Proper office ergonomics can make all the difference in the way you feel at the end of the work day. Reducing little bits of repeated stress from your day equals less stress overall by the end of the day.

The American Chiropractic Association published the following article that gives some great tips on how to reduce stress at work.

By Chris Sorrells

Nearly anyone who has used a computer has experienced discomfort in the neck at some point. The most common cause is overuse of the neck musculature to hold the head up, instead of letting the spine do the job. This occurs when the worker juts the head forward while viewing the screen. People are rarely conscious they are doing this. When a screen is too far away for the eyes to see properly, our heads move closer to the screen to fix the problem. Unfortunately, this creates other problems such as neck strain.

Adjusting the Monitor
In general the screen should be about an arm’s length away; it can be moved within a six-inch range, either way, depending on the worker’s vision. Monitors should always be placed where the user can look straight at them. Constantly looking off to one side to view the screen creates static load in the neck musculature, as well as muscle imbalances that can add up to significant injury. Adjustable monitor arms allow the screen to be placed in front of the worker and then slid out of the way for other tasks.

For users without glasses or for those who use single-vision lenses, the top of the glass screen should be at eye height. This position will let the eyes gaze down on the screen at the preferred angle. Workers who have bifocals will often tilt the head up to view the screen through the lower part of the lenses. The best solution is to discuss single-vision computer glasses with an optometrist. Otherwise, workers should lower the screen a few inches, so they can view the monitor with the head in a straight forward position, without the chin pointing up or down.

Positioning the Chair
A properly adjusted office chair is the most important tool that allows an office worker to work efficiently and safely. If there is insufficient lumbar support, patients can compensate with a back support, rolled towel or small pillow. If the seat is too deep—keeping the workers from being supported—they can use a back support or full-length pillow to take up the extra room.

In addition, educate your patients about how to adjust their chairs:

• Lower the chair until feet are well supported on the ground.  If they are not firmly planted, use a footrest to provide support.
• Adjust the seat depth so there is one-to-three-fingers’ space between the front of the chair and the back of the knee.
• The seat angle and the backrest should allow for approximately a 105-degree angle between the torso and thighs. Sitting too upright increases the pressure in the lumbar intervertebral discs. Leaning too far back will cause the neck to compensate, putting it at risk.
• Adjust the armrests so they are one inch below the forearms. If the patient has any neck issues, bring the armrests up to provide support, without reaching down or up to use them.

Choosing a Keyboard
Design
Most keyboards have a standard design copied from typewriters with a number pad thrown on the right side for increased efficiency. Users typically plop down in front of the computer and center themselves between the side of the keyboard on the left and the mouse on the right.  Now the right arm is externally rotated and reaching to use the mouse and then reaching across the mid-line of the body to type, so it is never in a good position.

The best solutions are to move the mouse to the left or use a keyboard that has the number pad on the left side.  Workers can then center themselves by lining the bellybutton up with the “B” key.

Angle
Due to the variability of people’s shoulder widths and forearm lengths, many workers cannot use a standard keyboard without sustained ulnar deviation at the wrists. This causes static use and overload of the forearm muscles. A keyboard that allows angle and pitch adjustments is the solution to this problem.

Reach
Reaching to use a keyboard that is too high forces the upper traps to fire continuously, creating tension, fatigue and pain. A keyboard tray is the most helpful of the ergonomic tools, as it can fix problems ranging from excessive reach for the keyboard and mouse to improper wrist angles when typing.  Since the proper writing height is several inches higher than the proper typing height, the tray will allow both functions to be performed safely.

Rest Breaks and Task Rotation
To work properly over time, muscles need a break to rid themselves of lactic acid and waste products while delivering oxygen to the tissues to prevent overuse and damage.

Teach patients to take a 15-second micro-break each hour. This is an easy solution for employers to accept, which helps gain compliance. During the micro-breaks, the office workers should shake their arms out or do simple stretches you can provide for them. Computer users should also frequently look away from their screen to focus on something about 20 feet away. This allows a break for the eye muscles. If they can’t seem to remember to take breaks, an egg timer can serve as a reminder. A software program such as RSI Guard can also help workers tailor breaks to the amount of work.

People are always concerned about how it will look if they seem to be taking too many breaks or are unproductive. By spreading tasks, like going to the fax and copier, returning phone calls and meeting with co-workers throughout the day, they can still be productive while giving their body a break from the computer.

Starting with these simple adjustments, your patients who work in an office should feel happier and healthier at their jobs in no time.

Chris Sorrells is the president of www.ErgonomicsSimplified.com, a free online resource for health professionals. He can be reached at Chris@ErgonomicsSimplified.com.

Dr Rob

Fort Myers / Estero – 590-9555

LaBelle – 675-8900

Exciting news about chiropractic that has been known for years but has not always been heard by medical ears…

Esteemed authors Niteesh Choudhry, MD, PhD, Harvard Medical School and Arnold Milstein, MD, Mercer Health and Benefits, San Francisco, CA, developed this authoritative report which reviews the existing peer reviewed literature and arrives at the following conclusions:

* Chiropractic care is widely used with almost half of all patients with persistent back pain seeking out this form of treatment.
* “Chiropractic care for the treatment for low back and neck pain is highly cost effective, represents a good value in comparison to medical physician care and to widely accepted cost effectiveness thresholds.”
* “The addition of chiropractic coverage for the treatment of low back and neck pain…will likely increase value-for-dollar by improving clinical outcomes…”
* “We project that insurance coverage for chiropractic physician care…is likely to drive improved cost effectiveness of US care.”
* “Our findings support the value of health insurance coverage of chiropractic care for low back and neck pain at average fees currently payable by US commercial insurers.”

About the Authors:

Niteesh Choudhry, MD, PhD: Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School and Associate Physician in the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics and the Hospitalist Program at Brigham and Women?s Hospital.

Arnold Milstein, M.D, MPH: Medical Director of the Pacific Business Group on Health(PBGH),the largest employer health care purchasing coalition in the US.. He is also Chief Physician at Mercer Health and Benefits, San Francisco, California.

Dr. Rob

Fort Myers 590-9555

LaBelle 675-8900

The American Chiropractic Association just released an article outlining the results of several studies showing the benefit of Chiropractic care for chronic lower back pain and chronic spinal pain.

“The cost-effectiveness and safety of chiropractic has been documented in several studies. ACA is pleased that insurance companies are starting to recognize the value that doctors of chiropractic and other conservative providers can offer to their members,” said ACA President Glenn Manceaux, DC. “Especially during the health care reform debate, it’s important that chiropractic and other conservative care methods are taken into serious consideration as a cost-effective alternative to the utilization of expensive surgery and hospital-based care,” he added.

Wellmark conducted the Physical Medicine Pilot on Quality in 2008 for Iowa and South Dakota physical medicine providers. A total of 238 chiropractors, physical therapists and occupational therapists provided care to 5,500 members with musculoskeletal disorders. According to Wellmark, data from participating clinicians show that 89 percent of the patients treated in the pilot reported a greater than 30-percent improvement in 30 days.

The pilot compared data for Wellmark members who received care from doctors of chiropractic or physical therapists with a member population with similar demographics who did not receive such services. The comparison showed that those who received chiropractic care or physical therapy were less likely to have surgery and experienced lower total health care costs, according to Wellmark.

Chiropractic is widely recognized as one of the safest non-invasive therapies available for the treatment of back pain, neck pain, headaches and other neuromusculoskeletal complaints. A significant amount of evidence shows that chiropractic care for certain conditions can be more effective and less costly than traditional medical care. Recent research includes:

• A study published in the October 2005 issue of the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT) found that chiropractic and medical care have comparable costs for treating chronic low-back pain, with chiropractic care producing significantly better outcomes.
• A March 2004 study in JMPT found that chiropractic care is more effective than medical care at treating chronic low-back pain in patients’ first year of symptoms.
• A study published in a 2003 edition of the medical journal Spine found that manual manipulation provides better short-term relief of chronic spinal pain than do a variety of medications.

Chiropractic care helps millions every year. Let us help you today, call 239-590-9555 in Fort Myers and 863-675-8900 in LaBelle.

Dr. Rob Watkins

Fixing People in Pain!

Common reactions to such an injury are stiffness, headaches, shoulder, neck or arm pain, dizziness, visual problems, nausea, vomiting, chest pain or blood pressure irregularities, to name a few. But many of these symptoms may be delayed.

The symptoms of a whiplash injury may not be felt for several hours and in some cases years after the accident. Typically, however, the detection of irregularities is recognized 12 to 24 hours after the accident.

Further compounding the problem of whiplash detection is that the symptoms can show up in many different parts of the body. To the unaware victim they can appear unrelated to the neck.

*Journal of Orthopaedic Medicine (1999): Study concluded that Chiropractic treatment is the only proven effective treatment for chronic whiplash

The science of chiropractic is specifically directed towards the structural balance of the spine and a nervous system. Since our expertise is in this area, a chiropractic examination should be sought following any injury that involves a cervical spine. Chiropractors properly aligned and improve the mobility of the spine and are trained to take direct action in cases of trauma injuries such as whiplash.

Immediate attention can deter the development of many problems later on. When the muscles and ligaments that hold the neck vertebrae in place are strained or torn, spinal derangement usually occurs. When left untreated, the eventual result is serious degeneration.

If you are involved in an accident or a fall in which you suspect that your spine (especially your neck) may have been strained, call a chiropractor immediately.

The Benefit of X-rays in the Diagnosis of Whiplash Symptoms

X-rays of the spine serve a dual purpose: to analyze the position of the vertebra in order to locate misalignments that cause pressure or irritation to the nerves within the spine, and to make certain that no complications exist, such as fractures, dislocations or malformations that could further delay the patients recovery. For this reason, when visiting a chiropractic clinic for injuries such as whiplash, x-rays will most likely be given as a routine part of the examination and diagnostic process.

Because whiplash symptoms are often delayed a minimal of 12 to 24 hours, patients having visited the hospital or MD may not have been properly treated.

Even if whiplash symptoms were detected, a chiropractic examination would still be in order because of our specialized training in recognizing and treating spinal irregularities.

In either case, x-rays may have been taken at the hospital. These x-rays are often released when requested. However, new x-rays may be ordered. The hospital technician may not be aware of the precise area a chiropractor must view or how important it is to have the spine in the correct position to notice some of the more subtle irregularities.

X-rays taken in a chiropractor’s office are administered by or directly supervised by a doctor who will make sure that the patient’s neck and back are in the proper position for optimal x-rays.

Because the x-ray is one of the doctors most important diagnostic tools in detecting the symptoms of whiplash, it is imperative that they are taken properly. In any trauma injury such as whiplash, expect a thorough chiropractic examination that includes x-rays.

Whiplash a Case History:

There are hundreds of case histories that demonstrate how effective chiropractors are at treating whiplash victims.

One such case involved a young housewife whose car was struck from behind while waiting at the traffic light. There was very minor damage and no one seemed hurt. Later that day, she had a noticeable headache.

The next morning she felt even worse. She contacted her insurance company and was sent to a doctor for an examination. She was told the stiffness and headache was temporary and would go away in a couple of days. It was implied that she was looking for sympathy or a settlement.

After several days the pain did not go away. Her father suggested that she see a chiropractor. She and her husband agreed.

A preliminary c

I find the best way to find any professional, is to ask someone you trust for a recommendation. Often your family and friends can point you to the best chiropractor, doctor, attorney or whichever professional that you are looking for. They recommend them because they have had a positive personal experience.

Other methods can be to review comments posted online or information provided on various websites. Many doctors that want to be open to prospective new patients will post resourceful information about their practice techniques, education and case studies for you to review.

Things to consider when picking a good Ft. Myers Chiropractor:

1. Did they graduate from a school that teaches a variety of techniques? – Different types of cases require different techniques for treatment. There is not “one technique” that will be best for all patients and all cases, so check to make sure the doctor you are looking into is not “locked into” one technique.
2. Are they involved in supporting their profession? – A doctor that is involved in the success and support of their profession is more likely to be on the leading edge of techniques and procedural knowledge to best serve your needs.
3. Are they involved in their church or community? – This is a strong indicator of their personal character traits. This will say volumes about how caring your prospective doctor is.
4. Are their recommendations based on a case by case criterion or do they treat everyone the same? X-rays for everyone, no matter if there has been an auto accident injury or just a strain? Long term treatment plans, no matter the details of the condition? – Your condition is specific for you and the history of your past. It would be irresponsible to try to “cookie cut” a treatment plan to fit everyone, including you.
5. Is the doctor’s staff courteous and considerate of you? – Believe it or not, most people will discontinue with care regardless of how much they like their doctor, if they don’t like the doctor’s staff… You may want to consider how helpful and courteous the doctor’s staff is before investing your time with a doctor’s office.

I hope this short article will help you in your search for a Fort Myers Chiropractor. Remember a chiropractic physician has a medical education similar to that of a medical physician with a primary difference of diagnosing and treating your condition without drugs and surgery. According to the American Medical Association, chiropractic physicians receive more hours of anatomy, physiology, neurology, x-ray and orthopedics than medical doctors receive. Those classes are the ones that pertain to your back pain, are they not?

Yours in Health,

Dr. Rob

Fort Myers Chiropractor

Future posts will include helpful articles about health conditions like back pain, headaches and nerve pain.

There are many topics to cover and many facts that few know about conservative effective ways to treat them.

Yours in Health,

Dr Rob

Fort Myers Chiropractor