Archive for neck pain
Santa Clara Chiropractor: Neck Pain Can Make You One of the "Typing Wounded"
Posted by: | CommentsDr. David Hoewisch knows all to well that if you sit for extended periods at a computer, you may be experiencing neck pain, lower back pain, upper back pain, and pain that radiates down one or both of your arms with accompanying pins and needles or numbness. Neck and shoulder pain are, in fact, the most common upper-extremity musculoskeletal problems among computer users. In a 2002 study tracking 632 computer users newly hired at major Atlanta companies, Dr. Fredric E. Gerr, an occupational medicine physician and ergonomics investigator at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, and colleagues observed that roughly 60 percent developed neck or shoulder pain in the first year, though the study did not track how long symptoms persisted.
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 Santa Clara 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
Your Santa Clara Chiropractor Can Help With Your Neck Pain and Headaches
Posted by: | CommentsYour Santa Clara Chiropractor can help relieve your neck pain and get rid of your headaches. Here’s what you can do to help:
If we wake up in the morning with a stiff and painful neck, the propensity is to blame the condition on our pillow, bed, or sleep position during that night. We also try to figure out what is taking place 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.” It is useful to understand that most neck problems are seldom caused by a single incident, but rather by the cumulative effects of incorrect sitting posture, bad work and living habits, lack of suitable exercise and flexibility, and other lifestyle-related factors. Naturally, some neck challenges are due to traumatic events such as a whiplash accident, a fall, or a sports injury.
Anatomy
In order to understand neck pain, it is necessary to understand the anatomy of the spine. The spinal bones or vertebrae of the neck consist of posterior joints, called facets, that connect vertebrae to one another and serve to pilot the motion of the spine. The inter-vertebral discs join the bodies of the vertebrae and are comprised of a form of dense cartilage that surrounds a soft material in the center, called the nucleus. The principal 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 responsible for 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 lessens stress on neck vertebrae. For more information please feel free to visit your Santa Clara Chiropractor.
Risk Factors: Neck Pain and Computer Use
Computer use has risen dramatically over the years, at home and in the workplace. Nowadays, a substantial amount of people spend eight to ten hours a day, or more, bent over a keyboard and staring at a monitor. Sitting with the head in a forward bent position (the posture most computer users assume), puts enormous strain on neck ligaments and muscles. Furthermore, the normal forward curve of the neck may become reversed and create more stress on the surrounding tissue of the neck. All of this can lead to spinal problems including disc herniation and subluxations, which are the principal causes of spinal nerve irritation. Besides general pain, spinal nerve irritation in the neck can generate symptoms including headaches, eye problems, giddiness, arm and hand pain (and paraesthesia), as well as shoulder pain.
Headaches and chiropractic Care
Headaches or migraines are commonly associated with dysfunction of the cervical spine. Symptoms, from a dull ache to throbbing pain, are created when the cervical vertebrae lose their normal position or motion and sensitive nerves and blood vessels, connected with structures in the head are stretched or inflamed. In many instances 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 connected 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 cause of headaches and migraines. Chiropractic adjustments and management have proved to be very effective in the treatment of headaches. Ask your Santa Clara Chiropractor about the benefits of Chiropractic care.
Whiplash and Chiropractic Care
Unfortunately, many people are involved in car accidents. Almost certainly the most common auto accident is when one car collides into the rear-end of another car. During such a collision, the head of the passenger in the front vehicle is forcefully jerked back, and then forward, causing damage to the structure of both the front and back of the neck. Such a strong force can cause injury to the ligaments, muscles, facet joints, discs, and spinal nerves. Whiplash injury includes neck pain and immobility, and other symptoms such as headaches, nausea, vertigo, arm and should pain, tingling in the hands and fingers, and weakness of the arms and hand. Immediate evaluation and x-rays are extremely important in order to rule out a fracture. However in almost all cases, the injuries are mainly to the soft tissues and joints. Proper care is essential in rehabilitation from the pain and symptoms of whiplash, and also to prevent future disability. Your Santa Clara Chiropractor is has years of experience in treating whiplash injury, and is more than capable of managing the case from beginning to end.
