to slouching) and relaxing your shoulders. This will help to relieve tension in your lower and upper back and neck. Take time to stretch periodically to ease muscle tension and encourage healthy blood flow. If your work station permits, sitting on an exercise ball can not only aide in keeping you in a beneficial posture, but can help to strengthen your core muscles as well. (Make sure that the ball is the right size so that when you are seated on it your arms are at a ninety-degree angle to your keyboard.)

Good posture for ease of movement, variety in the motions that you do, and short breaks to relax and stretch will go a long way in keeping your computer work (or play) pain-free.

Partial source: The New York Times, Health Review, June 22, 2009

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Anatomy

To understand neck pain, it is necessary to have knowledge of the anatomy of the spine. The spinal bones or vertebrae of the neck are made up of posterior joints, called facets, that link vertebrae to one another and serve to direct the motion of the spine. Inter-vertebral discs, made of tough cartilage, connect the “bodies” of the vertebrae. This tough cartilage surrounds the nucleus, a soft material in the center of the inter-vertebral discs. The primary function of the disc is as a shock absorber and spacer between the vertebrae. The spinal cord is positioned between the facets of the vertebrae. The spinal nerves exit the spine between the vertebrae and provide the energy to make the muscles and other organs of the body function. They also carry impulses from the body to the brain with respect to pain, touch, position, temperature, as well as other senses.  The nerves that go out from the neck are assigned to the entire upper extremity including the shoulder, elbow and hand, as well as structures of the head and neck. The natural forward curve of the neck balances the weight of the head and decreases stress on neck vertebrae. For more information please feel free to visit **LINK**.

Risk Factors: Neck Pain and Computer Use

A larger majority of people are now making their living sitting at a desk in front of a computer. The use of computers has risen astronomically, and many individuals spend eight to ten hours a day slumped over the keyboard and staring at the monitor. When we sit with our head in a forward bent position-the posture that most desk workers adopt-the ligaments that hold the facets together and the muscles in the neck are put under immense strain. In addition, the normal forward curve of the neck becomes reversed creating more stress upon all the surrounding tissues of the neck. All of this can lead to spinal problems including disc herniation and subluxations, which are the main causes of spinal nerve pain. Conjointly with general pain, spinal nerve pain in the neck can produce symptoms such as headaches, eye problems, giddiness, arm and hand pain (and paraesthesia), as well as shoulder pain.

Headaches and Chiropractic Care

Headaches or migraines are frequently associated with dysfunction of the cervical spine. Symptoms, from a dull ache to throbbing pain, are produced when the cervical vertebrae lose their natural position or motion and sensitive nerves and blood vessels, connected with structures in the head are stretched or inflamed. In many cases the tight knots in the muscles of the neck, called trigger points, can also refer pain to the head.  Of course there are other factors associated with headaches including toxic fumes, certain foods, additives such as MSG, alcohol, caffeine, and stress. Still one must always look at the tissues and alignment of the neck when considering the basis for headaches and migraines. chiropractic care has been shown to extremely beneficial in the treatment of headaches. **LINK** can give you further information regarding treatment and pain relief.

Whiplash and Chiropractic Care

Unfortunately, many people are involved in car accidents. Rear-end collisions are the most common. During such an accident, the passenger in the front car gets his or her head forcefully wrenched backward and then forward causing harm to the structures of the back and front of the neck. Such a strong force can cause damage to the ligaments, muscles, facet joints, discs, and spinal nerves. Along with neck pain and immobility, symptoms such as headaches, nausea, vertigo, arm and shoulder pain, tingling in the hands and fingers and weakness of the arm and hand are coincidental with whiplash injury. Immediate evaluation and x-rays are extremely important in order to rule out a fracture. More often than not in many cases, the injuries are mainly to the soft tissues and joints. Proper care is essential in recovery from the pain and symptoms of whiplash, and also to prevent future disability. **LINK** is extremely knowledgeable in the area of whiplash injury, and is more than capable of managing the case from injury to recovery.

Our pillow, bed, or sleep position is not always responsible for our stiff and painful neck when we wake up in the morning. We also attempt to figure out what is occurring when sudden neck movement causes a sharp pain that feels as if “something” has slipped out of position or that a nerve is being “pinched.” Though it may seem so, one isolated occurrence is rarely the cause of most neck problems, but instead the cumulative effects of improper sitting posture, bad work and lifestyle habits, and lack of proper exercise for strength and flexibility. Of course, some neck misalignments are due to traumatic events such as a whiplash accident, a fall, or a sports injury.

Anatomy

To understand neck pain, it is necessary to have knowledge of the anatomy of the spine. The spinal bones or vertebrae of the neck are made up of posterior joints, called facets, that link vertebrae to one another and serve to direct the motion of the spine. Inter-vertebral discs, made of tough cartilage, connect the “bodies” of the vertebrae. This tough cartilage surrounds the nucleus, a soft material in the center of the inter-vertebral discs. The primary function of the disc is as a shock absorber and spacer between the vertebrae. The spinal cord is positioned between the facets of the vertebrae. The spinal nerves exit the spine between the vertebrae and provide the energy to make the muscles and other organs of the body function. They also carry impulses from the body to the brain with respect to pain, touch, position, temperature, as well as other senses.  The nerves that go out from the neck are assigned to the entire upper extremity including the shoulder, elbow and hand, as well as structures of the head and neck. The natural forward curve of the neck balances the weight of the head and decreases stress on neck vertebrae. For more information please feel free to visit My Colorado Springs Chiropractor.

Risk Factors: Neck Pain and Computer Use

A larger majority of people are now making their living sitting at a desk in front of a computer. The use of computers has risen astronomically, and many individuals spend eight to ten hours a day slumped over the keyboard and staring at the monitor. When we sit with our head in a forward bent position-the posture that most desk workers adopt-the ligaments that hold the facets together and the muscles in the neck are put under immense strain. In addition, the normal forward curve of the neck becomes reversed creating more stress upon all the surrounding tissues of the neck. All of this can lead to spinal problems including disc herniation and subluxations, which are the main causes of spinal nerve pain. Conjointly with general pain, spinal nerve pain in the neck can produce symptoms such as headaches, eye problems, giddiness, arm and hand pain (and paraesthesia), as well as shoulder pain.

Headaches and Chiropractic Care

Headaches or migraines are frequently associated with dysfunction of the cervical spine. Symptoms, from a dull ache to throbbing pain, are produced when the cervical vertebrae lose their natural position or motion and sensitive nerves and blood vessels, connected with structures in the head are stretched or inflamed. In many cases the tight knots in the muscles of the neck, called trigger points, can also refer pain to the head.  Of course there are other factors associated with headaches including toxic fumes, certain foods, additives such as MSG, alcohol, caffeine, and stress. Still one must always look at the tissues and alignment of the neck when considering the basis for headaches and migraines. Chiropractic care has been shown to extremely beneficial in the treatment of headaches. Your Colorado Springs Chiropractor can give you further information regarding treatment and pain relief.

Whiplash and Chiropractic Care

Unfortunately, many people are involved in car accidents. Rear-end collisions are the most common. During such an accident, the passenger in the front car gets his or her head forcefully wrenched backward and then forward causing harm to the structures of the back and front of the neck. Such a strong force can cause damage to the ligaments, muscles, facet joints, discs, and spinal nerves. Along with neck pain and immobility, symptoms such as headaches, nausea, vertigo, arm and shoulder pain, tingling in the hands and fingers and weakness of the arm and hand are coincidental with whiplash injury. Immediate evaluation and x-rays are extremely important in order to rule out a fracture. More often than not in many cases, the injuries are mainly to the soft tissues and joints. Proper care is essential in recovery from the pain and symptoms of whiplash, and also to prevent future disability. Your Colorado Springs Chiropractor is extremely knowledgeable in the area of whiplash injury, and is more than capable of managing the case from injury to recovery.

Technorati Tags: Colorado Springs Chiropractor, headaches, neck pain, whiplash