We often spend countless hours at our jobs, some of us standing, some of us sitting for 7 to 10 hours per day. If you take the bare minimum of 7 hours of sitting per day and multiply it for the year, it equates to about 2, 520 hours that you are sitting in a day’s time. This is a significant amount of time that we are inactive throughout our entire life. It is no wonder that as Americans, our obesity numbers continue to rise because of lack of activity and high stress levels. Several products have entered the marketplace to help combat our exponentially increasing health care costs. There are now products such as the Treadmill Desk and Bike Desk from Lifespan, that are reforming the way we look at our Corporate Wellness initiatives. There are companies who provide things such as group classes, personal trainers, nutritionists, and so forth to help employees live a healthier lifestyle . This article by Lesley Aldermann has some great insight on how to improve posture at your desk.
EVERYONE wants to avoid back trouble, but surprisingly few of us manage to escape it. Up to 80 percent of Americans experience back pain at some point in their lives, and each year 15 percent of all adults are treated for such problems as herniated discs, spinal stenosis or lumbar pain.
But back pain is notoriously difficult, and expensive, to remedy.
“The treatments are varied, and we don’t have great science showing what works best for particular patients,” said Brook I. Martin, an instructor of orthopedic surgery at Dartmouth Medical School. “There are questions about the safety and efficacy of a surprising number of therapies, including some types of surgery.”
Those with back pain inevitably end up with higher overall medical costs than those without, studies suggest. Dr. Martin has found that patients with back pain spend about $7,000 annually on health care, while people without back pain spend just $4,000 a year. (Insurers will pay the majority of these costs, but patients often bear some of these expenses in the form of insurance co-payments and deductibles.) These estimates don’t include costs for lost work days or diminished productivity.
Some back problems, of course, can’t be avoided. Over time, spinal vertebrae naturally degenerate and spinal facets become inflamed, causing stress and discomfort.
“The majority of back pain is the result of muscle and ligament strain or weakness, and can often be prevented by developing core strength and proper posture,” said Dr. Daniel Mazanec, associate director of the Center for Spine Health at the Cleveland Clinic.
Maintaining good posture not only helps you look better (there’s a reason inept people are called slouches), it improves muscle tone, makes breathing easier and is one of the best ways to stave off back and neck pain, not to mention the dreaded dowager’s hump of old age.
“Posture is the key,” said Mary Ann Wilmarth, chief of physical therapy at Harvard University Health Services. “If your spine is not balanced, you will inevitably have problems in your back, your neck, your shoulders and even your joints.”
Sitting a little straighter now? Good. Here’s some advice that will help you make it a daily habit and stave off expensive back problems to boot.
THE D.I.Y. APPROACH First, try correcting your slouching habits on your own. Stand up and lift your chin slightly; align your ears over your shoulders and your shoulders over your hips. Place your hands on your hips and pitch forward about two inches.
There should be a slight inward curve in your lower back, an outward curve in your upper back, and another inward curve at your neck. Maintain this posture and sit down.
When you are sitting or driving for long periods of time, place a cushion or rolled-up towel between the curve of your lower spine and the back of your seat. Supporting your lower back will maintain the natural curve of your spine; when the back is supported, the shoulders more naturally fall into place, said Dr. Wilmarth.
Maintaining good posture requires abdominal and back strength. “It’s not enough to just sit up straight if your core muscles are weak,” said Dr. Praveen Mummaneni, a spine surgeon at the University of California, San Francisco. Consider taking a Pilates class, which focuses on developing one’s core — the muscles and connective tissues that hold the spine in place — or hire a physical therapist to create a personalized exercise plan.
A CUBICLE CURE If you sit at a desk all day, ask your human resources department if they have an ergonomics expert on staff (some large companies do) who can assess your work area. An ergonomist can make sure your chair, desk and keyboard are at the optimal height and can adjust your sitting posture.
If no expert is on hand, make adjustments yourself. The top of your computer screen should be at or slightly below eye level, and the desk height should allow your forearms to rest comfortably at a 90-degree angle. Work with your feet flat on the floor and your back against the chair.
Whether you work in an office or at home, get up and stretch every 30 to 60 minutes. Sitting for long periods puts pressure on discs and fatigues muscles. And most workers spend the majority of their days sitting down. A recent study published in The European Heart Journal found that Americans are sedentary for an average of 8.5 hours a day.
“Stretching helps break bad patterns and allows your muscles to return to neutral,” said Dr. Wilmarth.
Stand up and place your hands on your lower back, as if you were sliding them into your back pockets. Gently push your hips forward and slightly arch your back. Sit back down and circle your shoulders backward, with your chin tucked, about 10 times.
Not likely to remember? Set your phone or computer alarm to remind you to stand up and stretch each hour. An iPhone app called Alarmed has a feature that allows you to create regular reminders throughout the day.
AN EXERCISE PLAN Habits are hard to break. A physical therapist or personal trainer can show you how to align your spine and provide you with exercises to both strengthen your core and loosen up stiff neck, back, arm and leg muscles (tight hamstrings can contribute to back pain).
Most insurers cover physical therapy, although some may insist that you get a referral from a physician before they will authorize a visit.
If you decide to go out of network or to bypass your insurer, you’ll pay $150 to $250 for an initial assessment. Follow-up visits will be $50 or so less. Most experts say you can address basic posture issues in just one to three sessions.
These are some simple solutions to help with any nagging low back pain you may be experiencing. There is also some other very effective techniques such as utilizing a foam roller and stretching properly throughout the day. If you are experiencing pain or discomfort, please ask one of the Xcellerated Speed Training staff at your facility for some help.