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Back Pain Solutions [Part 2]

Are you one of the estimated 100 million Americans suffering from chronic back pain, day in and day out? Rather than reaching for the bottle of aspirin or resigning yourself to a life of discomfort, there are several ways to banish the stress of back pain. First, let’s talk about what causes this pain in the first place.

What Causes Chronic Back Pain?

As we shared last week, the most common cause of chronic back pain is through poor workplace ergonomics. It can be extremely frustrating to suffer from lower back discomfort. Because its central to your body, back pain affects your mood, making you irritable and low in spirits; it also hinders the movement of your whole body and if untreated, can lead to extreme problems later on. Last week, we shared reasons waiting health foods and supplements can help; read on to learn about four more strategies.

Back Pain: Causes and Solutions [Part 1]

Does your back hurt after a long day? You aren’t alone. According to WebMD, more than 100 million Americans suffer from chronic back pain, and it costs nearly $600 million each year in medical treatments and lost workplace productivity. Are you searching for relief? This post explains the most common cause of back pain and offers advice for managing the strain.

What Causes Back Pain?

While there are many causes of chronic back pain, there is one key way it manifests in your life. The main source of back pain stems from something the majority of people do every day: going to work. Whether you work on a construction site or type the day away at a desk in an office, the movement and posture of your body can manifest into serious back pain if proper ergonomic precautions aren’t taken.

Understanding Text Neck and 4 Ways to Prevent It

Have you ever felt like your neck was cramping up from looking at a mobile phone, tablet or laptop screen for too long? It’s more than a temporarily uncomfortable feeling; in reality you may be at risk of developing a dangerous new condition called Text Neck. Read on to learn about what this is, and how you can prevent it from happening to you.

What is Text Neck?

According to Spine-Health, “Text neck is the term used to describe the neck pain and damage sustained from looking down at your cell phone, tablet or other wireless devices too frequently and for too long.”

We all use our smartphones many times each day, sometimes as often as multiple times per hour. Each time you stare down at the screen, scroll through the internet or even type out a text message, you are putting yourself at risk developing Text Neck. Since technology is so entwined with our daily lives, it isn’t realistic to cut it out completely. Instead, here are four tips for keeping your neck safe and comfortable in a digital world.

July is Eye Injury Prevention Month

Did you know July is National Eye Injury Prevention Month? Your eyes need regular care to keep them in tip-top shape and you should be aware of how your vision is affected by the things you do each day. To protect your eyes, it’s best to identify the risks that you encounter in the workplace.

What is National Eye Injury Prevention Month?

Each year, there are approximately one million eye injuries in America, and 90 percent of them are preventable. The most common causes of eye injuries are complications from debris entering the eye, such as yard debris or workshop dust, fireworks injuries, sports accidents and chemicals.

National Eye Injury Prevention Month aims to raise awareness of common risks and provide information for people to take control of their eye health and improve their wellbeing. There are several risks in the workplace, including computer vision syndrome and digital eye strain; read on to learn about them.

What is Computer Vision Syndrome?

According to Tech Republic, computer vision syndrome can affect those who spend at least two hours each day looking at a computer screen. Symptoms include tired or burning eyes, blurred vision, headache, fatigue, dizziness and trouble focusing.

3 Tips for Building Core Strength

Your core muscles work hard all day long, connecting your lower and upper body and giving you strength of movement from within. Keeping your core muscles strong can help you stay healthier and injury-free for longer. Adversely, having a weak core can lead to a host of problems including a lower ability to move your arms and legs, back pain, improper balance, risk of fall and stress and strain.

How Gaining Core Strength Works

In order to build strong and thick muscles to protect your core, you must first break down the existing muscles and rebuild. This is what happens when you do crunches, lift weights or work out in general. By creating micro-tears in the existing muscles, your body builds new connections in the tissue, resulting in stronger and tighter muscle groups. Here are three tips for building and maintaining your core strength.

Best Back Stretches after Long Car Rides

Are you planning any holiday road trips this winter to visit friends and family? Long car rides are a major source of back pain for many travelers and an uncomfortable journey can cause stress, fatigue and cast a damper on your festivities. Try these two back stretches for some relief after some time behind the wheel.

2 Back Stretches for Long Car Rides

1. Seated Twists

This back stretch is one you can do as a passenger or after you arrive at your destination. Sitting for long hours can harm your body’s ability to digest food and lower your metabolism, in addition to causing back cramping and shoulder pain. Sit straight up in your seat and take a deep inhale. As you exhale, twist your torso as far as you can to the right and hold for three counts. Inhale again and repeat on the left side.

4 Ways to Avoid Digital Eye Strain

If your work requires you to be on the computer for hours, there are many health risks you may face, including digital eye strain. Office workers tend to develop what is known as Computer Vision Syndrome, a painful outcome of staring at a screen that is accompanied by headaches, red eyes, blurred vision and light sensitivity. Here are 4 ways to avoid digital eye strain.

 

4 Ways to Avoid Digital Eye Strain

1. Set Up Your Workstation Properly

Setting your computer at the proper distance from your body (arm’s length away is a good rule of thumb) and making sure it’s aligned at eye level can help to prevent digital eye strain. In addition to the computer setup, pay special attention to your chair, keyboard and mouse to ensure a comfortable workday.

3 Tips for Stretching Your Back after a Plane Ride

Whether you’re traveling over the summer or fly frequently for work and are in need of some pain relief, back stretches can help. Travel can be one of the most stressful activities and there are many ergonomic hazards from sitting on the airplane to carrying luggage. If you’re headed on a long plane ride, you won’t want to miss these great exercises for stretching your back after traveling.

 

3 Great Back Stretches for Travel

1. Torso Arches

Travel tends to make your body stiff and rigid, which makes it more prone to injury and sprained muscles. Take some time at the airport to do light torso and back arches, alternating back and forth for several seconds. This can help take pressure off the lower back and relieve pain.

Improving Your Posture on Your Cell Phone: 3 Tips

Cell phones give the freedom to talk from anywhere, but may not do much for improving your posture. You’ve heard of Carpal Tunnel syndrome, but have you heard of Text Neck? Cell phones are wonderful ways to communicate, but the introduction of this technology has already made its mark on the shape of our spines and the mobility of our thumbs. Younger generations are more likely to suffer from cell phone related back and neck pain. Here are 3 tips for improving your posture in this technological age.

 

3 Tips for Good Posture on a Cell Phone

1. Hold Your Head High

Research shows a human head can weigh as much as 6 times heavier than it should when bent over looking at a cell phone. To avoid putting extra weight on your neck, hold your head up and look straight ahead to read and send texts. There’s no reason you need to bend over your phone with your head to ground just because everyone else is.

Ergonomics in the Office

If you find yourself feeling body pain or soreness after a long day of work in the office, chances are your workspace might be in need of makeover with ergonomics in mind. Learn our three favorite tips on using ergonomics in the office to take a step towards improving health and boosting happiness in the workplace!

1. Desk: The height of your desk is vital to maintaining good posture and avoiding injury. Desks can be adjusted to be at eye-level to reduce strain, or consider using a standing desk to reduce the chance of decreased blood flow, which can impact circulation and overall health.
2. Chair: With your desk at an appropriate height, the next common issue to address is the space you spend a majority of time working at a computer: your office chair. Be sure your chair supports your entire back and neck to help minimize the risk of straining muscles and long-term injuries.