As seen in Business Digest
"Every year lower back pain afflicts 5.4 million Americans who spend more than $16 billion on doctors' bills related to back problems," states Joseph Alper in "The Expert's Guide to Relieving Back Pain".1 Many of these back problems are work related. To understand the effects of these occupational hazards, it helps to understand how the back works. The back is made up of the spinal column and the ligaments and muscles that support it. These bones, commonly known as vertebrae, support the body. The joints between the24 vertebrae allow the body to move. There is a spongy cushion called a disc between each two bones. These discs act as pivots and shock absorbers in the spinal column. The ligaments bind the bones and discs together, and the muscles of the back surround and attach to the bones. All of these connections make the spinal column stable.
Exercise physiologist and physical therapist, Phil Dunphy notes, "That back problems can be eased by taking regular breaks from sitting and by maintaining an upright posture." Static working positions will strain the muscular skeletal system. Sitting for long periods without proper support for the lower back will cause muscular fatigue and backache. Alternatively, sitting in a curved chair will also strain your back. People who work at their desk all day should use a straight-back chair. Chair height should be adjustable so that the elbow can rest comfortably bent at a right angle. Four key factors in chair design would be height, seat, back rest, and construction materials.
There are many tasks in the office that can be done either standing or sitting. For example, if you sort and open mail for about 20 minutes a day, a comfortable counter and foot stool for one leg plus well-designed shoes would allow you to take a rest from sitting. Job redesign to allow comfortable standing for certain tasks, such as sorting the mail, can reduce muscle strain. Sedentary jobs and lifestyles increase people's susceptibility to low back pain by weakening muscles and ligaments that support the spine. Never lift weights that are too heavy. Instead, flex the knees, keep the weight close to you, and lift in a forward manner to avoid spine twisting. Strengthening both the back and abdominal muscles will help keep your back healthy. Many exercise programs are designed to specifically work the back and abdominal muscles in a way that will support the spine.
Stress in the work place can also be a source of back pain. For some immediate relief, try interrupting your day with some exercise or stretching or perhaps, as suggested in last month's Stress Management article, meditating by focusing on a relaxing word or practicing progressive relaxation or visualization. A great deal of concern has been for those who work intensively with VDT's, Video Display Terminals. The average computer station is not usually designed for bodily comfort. A VDT screen that can be tilted and rotated will optimize viewing or at least a stand that rotates the computer. A detached keyboard will help, in that it will allow the worker the ability to make postural changes. According to Elizabeth Scalet, author of VDT: Health and Safety, "Between 15 and 20 million workers use VDT's daily and it is anticipated that by 1997, 50 percent of American workers will use them."2
Scott Donkin, D.C., in his book, Sitting on the Job3, recommends exercising your way through the work day with micro-breaks, mini-breaks, macro-breaks, lunch breaks, and special exercises. During a micro-break he recommends you can press your back into your chairs back support to stretch it. Also stretch your leg muscles by straightening your legs and moving your ankles and feet. Another exercise known as the "Cat Stretch" may be appropriate during breaks. Stand up at the place you work and place your hands on your work surface about shoulder width apart. Feet should also be shoulder width apart. Slowly arch your back like a cat, dropping your head towards your chest while tucking your pelvis inward so that you are contracting your stomach muscles. Hold this position for a couple of seconds. Take a break and use some positive imagery to release some of the stress that locates itself in your back or take advantage of some of the offerings of your firm in their health club.
Back pain creates heavy costs for business owners in the form of lost work, wages, and insurance premiums. According to Nation's Business Report4, back pain is the most common cause of work loss. The malady is expected to have an economic impact of more than 20 billion dollars per year. Back schools, improved ergonomics, job redesign and exercise programs can be effective in reducing back pain.
Steve Thomas, a sales engineer for Johnson Controls, Inc., travels 30,000 miles a year in his car on job responsibilities. This is another work related activity that places strain on the back. Thomas states that he uses a cervical pillow for back comfort while driving and stretches after he gets out of the car. In an article by Janette Scandura entitled "Good Ways to Stop a Bad Back,"5 she suggests "To reduce back pain, learn a good daily exercise routine, join a class that teaches preventive back care, or explore holistic methods of healing such as massage, chiropractic manipulation or acupuncture."
Knowledge, persistency, and positive action are the tools for a healthier and more effective work situation. Don't fall back into bad habits. Health is a journey, not a destination. If you just ease on down the back stretch you will do more at work than just survive, you will thrive. The choice is yours.
Footnotes:
1. Alper, Joseph. "Expert's Guide to Relieving Back Pain," McCall's, 116: 101-2, Mr '89.
2. Scalet, Elizabeth A, VDT Health and Safety; Issues in Solutions. Lawrence, Kansas: Ergosyst Associates, 1987.
3. Donkin,Scott W., D.C. Sitting on the Job. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1989.
4. Chapel, Richard J., "Bad Backs: Pain in the Wallet," Nation's Business, 75: 43-4, Ja. '87.
5. Scandura, Janette. "Good Ways to Stop a Bad Back," Working Woman, 13: 108-9, F '88.
Additional References for this article include:
Jeanne Stellman, Ph.D and Mary Sue Henifin, M.P.H. Office Work Can Be Dangerous to Your Health. New York: Pantheon Books, 1983.
Prevention, Occupational Health and Safety, and FDA Consumer |
