Is Your Computer Causing Your Pain?

Tags : bad ergonomics, bad posture, computer strain, neck pain, shoulder pain, spine pain

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Many of our Sacramento patients at Body Fix Therapies present with painful symptoms of bad posture related to their desk job. Staring at the computer while falling into habits that strain their muscles leads to discomfort, abnormalities and pain. What causes this pain and what are the symptoms of bad computer posture?

It’s All About Your Spine

Do you often find yourself craning forward, your head in front, as you get closer to your computer screen? If so, you are putting ever-increasing amounts of stress on your spine and the muscles of your neck and shoulders. The weight of the skull is meant to rest on the spine in a nearly vertical fashion, but if you crane forward, now your muscles and spine must work harder to support your head.

To illustrate, hold something heavy directly over your head. Now bring your outstretched arm out in front of you. Does the item start to seem heavier? When the weight is straight overhead, your bones support your effort. When it’s out in front, your muscles must handle the load alone. Now consider that the skull weighs at least ten pounds, and you begin to see the extra stress caused by stretching your head forward, in front of your body, in order to see your screen more clearly.

Symptoms of Bad Computer Posture

If you find yourself in this poor position while working, you may also notice that you suffer from one or more of the following symptoms:

Chronic pain in the neck, shoulders and back, made worse by the end of the workday
Perpetually rounded shoulders or a humped back
A constant forward-tilting head position
Tight neck and chest muscles
Degenerating discs, especially in the neck and upper spine
Muscle spasms
Headaches or migraines

Besides these complications, there are many other problems and pains that are caused by bad computer posture. Honestly, there are too many to list! The important thing is to realize that your mysterious and unexplained maladies may simply be related to bad ergonomics.

In our next article, Body Fix Therapies of Sacramento will present how you can avoid the bad neck posture that leads to pain and discomfort from computer use at home and at work. Better ergonomics can help you solve your problems quickly. For more information now and to consult with one of our therapists if you have any of the above symptoms, please contact us via our website or at 916-488-4223.

About the Author

Kym has been practicing massage therapy for 17 years. She graduated from the Northwest School of Massage in Seattle, Washington in 1996 and immediately went into medical massage therapy, treating auto accident injuries and working with physicians treating soft tissue dysfunctions. Throughout the years she has developed a unique technique that breaks the soft tissue holding patterns that develop from years of imbalance and cumulative minor injuries. She works to “reprogram” the muscles and connective tissue from the positions and habits that keep them out of balance and makes them prone to injury. She uses a combination of long, slow trigger point pressure, myofascial release, and range of motion techniques to retrain the body. This approach has both immediate and long term, long lasting effects. While her style is definitely therapeutic more people fall asleep during these sessions than during a Swedish massage. Come see the difference with Kym!