Work life today with ergonomics

HOW ERGONOMICS CONTRIBUTES TO IMPROVING WORKLIFE

As a health ergonomist specializing in back pain, I am often asked to provide expert ergonomics consultations for people struggling with work. An employer will ask me to assess what can be done to improve an employee’s comfort level when working, especially if that person is struggling with musculoskeletal pain. As an ergonomist, my job is to assess the underlying issues and then find the best solution that will improve their overall comfort and well-being, reducing pain and tension build-up. There is always something that can be done to change risk levels, no matter how big the change is.

I see people with a wide variety of conditions ranging from general postural pain, recovery from injury or surgery, to those with complex longer term conditions such as accidents cerebrovascular, herniated discs, fibromyalgia, scoliosis, ME, arthritis, RSI and cancer cure. . While these are extremely diverse in their symptoms and prognosis, the approach is the same — find what is affecting their ability to perform to the best of their ability and remedy it in the best possible way. Our rehabilitation process includes the correction of working postures (to relieve tension in the body), providing movement advice (to keep muscles and tissue healthy) or communicating with other key specialists (such as a physiotherapist or nutritionist). It is often difficult to find the true cause of back pain, with many struggling for years.

HOME WORK, ELIMINATING BARRIERS TO HOME WORK.

Many are now working from home for the first time with limited normal lifestyles, often exercising less and experiencing pain and discomfort for the first time. Wellness has never been so important, with the need to educate people on how to eat well and live well to optimize their health. Fortunately, all of the research now shows that people can be just as productive working from home. The advantage of this is that it should hopefully open the eyes of employers to the possibilities of employing those less able to travel. People now realize that meetings no longer need to be face to face with online meetings, which makes it possible to.

WORKING WITH CHRONIC PAIN ADVICE

For those living with chronic pain, the worry of being able to work and the impact on their daily lives is immense. Back pain and other chronic pain are affected by stress and vice versa, so take advantage of the opportunity to work from home and take care of yourself by following the tips below:

HOW TO REDUCE YOUR PAIN LEVELS WHEN WORKING AT THE COMPUTER

Take a moment to properly configure your workstation . The core messages of this are:

Raise your laptop to eye level and use a separate keyboard and mouse

Doing this can make all the difference in reducing shoulder, neck, lower back pain, and headaches. This is because if we use the laptop flat on the surface, the screen is too low, so we start slouching or bending our necks to read it. Over time, this causes pressure to build up in our backs, necks, and shoulders and can even lead to headaches. So the simple act of raising it to eye level instantly encourages you to sit up to reduce that pressure. Of course, then you have to use a separate keyboard and mouse so that you don’t have to get up to use the one on the laptop. A simple, economical way to make a huge difference in your comfort level. If you are using monitor screens, make sure they are at eye level as well. You can use books or boxes or special lifts to elevate laptops and monitors, but I personally use the The Z hoft laptop stand as it is allows you to lift the laptop higher than most risers, so it can really be at eye level.

Always sit with your arms at the top of the table

If you are sitting with your elbows under the table, you will need to either curl your shoulders or raise your wrists to use the keyboard. Simply sitting at the correct height will reduce the build-up of strain on the shoulders and wrists. If you don’t have a height-adjustable chair, just use one or two extra cushions to lift yourself up.

Try using dictation software

If you have trouble typing, whether it is due to pain in the wrists and arms, or lack of strength, dictation software is extremely useful. There are actually plenty of dictation apps available on your phone or computer or try Dragon, the proven dictation software. .

Vertical mouse

If you experience wrist pain, try an upright mouse that changes the position of the hand to a handshake, reducing the tension built up in the wrist by making sure it stays in a neutral position.

Finally, always support the curve of your lower back, no matter where you are sitting.

This will help encourage a healthy, straight S-shape in your spine and relieve the sensitivity in the area. If you are using a chair without an adjustable lumbar support, I would always recommend inflatable lumbar supports that attach to your chair, as they allow you to adjust the depth of the support to your own lower back curve — it should feel gentle. but not push yourself forward.

MENTAL STRATEGIES

The brain actually has a much bigger word on our body’s ability to heal than you might first think. It is really important during recovery that we try to reduce the danger signals to the brain. Much of this is trying to reduce your stress levels. Simple breathing techniques to slow your breathing are very effective in reducing cortisol levels, you only need to take 5 deep breaths at a time to benefit (it’s amazing how we can forget to breathe properly when we are stressed) . Try to stay proactive in your healing process.

EXERCISE

Our bodies love the moment, our tissues and muscles all need oxygen and nutrients to stay healthy, which flow more easily when we move. However, with chronic illness, it’s all about pacing and being kind to yourself. I recently realized the power of the 10 minute walk while recovering from surgery. So try to exercise daily and know that in fact 3 sets of 10 minutes of exercise is as good as a 30 minute stretch. Try to go for a walk outside in the morning, and getting out before 11 a.m. helps set circadian rhythms and normalize our sleep patterns. This also ensures that we don’t

With this in mind, a new rehabilitation program for people suffering from chronic pain is being implemented. Escape Pain is an evidence-based group rehabilitation program for people with chronic pain, especially the back, knees and hips. Designed to increase physical function and quality of life, it integrates education, self-management, coping strategies and a personalized exercise program. For more information, visit Escape-pain.org. This strategy is also supported by NICE. In their latest advice, antidepressants are now more effective than opioids.

WORK BREAKS

Regular breaks between work and sitting throughout the day are essential for body and soul. Research has shown that if we can work paused for 90 minutes, then we should take a 20 minute break to reset our minds. The work will be less intense and stressful and should help you stay focused throughout the day. You should also try to get up and move at least every hour, even if only for a minute or two, to keep our backs and bodies healthy.