Of Chairs, Posture and Pain.

A new study from Spine (the cool kids’ favorite spine journal), showed less neck/shoulder pain in sewing machine operators after they were given new ergonomic chairs. More specifically they were given “an adjustable height task chair with a curved seat pan”.

A seat pan is the part you sit on. (Click here for an example.)

My first reaction was mock applause for pointing out the obvious. But, the more I think about this, I can see some value.

When I am treating someone for neck pain or back pain or shoulder pain or whatever pain, part of my problem is to teach them how to do their normal daily activities without irritating their condition. It can be hard to get ahead if the patient spends 40 hours per week aggravating their condition.

So, I try to discuss work postures (sitting at the computer and lifting are the most common offenders) with the majority of my patients. In some cases this is as important as anything we do in the office to treat them.

Here are a few tips when troubleshooting your work postures:

1. Get some professional advice if possible.

A chiropractor, physical therapist and/or ergonomic consultant are good places to start.

2. Be persistent.

Good posture is a habit. Think of it like learning the golf swing. You can’t just do it right once and expect it to be automatic. Learning correct posture is only the starting point. You need to keep reminding yourself – you need to train, dare I say discipline (an ugly word, I know. Mea Culpa.), yourself.

3. Remember the fundamentals.

Looking at you from the side, your ears should be in line with your shoulders, which should be inline with your hips (add knees and ankles if you are standing up).

4. Don’t put a lumbar support too low.

If you use a lumbar support (a good thing), the thickest part should be three inches or so above your belt-line. It should feel like it fits naturally with your body. Remember it is a lumbar “support”, not a lumbar “force”.

5. You are not a marine or a statue.

A new posture can feel a little awkward at first, but if you feel really stiff, that is usually not right. Some movement is proof of life. It’s OK. You should be upright, but feel relatively relaxed – you should feel less pain and stress in your neck and back immediately in a correct position. (Note: If you are a marine, please disregard).

Good luck on your postural endeavors!

Shedding light on Scoliosis

For many years it has been known that we can cause scoliosis in chickens if we remove their pineal gland. The pineal gland is almond shape and sits, more or less, above and between your eyes. The pineal gland releases melatonin and is a big player in maintaining our sleep wake cycle.

If this gland is removed in young chickens, 50-80% will develop scoliosis. A study has also shown that exposing young chickens to bright lights 24 hours a day (which decreases their melatonin levels to almost zero) can cause scoliosis in 15% of otherwise normal chickens.

However, when we look at humans with scoliosis, they don’t have changes in melatonin levels. (Reference here.) But, changes are found in the melatonin receptors along the spine from side to side. (Reference here). But, the researchers seem to think this is secondary to some other change.

And a recent study showed a much higher rate of scoliosis in blind women. (Reference here.) Vision, light, melatonin…all seem related, but the relationship is not clear.

Unfortunately, we really have more questions than answers.

Stop Slouching Simply: 5 easy steps

I am on about 400 health e-mail lists, (slight exaggeration) some aimed at patients and some aimed at medical professionals. 9 times out of 10 the advice is silly, stretched or absurd. But, today I got a great one from RealAge.

RealAge.com is the web-site by the authors of the “You” series of books (You: on a diet, You: the Owner’s Manual, etc.) This particular tip is about posture. I know you are concerned about this, because every time I mention this to a patient, they look down at the floor, their shoulders sink and they say, “I know” with a large heaping of guilt.

Without further ado here is a link to the Real Age posture tips.