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Computer Related Injuries and Chiropractic Care

March 22, 2016 by drburt Leave a Comment

Computer Related Injuries and Chiropractic Care

The computer is a vital tool in many different jobs and activities, for adults and children. But long periods of using a computer can increase your chance of developing an computer related injuries. Inappropriate computer use can cause muscle and joint pain, overuse injuries of the shoulder, arm, wrist or hand, and eyestrain.

Children can experience particular physical and psychological problems if they play computer games too much. You can reduce or avoid these risks with the correct furniture, better posture and good habits, such as taking rest breaks and restricting time spent playing computer games. Typical injuries include

Posterior cervical dorsal syndrome (“computer back”)
“Mouse shoulder”
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Tennis elbow
Lumbar sprains and strains
Disc injuries
Eyestrain from computer use
Health risks from computer games

Learn how to identify and help prevent these computer related injuries and learn when to get help with chiropractic care.

Basic Terminology For Computer Related Injuries

To understand computer related injuries requires an introduction to some of the basic terminology of musculoskeletal injury.

Muscle spasm: excessive muscle tone; usually caused by a reaction to postural fatigue, tissue injury, or psychogenic stress.

Strain: injury to a muscle or tendon (the tissue that connect muscles to bones); usually due to repetitive overuse, fatigue, over stretching, excessive contraction, unguarded movements, postural loading, or direct blows.

Repetitive strain injury (RSI): damage to the tendons, nerves, muscles, and other soft tissues of the body caused by specific repeated movements which overstress the tissues; another name for RSI is cumulative trauma disorder (CTD).

Tendonitis: inflammation of a tendon; usually caused by excessive repetitive or abnormal motion.Sprain: injury to a ligament (the tissue that connects bones together); usually due to the same things which cause strains and the additional stress added when the muscles fatigue.

Myofascial trigger points: local points of severe muscle spasm caused by postural strain and repetitive use; they may be initiated or perpetuated by many physical, chemical, or psychological stresses; and trigger points can “trigger” local and referred pain when pressed or when severe they cause pain
without pressure.

Joint dysfunction: abnormal joint operation due to weak or lax supporting muscles or ligaments, or conversely excessively tight supporting tissues; dysfunction can result in pain, abnormal motion, and eventually degeneration and nerve interference.

Cervicogenic headaches: headaches caused by irritation of the tissues of the neck by any of the tissue dysfunctions.

Posterior cervical dorsal syndrome (“computer back”)

A very common postural syndrome in modern society involves excessive rearward curving of your lower, middle, and upper back; forward drawn head; rounded shoulders; and excessive forward curving of your upper neck. This syndrome has been given several names including sterno-symphyseal syndrome, posterior cervical-dorsal syndrome, or more commonly, computer back or student syndrome. It is a natural result of prolonged sitting work, especially with computers. These postural defects in turn can cause

headaches
excessive muscle tension in your neck, chest, shoulders, arms and forearms, back, abdomen, hips, and thighs and legs
strains and trigger points the above muscles
joint dysfunction and sprains in your neck, back, and ribs
increased loading on the intervertebral discs of your spine
impaired function of your breathing muscle (your diaphragm), causing the muscles lifting your upper ribs and shoulders to become overactive and subject to problems

To help prevent computer back try adopting the postural relief position every 20 minutes i order to aoid computer related injuries.

“Mouse shoulder”

“Mouse shoulder” (as good a name as any) is a syndrome arising from prolonged elevation and bracing of the shoulder to accommodate an inappropriately positioned mouse, or performing short range movements of the mouse, or (usually) both. This syndrome results in severe shoulder and shoulder blade muscle spasm (in the trapezius, deltoid, and teres muscles) and trigger points with referred pain in the arm.If left untreated, this problem can develop into a much more serious rotator cuff injury. Call your clocal chiropractor and avoid these computer related injuries.

Carpal tunnel syndrome and Computer Related Injuries

Carpal tunnel syndrome arises primarily from compression of the median nerve as it passes through the wrist. It is the most common nerve compression injury in the body and it is the most common and costly RSI. Typical symptoms include

paresthesias (abnormal sensations) such as tingling and numbness in the thumb and index and middle fingers
night pain
weakness in grasping, thumb and index finger pinching, and other thumb movements
clumsiness, such as awkward hand movements and dropping things

For more information, see Carpal tunnel syndrome.

Tennis elbow

Classic tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, is another type of RSI. It is a tendonitis affecting the common extensor tendon at the lateral (outside) area of the elbow. Tennis elbow is a very common cause of elbow and forearm pain. It can cause mild to severe pain in the lateral elbow and may be aggravated by grasping and excessive finger motions. The pain may also radiate up the arm or down into the forearm.For more information, see Tennis elbow.

Lumbar sprains and strains

Lumbar spine sprains (ligament or joint capsule tears) and strains (muscle or tendon tears) are common in office workers due to the high loads placed on the spine during sitting.Sprains and strains may cause back and hip pain as well as muscle swelling and tightness.For more information, see Lumbar sprains and strains.

Disc injuries

Increased loading on the spine due to prolonged and faulty sitting postures may cause sprains of the outer (annular) fibers of the intervertebral discs. In more advanced cases the soft inner material (nucleus) of the disc may protrude into or even through the annular fibers of the disc, resulting in a herniated disc.Herniated discs may cause back pain, leg pain and altered sensation down to the foot, weakness, walking difficulties, or combination of these symptoms.For more information, see Disc injuries.

Eyestrain from computer use

Focusing your eyes at the same distance point for long periods of time causes fatigue. The human eye structurally prefers to look at objects more than six metres away, so any work performed close up puts extra demands on your eye muscles.The illuminated computer screen can also cause eye fatigue. Although there is no evidence that eye fatigue damages your eyesight, computer users may get symptoms such as blurred vision, temporary inability to focus on faraway objects and headaches.

Preventing eyestrain from computer use

Tips to avoid eyestrain include:

Make sure your main source of light (such as a window) is not shining into your face or directly onto the computer screen.
Tilt the screen slightly to avoid reflections or glare.
Make sure the screen is not too close to your face.
Put the screen either at eye level or slightly lower.
Reduce the contrast and brightness of your screen by adjusting the controls.
Frequently look away from the screen and focus on faraway objects.
Have regular eye examinations to check that any blurring, headaches and other associated problems are not caused by any underlying disorders.

Health risks from computer games

Playing computer games for too long or without correct furniture and posture can lead to health problems such as:

Overuse injuries of the hand
Obesity
Muscle and joint problems
Eyestrain
Behavioural problems including aggressive behaviour
Photosensitive epileptic seizures (caused by flashing or rapidly changing lights – this is rare).

Parents can reduce the risk of children developing computer-related health problems. You can encourage your child to:

Sit at least one metre away from the screen
Take frequent breaks
Pursue other activities. Encourage your child to enjoy different hobbies and interests, particularly sports and physical activities.

You can also:

Set sensible time limits on your child’s game playing. Some guidelines recommend no more than two hours of screen time each day
Set up the computer, desk, chair and keyboard to suit your child’s height. For example, adjust the chair so that your child’s feet rest flat on the floor
Buy an ergonomic chair
Buy a smaller mouse, which suits the size of your child’s hand
Teach your child to use the keyboard and mouse properly and safely, such as pushing the buttons and other controls gently. Using unnecessary force increases the risk of overuse injury.

Eight basic steps for preventing common computer-related injuries

The key to preventing common computer-related injuries is to identify and remove the abnormal stresses acting on your body while you work. Eight ways to do this are

Adopt proper sitting posture by changing the arrangement of your desk, chair, and computer screen and keyboard. See Ergonomics at Work and Microsoft’s Healthy Computer Guide. Check yourself to ensure you maintain proper posture throughout the day. A good idea is to have someone else watch your posture while you work.
Support easily compromised areas of the body. A lumbar support pillow and wrist supports for your keyboard and mouse can prevent many injuries.
Don’t sit too long at your desk, get up and move around at least every half-hour. Also, try adopting the postural relief position every 20 minutes.
Recognize that the psychological stress of your work could be altering your posture. Slumped shoulders and shoulders pulled upward are common self-defense postures.
Improve your overall fitness level to make your muscles strong and flexible so that they do not fatigue as quickly. Start simple, balanced exercise program that you will continue, for example, brisk walking at lunch.
Stretch and relax your tight (or overactive) muscles and strengthen and tone up your weak (or underactive) muscles. Periodically perform these simple stretches.
Take a few minutes to massage your muscles to help work out the kinks. Use gentle kneading motions and strokes towards the heart.
At the end of your long day, relax your muscles in a warm bath or shower. You deserve it!

Consider using a computer program like Workrave, a freeware program that assists in the recovery and prevention of RSIs. To quote the website: “The program frequently alerts you to take micro-pauses, rest breaks and restricts you to your daily limit.” It also provides helpful examples of stretches and exercises for you to perform during the breaks. Also consider using one of the many posture apps available for smartphones.

When to get additional help

You should seek help for

problems different than your “usual” ones
weakness
persistent (lasting more than 2-3 days) or worsening symptoms
symptoms that disrupt your work or home life

Contact Dr. Burt if you have any of the symptoms mentioned in this article. Your symptoms can get progressively worse if not fixed on time with proper chiropractic care.

Workplace environment computer_comfort from Shankar Myadharaveni

Office Ergonomic Training from jdecarli

Go Daddy Go

July 4, 2014 by drburt Leave a Comment

Go Daddy Go

Daddy is just as important to the baby as the mother is, so here is why your baby needs you as equally as momma! It is true that mothers become the focal point in the early stages of a baby’s life, while daddies are often not counted into the picture.

However, research indicates that although dads have independent roles from the mothers, they are just as special and important to the development of the baby. They might not be the ones to give birth or breastfeed the child, but according to psychologists and child experts, fathers must spend as much time with their children as possible by playing with them, talking to them, listening to their excited gurgling and laughing with them to cement the bonding between the father and child.

In a typical scenario, it is seen that dads usually come home late in the evening and are mainly seen at the dinner table, spending a bare minimum of time with the children and at best being at home during the weekends. It is important that society stops typecasting fathers as just providers, as their physical and emotional presence is just as vital to the child’s overall growth and bonding with the entire family.

A soon-to-be new dad does not have to wait until the child is born to commence the bonding procedure, as fathers can initiate the bonding process with their babies even before they are released into the world. Research indicates that babies inside the womb can differentiate between a father’s voice and that of a stranger’s tone. Child psychologists point out that babies are intelligent and highly responsive even before they are born, which means that a father does not necessarily have to sing to the baby by putting the head on the mummy’s tummy. It is important to be as close to the partner during pregnancy to develop the bonding between the child and the mother.

Child experts also recommend that after the baby is born, fathers must spend one-on-one time with their new-borns in order to recognise and understand baby cues. By being alone with the baby and having a quality one-on-one time with their infant helps in concentrating what the baby is doing and learning from their behaviour on what they could be thinking. To understand what the baby is going through it is important to get to know your baby well enough through personal bonding and not rely on your partner for updates.

Based on a study in Germany, it was seen that fathers who interacted closely with their two year olds in various ways developed stronger relationships with their children as they grew older and were as seen as supportive and sensitive fathers, especially between the ages of 10 and 17, as compared to fathers who did not spend enough time with their children and were seen as distant and aloof.

Another study conducted in Australia revealed that a father’s parenting style played a huge influence on the weight of preschool children. It was revealed that dads who laid clear boundaries with their children were seen to have kids with normal weight, as compared to children with a higher BMI who had indulgent fathers. The study revealed that children were more likely to be overweight if their fathers were too strict or too lenient; as compared to fathers who loved them while at the same time had set boundaries as they were growing up.

A father who has brought up his daughter with loving care and interest indicates that she will also have a warm and enduring relationship with her husband. In numerous cases it has been seen that when a father is not present while the child has been growing up or has been detached or uncommunicative, young women tend to be more promiscuous as they are looking for love and attention elsewhere. Boys on the other hand turn out to be respectful and loving men if they have had a trusting and warm relationship with their father.

Author Bio: Malvika, a working professional and blogger but that doesn’t prevent her showing her writing skills in different fields. She has written reviews for many products like Baby Monitors, Pregnancy Pillows etc.

Ear Infections in Children and Chiropractic Care

December 22, 2011 by drburt Leave a Comment

Ear Infections in Children and Chiropractic Care

Many parents know that dealing with painful ear infections at night is not fun. Children scream through an agonizing pain. At least that what my wife and myself have been experiencing the last couple of nights. We were stressed out and our four and half years old boy was even more stressed out. Fortunately our son was breast fed till he was 20 months old and I have to admit that it is a heroic act on my spouse’s behalf. Until recently we did not have any problems with ear infection and pain.

November was a month that our family was traveling a lot all over the country. That means only one thing, lots of time on an airplane full of people who most likely carry some sort of virus or cold infection, eating out and lack of exercises. These three main factors will do some serious damage to an adult’s health but child is taking it to a whole different level. Their fragile immune system has to fight new invaders every day.

Before I go into an explanation of a pain and suffering process of ear infection I would like to explain what it is and what the treatment procedures for such health problem. The ear has two functions – hearing and balance and it consists of three different parts – the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear. I am not going to bore you with its function and anatomy, you can simply click on links that I have provided if interested. Kids develop ear infections more frequently in the first 2 to 4 years of their life for several reasons:

Their eustachian tubes are shorter and more horizontal than those of adults, which allows bacteria and viruses to find their way into the middle ear more easily. Their tubes are also narrower and less stiff, which makes them more prone to blockage.
The adenoids, which are gland-like structures located in the back of the upper throat near the eustachian tubes, are large in children and can interfere with the opening of the eustachian tubes.

A number of other factors can contribute to kids getting ear infections, such as exposure to cigarette smoke, bottle-feeding, and day-care attendance (that was our case as well in addition to travel). Ear infections also occur more commonly in boys than girls, in kids whose families have a history of ear infections, and during the winter season when upper respiratory tract infections or colds are frequent.

There are several options available for treating middle ear infections in children. One of the most popular is use of antibiotics where child has to take during a course of ten days or so. Sometimes this treatment will not work because it could also be a viral infection. For those children who have chronic infections in some cases, an ear, nose, and throat doctor will suggest surgically inserting tubes (called tympanostomy tubes) in the tympanic membrane. This allows fluid to drain from the middle ear and helps equalize the pressure in the ear because the eustachian tube is unable to.

In our particular case I have adjusted my son’s right occipital region about four nights in a raw. On a fifth night he slept through without any pain at all. It has been about a month since the last episode and so far he did not complain about any ear pain at all. Research showed that 80% of the children who get chiropractic care were free of ear infections for at least six-month period. Maintenance for one or two times of every four to six weeks would be necessary for this result. Chiropractic adjustment mobilizes drainage of the ear in children. Continues drainage of fluids will eliminate the infection and will strengthen the immune system and help the child to recover much faster.

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Teenager, High Blood Pressure and Lack of Sleep

July 11, 2011 by drburt Leave a Comment

Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, has conducted a research which concluded that sleep depravation could be the cause of high blood pressure in healthy adolescents. These associations couldn’t be explained by being overweight, socioeconomic status, sleep apnea, or known co morbidities. About 238 teenagers ages 13 to 16 were participating in this study which provided an important data about relationship between lack of sleep and high blood pressure. All of the participants of this study were without any known health issues.

This study was published in a Journal of the American Heart Organization. Young adults were observed 3 to 7 nights about the sleep duration at their homes. Special digital wrist recorder was designed in order to record a motion, sleep and wake up patterns. Special laboratory was used for one night and the blood pressure was measured nine times during that night over two days period. In the research facility, an overnight polysomnography was also made; according to Wikipedia, a polysomnography “is a multi-parametric test used in the study of sleep”, and the test outcome is termed a polysomnogram.

Those young adults who had less than 6.5 hours of sleep a night were 2.8 times to have elevated blood pressure levels, compared to those teenagers who had more hours of sleep. Those with low sleep efficiency, on the other hand, were 4.5 times more likely to have prehypertension. Sleep efficiency might be broadly defined as sleep quality. It took into account factors such as having difficulty dropping off to sleep or staying asleep.

Scientific data was adjusted for gender, body mass index and socioeconomic status. Pre hypertension risks were 2.5 times higher for lack of sleep and 3.5 times higher for low sleep efficiency. Youngster with sleep deficiency had 4mm Hg higher systolic blood pressure than those who had good night sleep.

According to the NHLBI’s Your Guide to Healthy Sleep, children of school-going age and adolescents need at least 9 hours of sleep every night. According to the guide, hormonal influences during puberty tend to affect the biological clocks of adolescents. They are thus more likely to go to bed later at night, and want to sleep in longer in the morning.

The Implications

If the young ones are often having problems falling asleep, getting up several times or for long periods during the night, having sleepy spells during the day, or having difficulty concentrating, then it is possible that they are not having enough sleep, or are having poor sleep.

And, compared with twenty or even ten years ago, teenagers today have even more reasons to stay awake late into the night. Decades ago, there were no computers, no internet, and very small, if any, late night television. Add to that the stress and pressures of increased workloads in school, as well as the nutritional fiasco which is our modern diet of refined foods, and the issue gets a lot bigger.

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