POSTURE
As chiropractors focused on structural correction and spinal health, we’ve noticed a very interesting article that’s been popping up on our newsfeed for the last week or so. It has to do with our posture - more specifically, how terrible it will be and probable negative health consequences that come along with it.
“In just 20 years time, the average office worker will have a hunched back, protruding stomach and sore eyes, according to a life-sized doll developed as part of a report into workplace health.”
The doll is named Emma, and she’s a representation of what UK health officials think the average desk worker will look like in 20 years unless drastic changes to the work environment are made. Her negative appearance includes a permanently hunched back, protruding stomach, varicose veins, and red bloodshot eyes.
Img source: https://news.sky.com/story/life-sized-model-shows-what-office-workers-might-look-like-in-20-years-11843868
Emma’s superficial negative appearance is one thing, but the underlying health consequences are a major concern.
Her hunched back leads to things like pain, tension, nerve pressure, decreased mobility, excessive joint stress and premature spinal arthritis.
Her protruding stomach is a result of her sedentary lifestyle and a reflection of digestive dysfunction.
Her varicose veins appeared slowly over time from spending so much time sitting down indicting possible circulation issues and numbness in the extremities.
Her red eyes developed from spending hours on end starting at a screen which can lead to eye weakness and vision disturbances.
Soooooo are we all doomed???
The answer is NO - but we need to seriously consider our work environment and our associated posture / lifestyle going forward. If many of us are spending 6-8 hours every day sitting hunched forward in front of a computer screen, then we need to ensure we are doing something daily to offset this negative pattern. Additionally, we need to make appropriate ergonomic changes to our workplace to put us in as healthy of a position as possible.
What specifically should we do???
If you spend the majority of your day hunched forward, then it would only make sense to strengthen the opposing muscle groups and stretch the tight ones. When we deal with these cases in our office we like stimulate the rhomboids with rowing-like exercises. We’ll also stimulate the deep cervical flexor muscles with chin tuck exercises. Don’t forget to stretch the tight muscles (in this case the pecs and upper back).
You would also want to improve your work environment as much as possible. Raise your monitor so the screen sits at eye level or slightly above eye level. Take breaks every 30-60 minutes to get up and walk around (do some light stretching too if you have time). Consider switching to a standing workstation, or one that can easily move between standing and sitting positions.
What role does chiropractic play???
The above recommendations are complementary in nature and work synergistically with structural chiropractic care. In other words, the above recommendations can help ensure your negative posture doesn't progress and worsen, but doesn't necessarily fix or reverse the problem.
Chiropractic care focused on structural correction will first identify the exact locations along the spine that are misaligned while also alerting us to areas of premature degeneration or arthritis. Once we pinpoint exactly what’s going on, we know exactly where and how to adjust the spine to begin restoring normal joint mobility, biomechanics, and structural alignment. Doing this helps to remove nerve pressure and muscle tension, allowing our body to function the way it was designed to in the first place.
If you’d like more information on how we help, click here to schedule a complimentary consultation in our office!
References:
https://news.sky.com/story/life-sized-model-shows-what-office-workers-might-look-like-in-20-years-11843868