When Work Hurts

Wendy Braun — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 15:39:27 +0000

Whatever you do to earn a living, the way you go about your typical work activities can needlessly set you up for discomfort and even injury. Keep your back, neck, and arms in working order with these tips for avoiding job-related pain from Dr. Charles Friedman, a pain specialist and medical director at Pain Relief Centers in Pinellas Park, Florida.

Posture Perfect

Good posture can do wonders to prevent or alleviate back and neck pain caused by slouching in an office chair, moving materials, or even standing still for too long. To minimize stress on your muscles, bones, and joints:

* Hold head straight with chin slightly tucked.

* Align earlobes with center of shoulders.

* Keep shoulders back, chest forward, and knees straight.

* Stretch top of head toward ceiling.

* Tuck stomach, but don’t tilt pelvis either forward or backward.

* Change positions frequently. Just move!

Mouse Trap

Computer users, landscapers, and factory workers can develop repetitive motion injuries of the elbow, wrist, and forearm. For all of you computer jockeys out there, here’s how to sidestep “mouse” elbow and other painful problems:

* Place keyboard above thighs and at arm’s length.

* Position mouse to one side of keyboard.

* Set monitor at eye-level and directly in front of you.

* Take breaks to rest arm muscles and tendons.

* Do a wall stretch. Facing wall, extend left arm at 90-degree angle to body with palm facing wall. Open chest to the right and extend fingers and palm away from the wall. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds. Repeat with right arm.

Click here for more about making your workplace work for you.

When Work Hurts The Saturday Evening Post

Tennis Elbow

Wendy Braun — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 20:15:02 +0000

Tennis elbow isn’t just a pain for those who enjoy swinging a racquet—it also sidelines people who never set foot on a tennis court but spend hours at a keyboard or frequently stress their wrists and forearms in other ways.

Dr. Mark Sobor, a family holistic health physician in Chicago, provides these symptoms, and solutions, for treating tennis elbow:

What is it?

Tennis Elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, is a repetitive use injury of the wrists and forearms that results in pain or inflammation of the outside of the elbow. Almost anyone can develop it.

What happens?

Tennis elbow is caused by spasms in and around the supinator and extensor muscles of the forearm. You use supinator muscles to turn your hands out, as if holding a bowl of soup. The extensor muscles come into play during a backhanded hit in tennis.

When not properly stretched or strengthened, these muscles tighten, pull against the atttached tendons, and eventually cause inflammation and pain.

An ounce of prevention

Try these techniques to stretch and strengthen your forearm and shoulder muscles before use, whether playing tennis or simply sweeping the floor:

1. Press and stretch (soft tissue release). Hold your arm straight out in front of you, with the palm facing downward. Place the opposite hand on your fingers. Push down until fingers are pointing towards the ground. Continue to apply gentle tension until fingers are pointing back towards your body. Repeat with other arm. Applying pressure to the muscles as they are being stretched help release soft tissue.

2. Massage helps reduce muscular tightness and accompanying tension on the tendons.

3. When it comes to tennis, consult a trainer about proper hitting technique to avoiding overstraining your muscles.

A pound of cure

Acupuncture to treat key trigger points in and around the forearm can successfully release muscles spasms. Instead of steroid therapy, opt for homeopathic injections of inflamed tendons and muscle spasms to decrease pain and swelling in tissues and joints.

Dr. Sobor is affiliated with Chicago Healers http://www.chicagohealers.com/, which hosts a website featuring articles and recommendations from holistic health experts.