Health Tips

• Elbow angle should be greater than 90 degrees, which means the forearms should be below the horizontal.
• Keep the wrists and hands level with the adjacent forearms. No over extending or over flexing the wrists.
• Take the time to observe your child at their desk, and work with them to arrange a more spine friendly work station.

Bring those items your child uses most while working at the computer within this normal work area. In other words, create a work area which can be easily reached by your child while he or she is sitting properly in their chair without having to bend or twist to reach something they need. If your child is reading from a book or text, place these in a document holder as closely adjacent to the computer screen as possible to prevent unnecessary head twisting or forward bending.

Position the computer screen so that your child can sit comfortably without having to tilt their head noticeably forwards or backwards. If the screen is too high, your child’s head will be tilted backwards. Too low, and it will be bent forwards

A comfortable chair: use a height adjustable chair with a comfortable seat and good back support. The choice of chair will vary from person to person. A stable work surface: Make sure the surface your child is working from is stable. This means working on the couch, bed or lap with a laptop is out! Correctly sized equipment: check the fit of the keyboard and mouse to the size of your child’s hands. If your child has small hands, then consider using a smaller keyboard for a better fit.

Check the computer screen is free from glare spots (bright lights). To do this you may need to reposition the screen or adjust the room lighting. You may also purchase an anti-glare protector for your monitor. If your child is reading from a book or paper document, make sure it is lit sufficiently with a freestanding, adjustable light/lamp.

The risks of any postural problems associated with computer use depend upon the length of time that your child uses the computer without taking a break or doing something else. You can watch the clock to regulate your child’s computer use, and a short break when your child gets up and moves around is advisable every 20 minutes or so. Software programs also exist which give on-screen alerts to “take a break”, and an example of this is a free download called ErgoPal that will run on a PC. Any specific queries regarding yourself or members of your family can be addressed directly by the chiropractors at the Coomera Wellness Centre. Exercises also exist to help combat these problems, and in the near future we hope to add examples of these to our website. Take the time to think about the above suggestions and how you might implement them in your own home. The earlier you incorporate good posture at the computer, the less likely your children are to develop bad habits resulting in spinal pain.

It is estimated that 85% of adults will experience significant low back pain (LBP) for two weeks or longer at some stage in their lives. Whether from sitting too long at the desk, straining in the garden, a sporting injury or just being ‘stressed out’, low back pain is a very common ailment. The majority of these experiences are self-limiting and improve well over a few weeks. However, some episodes of low back pain remain chronic and debilitating. How you manage your spinal health will greatly influence the level of discomfort you experience and the chances of your pain returning.

With the exception of sudden trauma (such as a car accident), most cases of low back pain are usually preceded by a phase of increasing muscle imbalance and instability before the back becomes painful. This underlying weakness increases your risk of an acute low back injury.  An acute back injury can come on after a seemingly innocuous incident – sneezing, bending over to tie a shoe lace or reaching into the back of the car. It is often incorrectly thought that the simple action at the time of the onset of pain caused the problem. In reality, it was just the ‘straw that broke the camel’s back’. Should you ever have the misfortune of suffering an acute low back injury, correct management is vital in reducing pain and paving the way for a quick and complete recovery. At the first sign of acute pain

1. Lie down in a comfortable position and rest for 5-20 minutes. A good position to relieve LBP is lying on your back with hips and knees bent at 90 degrees – either with pillows under your knees, or legs resting on a chair while you lie with your back on the floor.
2. Use ice packs on the low back to reduce inflammation – ice should be wrapped and placed on the back for 10-15 minutes at a time.
3. If you are feeling up to it, gently walk about. If you can tolerate a little movement this will usually be helpful.
4. Avoid sitting, especially on the couch, as this typically aggravates the condition.
5. Make an appointment with your chiropractor. A diagnosis is important so that appropriate care can begin. As things begin to improve Following an initial phase of acute care, your chiropractor may recommend a specific rehabilitation program to suit your needs. This will be essential to address the underlying weakness. Maintenance or Wellness Care follow-up with your chiropractor can help keep things in balance and optimise your health over the longer term.

Fortunately most episodes of acute LBP respond well to Chiropractic care, resulting in improved health and wellbeing. Many recover within days to weeks, although some take many months of rehabilitation to improve. Only occasionally will a case require specialised medical care. Your chiropractor is well qualified to refer appropriately when necessary.

Article written by Your Doctor publications. Content ©2006-7, Your Doctor Publications, Page design by Chris Neugebauer