News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Working used to be really dangerous. Loggers were crushed by falling trees, industrial workers got fingers caught in machinery, farmers got caught in combines.
These things still happen, of course, but fewer and fewer of us are factory workers, loggers or farmers.
Many Americans now work at a computer station, and while that's not likely to be fatal, it can lead to some unpleasant injuries associated with bad posture and repetitive motion.
From carpal tunnel syndrome to neck, back and shoulder pain, the nagging injuries of the workplace are preventable if you take basic precautions.
"Sixty-seven percent of all work injuries are computer-related now," says Dr. Bonnie Malone, who has been providing chiropractic care to everyone from cowboys to computer jockeys in Sisters for some 30 years.
Rich Hummel, of GreenRidge Physical Therapy, says that the most fundamental preventative measure to avoid computer-related injuries is simply to take breaks. Hours in one position, concentrating intensely is bound to tie up your neck and shoulders.
Get up and walk around your desk; stretch out, maybe do a little exercise. Your boss won't mind - she doesn't want you wracked up so you can't come to work.
Malone emphasizes posture and good body mechanics. We all have a tendency to hunch at the keyboard. She recommends posting a sticky note on your screen to remind you to keep your shoulders down.
Your chair may be seriously messing up your back.
"I don't think the human body was made to sit. I really don't," Malone said. And what we sit on often exacerbates problems.
"I think most office chairs are horribly constructed. I think they're more for looks than proper body mechanics."
Investing in an ergonomic chair - "anything that preserves the proper curves in your back" - is worthwhile.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a real threat for many deskbound workers. This inflammation of the tunnel that protects the median nerve through the wrist into the hand can cause numbness and pain and make tasks like typing or sewing or playing a musical instrument difficult.
Carpal tunnel syndrome, caused or exacerbated by repetitive motion, tends to run in families and more women are affected than men.
There are some precautions that can prevent the onset of the problem.
If you do the same tasks over and over with your hands, try not to bend, extend or twist your hands for long periods of time. Don't work with your arms too close or too far from your body. Don't rest your wrists on hard surfaces for long periods of time.
Switch hands during work tasks. Take regular breaks from repeated hand movements to give your hands and wrists time to rest.
If you use a keyboard a lot, adjust the height of your chair so that your forearms are level with your keyboard and you don't have to flex your wrists to type.
In Sisters, there is a particular sector of the work force - actually the art force is more accurate - at particular risk for repetitive motion injuries: Quilters.
The joy of creation can really be impinged upon by neck, shoulder and back pain, hand and wrist disorders and the general creakiness that sets in from too much work in one position.
Malone sees many quilters with chronic pains and sprains, most of which can be relieved through improving posture and the ergonomics of the work space.
"They really need to remember to get up and walk around and shake their arms and work their shoulders," Malone said.
Staying active is critical to avoiding modern work injuries. As Malone says, "motion is life and life is motion."
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
Reader Comments(0)