As your chiropractor in the Woodbridge, Dale City VA area I see tons of low back pain. Not all low back pain is the same and the SI injury is a very common complaint. This is that pain that is to the right or left of your spine along the pant line. It can also cause pain into the buttock and back of leg.
Chiropractic is all about expression of optimal health and living the best possible life for you. The focus, especially with doctors of chiropractic at The Joint, is about improving the overall quality of your daily life through regular spinal adjustments. An adjustment helps restore spinal movement, which allows the nervous system to function at its highest possible level. Because the nervous system controls everything we do (including breathing, blinking and swallowing), a system operating optimally is extremely valuable. One of the additional perks — the one that often brings people in — is that pain and joint dysfunction often go away. That’s like magic! Many times people are freed to return to activities they love but have struggled participating in, whether it’s skateboarding, surfing, or lifting a little one up over their head. One of the most common issues that chiropractors see is SI joint dysfunction. It’s common enough that many people know what the SI joint is, but if you don’t, don’t worry — just keep reading. I’ll go over a bit of the science and how chiropractic can play a role in resolving SI joint issues.
The Science
SI stands for sacroiliac. You have two SI joints. The joints are on either side of the sacrum and each ilium (you know this as your hip bone). They are at the bottom of the spine and connect the sacrum and ilium on each side. The main motion of the joint is a shearing motion (a sliding motion back and forth between two parallel surfaces, joint facets in this case).
Dysfunction
SI joint dysfunction means the SI joint is not moving the way it’s intended. Perhaps this means its range of motion is limited — either the sacrum or the ilium is literally mal-positioned and stuck — or there is too much motion. Each joint works to transfer weight from the upper body to the lower body; they are designed to allow minimal movement and they have strong ligaments and tendons that support them. The dysfunction can occur as a result of a variety of things. We live in a society in which the average person sits far too much and carries too much weight. This lack of movement doesn’t encourage proper SI joint health and function. Dysfunction can also be a result of stress from overcompensation after prior spinal surgeries. Too much SI joint movement commonly occurs in pregnant women due to ligament-stretching and laxity.
Symptoms and Treatment
As with most conditions, symptoms vary from person to person. It’s common for SI joint dysfunction to present with low back pain or pain in the buttocks. Pain can radiate down the leg or even into the front of the thigh, but generally not past the knee. SI joint pain can mimic many other causes of low back pain. Chiropractors are experts at determining the source of spine pain in patients — and caring for them, too!
Through an adjustment, chiropractors help restore motion in the SI joint and/or associated joints contributing to the problem. I’ve found that SI joint dysfunction typically responds well to chiropractic care and that pain relief can occur quickly after an adjustment. The exact treatment duration and intensity will depend on the person, their lifestyle and the degree of the subluxation.
As your Chiropractor in the Woodbridge, Dale City VA area I see lots of shoulder pain. One common one isn’t pain while moving it but it is pain when not moving it. This goes against some joint pain logic. Most injuries if you keep them from moving, they don’t hurt but with frozen shoulder it hurts when not moving it AND when you move it. So, this one is really awesome for the patient.
Frozen shoulder, also known as adhesive capsulitis, is a common condition in which the articular shoulder capsule (a sac of ligaments surrounding the joint) swells and stiffens, restricting its mobility. It typically affects only one shoulder, but one in five cases affect both.
The term “frozen shoulder” is often used incorrectly for arthritis, even though the two conditions are unrelated. Frozen shoulder refers specifically to the shoulder joint, while arthritis may refer to other/multiple joints.
The shoulder has a spheroidal joint (ball – and – socket joint), in which the round part of one bone fits into the concavity of another. The proximal humerus (round head of the upper arm bone) fits into socket of the scapula (shoulder blade). Frozen shoulder is thought to cause the formation of scar tissue in the shoulder, which makes the shoulder joint’s capsule (not to be confused with the rotator cuff) thicken and tighten, leaving less room for movement. Therefore, movement may be stiff and even painful.
The modern English words “adhesive capsulitis” are derived from the Latin words adhaerens meaning “sticking to” and capsula meaning “little container” and the Greek word itis meaning “inflammation”.
Frozen shoulder is a condition that commonly occurs in people between 40 and 60 years of age. Women tend to suffer with frozen shoulder more than men.
Causes of frozen shoulder
The cause of frozen shoulder is not fully understood and in some cases is unidentifiable. However, most people with frozen shoulder have suffered from immobility as a result of a recent injury or fracture. The condition is common in people with diabetes.
Risk factors for frozen shoulder
A risk factor is something that elevates the risk of developing a disease or condition. For example, smoking is a risk factor for cancer – it elevates the risk of developing lung cancer.
Common risk factors for frozen shoulder are:
You’re more likely to suffer from frozen shoulder if you’re female and over 40 years of age.
Age – being over 40 years of age.
Gender – 70% of people with frozen shoulder are women.
Recent surgery or arm fracture – immobility of recovery may cause the shoulder capsule to stiffen.
Diabetes – two to four times more likely to develop frozen shoulder for unknown reasons; symptoms may be more severe.
Having suffered a stroke.
Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid).
Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid).
Cardiovascular disease (heart disease).
Parkinson’s disease.
Symptoms of frozen shoulder
A symptom is something the patient feels and/or reports, while a sign is something others, including the doctor observe. For example, pain is usually a symptom, while a rash could be a sign.
The most pervasive sign or symptom of frozen shoulder is a persistently painful and stiff shoulder joint. Signs and symptoms of frozen shoulder develop gradually; usually in three stages in which signs and symptoms worsen gradually and resolve within a two – year period.
There are three stages of frozen shoulder:
Painful stage – the shoulder becomes stiff and then very painful with movement. Movement becomes limited. Pain typically worsens at night.
Frozen/adhesive stage – the shoulder becomes increasingly stiff, severely limiting range of motion. Pain may not diminish, but it does not usually worsen.
Thawing stage – movement in the shoulder begins to improve. Pain may fade, but occasionally recur.
You should visit your local chiropractor to have this problem evaluated and treated.
We have all been on lock down for a few months and are just now getting moving. In some cases, I literally mean moving. So, before you look to get into your sports and outdoor activities your Woodbridge, Dale City VA Chiropractor has some ways to do it safe.
Anyone who concentrates all their exercise into 1 or 2 intense bouts a week could be considered a weekend warrior. But physicians agree that weekend warriors tend to be men older than 30, especially former competitive athletes who expect their bodies to adapt to—and recover from—activity the same way it did when they were teenagers.
But even people who are not super athletes can suffer injuries if they do intense activities over the course of a day or two, such as a weekend of yard work or cleaning gutters.
The types of injuries that frequently occur for weekend warriors are:
Muscle strains, such as hamstring injuries
Ligament sprains, particularly ankle sprains
Tendonitis in the Achilles tendon and elsewhere
Shin splints
Shoulder or rotator cuff injuries
Nearly all of these types of injuries can be resolved by following the RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevate) protocol. If pain lasts longer than a few weeks or doesn’t improve, make an appointment to see your doctor.
The main trigger for weekend warrior injuries is the abrupt transition from little or no activity to intense bouts of it. Muscles and soft tissues need gradual conditioning to perform at their best.
To prevent this, it’s important to exercise more regularly, if possible. Even if your main period of activity is on the weekends, try to fit in at least 1 or 2 periods of exercise on weekdays.
Build up activity slowly.
If you’ve been inactive for most of the winter or you’re starting training for a marathon in the fall, gradually increase your exercise time and intensity each week.
Warm up.
Before you jump into activity, warm up your muscles with 10 minutes of moderately paced activity like jogging, for example.
Stretch.
After doing a few minutes of light exercise, stretch your major muscle groups, such as your quads and hamstrings, as well as any muscles that will be heavily used during your chosen activity. You can also benefit from using a foam roller before you stretch, which has been shown to increase flexibility and lessen post-exercise pain.
Don’t forget to stretch after you finish exercising too. The findings about the benefits of pre-exercise stretching are mixed, but stretching after exercise has clear benefits for decreasing soreness and helping muscle tissue return to its normal state.
Use proper technique and proper equipment.
It may help to consult a coach, trainer, or physical therapist if you’re new to a sport or piece of equipment.
Find an exercise program.
A class or race training group can help you set a good pace for working toward your exercise goals.
Don’t push through serious pain.
Mild muscle soreness is normal after a workout, but stop exercising if you experience sudden, piercing pain or if you have pain that’s getting steadily worse.
I definitely like making things that I can just as easily buy. Like most things you end up INITIALLY paying way more to make it than to just buy it. That’s not the point… not sure I have a point. It is the fun of going WOW I made that in only two hours and it is exactly the same as the thing I could have bought in two minutes and had delivered to my door in an hour! Any way your chiropractor in the Woodbridge, Dale City VA area has some recipes for homemade sports drinks!
Maple Sports Drink
This easy-to-make, maple syrup-flavored recipe is delicious and settles well because it is not acidic, says recipe developer and author Nancy Clark, RD. “When you are working out for more than an hour, enjoy this all-natural sports beverage to energize your workouts,” she says. (If you dig natural syrups, try this molasses recovery shake, too.)
3 3/4 cups cold water
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
Mix all ingredients together in a 1-quart bottle.
Shake well and enjoy!
Yield: 1 quart.
Note: Maple syrup is also a tasty alternative to energy gels. Put some in a small flask and take nips during extended exercise.
“Greaterade”
When the Golden State Warriors decided to ban commercial sports drinks and started making their own with Himalayan sea salt, Chef John of FoodWishes in San Francisco was inspired to try his own—with less sugar. “You can tweak this recipe to create your perfect formula,” he says. (This is how much sodium you really need each day.)
8 cups fresh cold water
3 tablespoons honey, or other sweetener to taste
1/2 teaspoon fine *Himalayan pink salt (mine was coarsely ground, so I used a rounded 1/2 teaspoon), or sea salt (or any pure salt)
3/4 teaspoon calcium magnesium powder (I used NOW Foods Cal-Mag Citrate)
pinch cayenne
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 lemons, juiced
2 limes, juiced
Pour 1 cup of water into a large pot.
Add honey, salt, calcium-magnesium powder, and cayenne.
Place pot over low heat and whisk until ingredients have dissolved.
Remove from heat and allow to return to room temperature.
Add juices to room temperature mixture in pot.
Pour in remaining 7 cups water and whisk until well blended.
This injury is pretty common with low back injuries. It sometimes gets confused with sciatica because patients have low back pain and a pain into their leg. Your Woodbridge, Dale City VA Chiropractor has some information on it to help you tell the difference. Of course, if you are getting low back pain with pain into your leg it would be a good idea to see your chiropractor.
Symptoms
Symptoms of ITB syndrome consist of pain on the outside of the knee, more specifically at or around the lateral epicondyle of the femur or bony bit on the outside of the knee.
It comes on at a certain time into a run and gradually gets worse until often the runner has to stop. After a period of rest the pain may go only to return when running starts again. The pain is normally aggravated by running, particularly downhill.
Pain may be felt when bending and straightening the knee which may be made worse by pressing in at the side of the knee over the sore part. There might be tightness in the iliotibial band which runs down the outside of the thigh. A therapist or trainer may use Ober’s test to assess this. Weakness in hip abduction or moving the leg out sideways is another common sign. Tender trigger points in the gluteal muscles or buttocks area may also be present.
Causes
TFL muscleCertain factors may make you more susceptible to developing runners knee or iliotibial band syndrome. A naturally tight or wide IT band may make someone more susceptible to this injury. Weak hip muscles, particularly the gluteus medius are also thought to be a significant factor.
Over pronation or poor foot biomechanics may increase the risk of injury. If the foot rolls in or flattens, the lower leg rotates and so does the knee increasing the chance of friction on the band. Other factors include leg length difference, running on hills or on cambered roads.
Treatment
Below are outlined a number of treatment options for ITB friction syndrome. See rehabilitation for more details on how the various forms of treatment might be included in a full rehabilitation program.
Rest
Rest is important to allow the inflamed tendon to heal. Continuing to run with ITB syndrome will most likely make it worse. Initially complete rest is a good idea but later activities other than running which do not make the pain worse such as swimming or cycling should be done to maintain fitness.
Cryotherapy
Apply cold therapy or ice to reduce pain and inflammation. Ice should be applied for 10 to 15 minutes every hour until initial pain has gone then later 2 or 3 times a day and / or after exercise is a good idea to ensure the pain does not return. Once the inflammation has gone then potential causes must be addressed such as a tight ITB or the pain will most likely return.
Medication
A doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory medication such as NSAID’s e.g. Ibuprofen. This is useful in the early acute stage to reduce pain and inflammation. Long term it is not likely to be of benefit, particularly if it is just being used to mask in injury and not as part of the treatment. Always check with a doctor before taking medication in case you have contraindications which mean they could cause harm, for example asthmatics should not take Ibuprofen.
Stretching exercises
Stretching exercises for the muscles on the outside of the hip in particular are important. The tensor fascia latae muscle is the muscle at the top of the IT band and if this is tight then it can cause the band to be tight increasing the friction on the side of the knee.
Foam roller exercises
Using a foam roller on the IT band and gluteal muscles can help stretch the iliotibial band and remove any tight knots or lumps in the tendon. therefore friction on the side of the knee.
Strengthening exercises
Improving the strength of the muscles on the outside of the hip which abduct the leg will help prevent the knee turning inwards when running or walking and therefore help reduce the friction on the ITB tendon at the knee. In particular strengthening exercises for the tensor fascia latae muscle and gluteus medius such as heel drops, clam exercise and hip abduction are important.
Sports massage
A professional therapist may perform sports massage to help relax and loosen the tissues and use myofascial release techniques which have been shown to be highly effective. Self massage techniques can also be very helpful in correcting excessive ITB tightness, especially where access to a massage therapist on a regular basis is not possible.
Electrotherapy
Use of electrotherapeutic treatment techniques such as TENS or ultrasound may help reduce pain and inflammation.
Acupunture
Dry-needling techniques or acupuncture may be beneficial also. Acupuncture is performed by inserting needles of various lengths and diameters into specific points over the body and in this case around the knee joint. The needle is usually inserted, rotated and then either removed immediately or left in place for several minutes. It is thought to be beneficial in reduce chronic or long term pain.
Training modification
Errors in training should be identified and corrected. These can include over training or increasing running mileage too quickly. As a general rule a runner should not increase mileage by more than 10% per week. Running across a slope or camber in the road for long periods or poor foot biomechanics should be considered. When training starts again avoid too much downhill running.
A rehabilitation strategy which includes stretches and exercises to strengthen the hip abductors is important. In acute or prolonged cases a corticosteroid injection into the site of irritation may provide pain relief.
Not that anyone has been procrastinating home projects this year but it is gardening season. Time to get those plants in the ground so you can have 75 tomatoes all at once come August! Your Chiropractor in the Woodbridge, Dale City VA area wants to make sure you avoid injury while doing it.
Gardening can be enjoyable, but it is important to stretch your muscles before reaching for your gardening tools. The back, upper legs, shoulders, and wrists are all major muscle groups affected when using your green thumb.
A warm-up and cool-down period is as important in gardening as it is for any other physical activity,” says Dr. Scott Bautch, a member of the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) Council on Occupational Health. “Performing simple stretches during these periods will help alleviate injuries, pain and stiffness.”
To make gardening as fun and enjoyable as possible, it is important to prepare your body for this type of physical activity. The following stretches will help to alleviate muscle pain after a day spent in your garden.
Before stretching for any activity, breathe in and out, slowly and rhythmically; do not bounce or jerk your body, and stretch as far and as comfortably as you can. Do not follow the “no pain, no gain” rule. Stretching should not be painful.
While sitting, stretch your leg out in front of you, knee straight, and prop your heel on a step. Then lean forward until you feel a stretch in the back of the thigh, or the hamstring muscle. Hold this position for 15 seconds. Do this once more and repeat with the other leg.
Stand up, balance yourself, and grab the front of your ankle from behind. Pull your heel towards your buttocks and hold the position for 15 seconds. Do this again and repeat with the other leg.
While standing, weave your fingers together above your head with the palms up. Lean to one side for 10 seconds, then to the other. Repeat this stretch three times.
Do the “Hug your best friend” stretch. Wrap your arms around yourself and rotate to one side, stretching as far as you can comfortably go. Hold for 10 seconds and reverse. Repeat two or three times.
Finally, be aware of your body technique, body form and correct posture while gardening. Kneel, don’t bend, and alternate your stance and movements as often as possible to keep the muscles and body balanced
After the Bulbs Are Planted
If you feel muscle aches and pains after your day in the garden, there are ways to alleviate the discomfort. Apply a cold pack on the area of pain for the first 48 hours or apply a heat pack after 48 hours, and consider seeking the services of a doctor of chiropractic in your area.
Doctors of chiropractic (DCs) practice a drug-free, hands-on approach to health care that includes patient examination, diagnosis and treatment. While best known for their expertise in treating the musculoskeletal system and their use of spinal manipulation, DCs have broad diagnostic skills and are also trained to recommend therapeutic and rehabilitative exercises, as well as to provide nutritional, dietary and lifestyle counseling.
By now most of us have heard of glucosamine. I don’t usually plug products but this one has worked for me many times. When I say many times, I mean I forget to take it like everyone does with supplements. It usually goes like this… man my knee is killing me all of a sudden. After two days of that I go “crap I forgot to take the glucosamine”. Then I go at it everyday for about a month. Then my knee starts feeling better and it becomes 5 days a week for a few weeks… than 2 times… than two times a month… than none. About 6 weeks later I go “man my knee is killing me”. So as your chiropractor in the Woodbridge, Dale City VA area I feel the need to plug this product.
Helps Improve Joint Health & Osteoarthritis
Glucosamine is one of the best supplements for supporting joint health and lowering symptoms related to degenerative disorders like osteoarthritis. Aging naturally impacts the strength and durability of our joints, normally causing cartilage loss and joint pain over time. It doesn’t improve symptoms 100 percent of the time, but compared to many other supplements like chondroitin, glucosamine consistently rank as one of the most effective for treating arthritis discomfort.
Glucosamine slows down deterioration of joints when used long-term, plus it offers other benefits that prescription painkillers cannot (such as lowering chronic inflammation and improving digestive health). The results of taking glucosamine differ from person to person, but some long-term users often report pain relief that allows them to avoid surgeries and lower or eliminate medication use.
Osteoarthritis is a disorder characterized by ongoing joint pain caused from years of accumulating pressure and friction places on joints. It’s the most common type of arthritis worldwide, effecting millions of people (especially older adults). Glucosamine is one of the top supplements I recommend as part of a natural treatment approach for managing arthritis with diet and lifestyle changes.
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease, so it becomes harder to move over the years as joint friction increases. Studies show that taking about 800 to 1500 milligrams of glucosamine daily can help millions of people suffering from degenerative joint diseases, preventing further damage, especially in commonly effected joints such as those in the knees and hips. It has been shown to help offer relief from joint pain within 4–8 weeks, which might be longer than some prescriptions or over-the-counter pain killers, but it’s also a more natural and well-tolerated approach.
Glucosamine, whether used alone or in combination with other supplements like chondroitin, is not a “cure all” and guaranteed to help everyone, but major studies have found it can help many, especially those impacted most by arthritis. The Glucosamine/Chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial (GAIT), which is considered the most comprehensive trial ever done involving glucosamine, found that the combination of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate used for 8 weeks resulted in significant relief in the majority of study participants who had high amounts of joint pain. Many experienced improvements regarding their moderate-to-severe knee pains, although not all did (including those with milder pains).
Glucosamine is a helpful supplement for improving digestive function and repairing the lining of the GI tract. It’s even been shown to be an effective leaky gut supplement, combating a condition sometimes called “intestinal permeability.” This condition involves undigested food particles and proteins (like gluten, toxins and microbes) passing into the bloodstream through tiny openings in the lining of the GI tract.
Once these particles enter the bloodstream, they often trigger inflammation or initiate or worsen immune responses in the body. These include food sensitivities, arthritis and inflammatory bowel diseases. Glucosamine supplements, or naturally glucosamine-rich bone broth, help repair damaged tissue and lower inflammation related to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a set of conditions that are notoriously painful and hard to treat. The supplement may also help repair the lining of the bladder and stomach and intestines.
In 2000, researchers from the University Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology at University College School of Medicine found that glucosamine was an effective, inexpensive and nontoxic supplement used for treating chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Children affected by inflammatory bowel disease tend to have lower levels of glucosamine in the body. Interestingly, N-acetyl supplementation (GlcNAc) offered a mode of action distinct from conventional treatments, resulting in lower symptoms in 75 percent of patients.
The researchers found evidence of significant improvements in the majority of patients using glucosamine, even those who were unresponsive to other anti-inflammatory medications and antibiotics. Results showed improved integrity of the GI tract and restoration of healthy epithelial cell structures that helped stop gut permeability.
Can Help Relieve TMJ Symptoms
TMJ (a disorder related to the temporo-manibular joint in the jaw) is common in young to middle-aged adults and characterized by frequent jaw and neck pains, headaches and trouble sleeping. TMJ affects the joint that connects the jaw to the skull and allows for the head to move up and down, or side to side, normally without pain.
As the TMJ joint becomes inflamed and worn down, pain worsens. This makes it harder to talk, eat and function normally. Studies suggest glucosamine helps ease TMJ symptoms and pain in people with arthritis that effects the jaw. The pain relief is on par with taking NSAID pain relievers can (such as ibuprofen or Advil). Taking 500 to 1500 milligrams of glucosamine daily for several months or years may help you sleep better, chew and heal while lowering inflammation in the jaw long-term.
Helps Alleviate Bone Pain
Many people with bone pain, low bone density and a history of fractures can benefit from taking glucosamine, which assists bone healing. This is especially true if they also have joint pains or a form of arthritis. Some evidence suggests that glucosamine helps preserve articular cartilage surrounding bones, decreases pain, increases physical function, and enhances activities in people with bone disorders or those who are at most at risk for bone loss (such as middle-aged and older women).
A 2013 study by the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology at Haseki Training and Research Hospital in Turkey found that glucosamine helped speed up the time it took rats to heal from bone fractures. Those researchers found that new bone formation and osteoblast lining were significantly higher in glucosamine-treated rats compared to those in control groups. After 4 weeks of taking 230 milligrams of glucosamine sulfate daily, the rats’ connective tissue surrounding bones were more cellular and vascular, and the newly formed bones that were previously fractured were stronger compared to controls.
We all do it! In a rush just quickly bend over and twist to grab something and bam, something bad just happened. Those may be hard to avoid but knowing how to lift properly can help you in the long run. Your Woodbridge, Dale City VA chiropractor has some tips on proper lifting. In the event the BAM happens give us a call.
Back pain and injuries from improper lifting techniques typically lead to three kinds of injuries to the muscles, vertebral discs, and joints. Some injuries from incorrect lifting include:
Disc injury
Joint injury
Muscle injury
With improper lifting, you may experience a tear, rupture, or shift out of position of the soft cushions between your vertebrae, called discs. If this injury does occur, the fibrous rings surrounding the soft leathery discs can bulge and even rupture. This can cause the dislocated or ruptured disc to press against a nerve, causing pain and numbness to radiate down into you buttocks or leg.
Because of the numerous joints in your spinal column that connect all of the various bony structures, injury may occur. A joint injury can be caused by a bad lift because it causes excessive strain on your joints, irritating tissue within them, and in some cases, locking them up. As well, if you change position during a lift, you can place a lot of stress on your lower back muscles. This added stress can easily strain and injure your back, usually in the form of a small twist or tear of a single muscle or group of muscles.
An important rule to remember when lifting is to never bend from your waist and then stand upright to lift an item from the ground. Keep your back straight and crouch first by bending at the knees or hips. This all depends on where the item is that you are lifting and allows your arms and shoulder muscles to do the brunt of the lifting, rather than your back. Some simple lifting techniques include:
Make sure you have a place to put the object you are lifting.
If you need to turn while lifting the object, use your feet to pivot, not your back.
Your leg muscles should be the ones providing the power during your motion to stand erect, not your back.
Keep the object close to your body in order to maximize the use of your arms and shoulder muscles.
Keep your chest forward and bend at your hips, or knees, not your lower back.
When lifting, push your chest out, pointing forward. Avoid twisting or turning during your lift as this will cause injury.
Lead with your hips, not your shoulders and keep your shoulders in line with your hips.
Don’t lift any objects that are obviously too heavy.
Well most of you have been locked at home and it still doesn’t look like you will be returning to work any time soon. As your chiropractor in the Woodbridge, Dale City VA area I am seeing more and more workstation related injuries. Your kitchen table or couch end table was never designed to be used that way. Here are some pretty generic ideas you can apply to your home work station.
The first step in setting up an office chair is to establish the desired height of the individual’s desk or workstation. This decision is determined primarily by the type of work to be done and by the height of the person using the office chair. The height of the desk or workstation itself can vary greatly and will require different positioning of the office chair, or a different type of ergonomic chair altogether.
Once the workstation has been situated, then the user can adjust the office chair according to his or her physical proportions. Here are the most important guidelines – distilled into a quick checklist – to help make sure that the office chair and work area are as comfortable as possible and will cause the least amount of stress to the spine:
Elbow measure
First, begin by sitting comfortably as close as possible to your desk so that your upper arms are parallel to your spine. Rest your hands on your work surface (e.g. desktop, computer keyboard). If your elbows are not at a 90-degree angle, adjust your office chair height either up or down.
Thigh measure
Check that you can easily slide your fingers under your thigh at the leading edge of the office chair. If it is too tight, you need to prop your feet up with an adjustable footrest. If you are unusually tall and there is more than a finger width between your thigh and the chair, you need to raise the desk or work surface so that you can raise the height of your office chair.
Calf measure
With your bottom pushed against the chair back, try to pass your clenched fist between the back of your calf and the front of your office chair. If you can’t do that easily, then the office chair is too deep. You will need to adjust the backrest forward, insert a low back support (such as a lumbar support cushion, a pillow or rolled up towel), or get a new office chair.
Low back support
Your bottom should be pressed against the back of your chair, and there should be a cushion that causes your lower back to arch slightly so that you don’t slump forward or slouch down in the chair as you tire over time. This low back support in the office chair is essential to minimize the load (strain) on your back. Never slump or slouch forward in the office chair, as that places extra stress on the structures in the low back, and in particular, on the lumbar discs.
Resting eye level
Close your eyes while sitting comfortably with your head facing forward. Slowly open your eyes. Your gaze should be aimed at the center of your computer screen. If your computer screen is higher or lower than your gaze, you need to either raise or lower it to reduce strain on the upper spine.
Armrest
Adjust the armrest of the office chair so that it just slightly lifts your arms at the shoulders. Use of an armrest on your office chair is important to take some of the strain off your upper spine and shoulders, and it should make you less likely to slouch forward in your chair.
Carpal tunnel is a problem with a perfect work station. Now let’s deal with everyone working from home, kitchen table, couch, coffee table… As your chiropractor in the Woodbridge, Dale City VA area I have seen more of this complaint since we have been on lock down. This information can help you prevent the injury.
The forearm and digit energizer series is a great way to manage that fatigue and pain you are feeling creep into your hands and wrists from excessive typing, gripping, or handstand walking.
This series is challenging and can place your hands into a position that they may not be comfortable being in to start, so exercise restraint on your first time. If you find your hands, wrists, or fingers are tender in any of these stretches, try first to reduce the pressure applied, and then slowly and progressively increase that pressure over time until you gain a full range of motion. We encourage you to challenge yourself with the finger flexing and neuromuscular components shown as well. You will be surprised at how much dexterity you gain from just a few round of this series, and the fatigue you feel when you first begin is expected. However, in time, when your fingers are dancing across your keyboard pain free and you suddenly are able to shuffle a deck of cards like a riverboat gambler, you will understand why we call it the energizer series!
A couple things to remember:
Complete 5-10 good reps of all the exercises shown, and take the time to slow down the movement and get a good amount of time under tension for these small endurance muscles.
Spend more time, 60-90 seconds, in the stretching ranges that are especially difficult or hard to stretch.
