Creating a Healthy & Ergonomically Correct Workspace

For many of my patients the workday is in front of a monitor and at a keyboard. It is important to look at your workspace to make sure it is working for you and not against you.  The amount of stress and pressure from an incorrect work environment can only lead to problems down the road. Please take a moment and look to see what you can do to help yourself.

Dr. Nancy

Creating a Healthy & Ergonomically Correct Workspace

　
　
1. Adjust your chair height so that your feet are placed flat on the floor. If your chair or desk does not allow you to make the adjustment, place a footrest on the floor and then adjust your seat height. Your hips should be on the same level as your knees. Optimum incline in your seat is between 100 and 110 degrees.
　
2. Allow your elbows to form a 90-degree angle with your hands on your keyboard. Your forearms should be parallel to the ground and your wrists in a neutral position (in alignment with your arms). Your keyboard should be directly in front of you. Ergonomic split keyboards are beneficial for proper wrist alignment.

3. Do not rest your wrists on the mouse. An increase in the angle puts an extra strain on the wrist. Do not wear a watch while working the keyboard. It can restrict the tendons in your arm. A mouse pad can help support your wrist by keeping it in a neutral position.

4. Place your monitor at direct eye level about 20 inches away or your arms length. The larger your screen, the further away. The screen should be slightly tilted back at 10 to 20 degrees. If you wear bifocals, lower your monitor below eye level and turn the screen upward , tilting it back 30 to 40 degrees.

5. Your work area should be in a V from your body. So that any activity that you do with repetition is not putting a strain on your back, neck or shoulders.

6. Armrests are great to help you get in and out of your chair. Do not rest your arms on the armrests while mousing or typing. This can compress the tendons and may also compress the nerve (ulnar) that goes down the back of your arm.

7. Try to move around every 20 minutes or so. Even get up and walk around your desk. It changes the circulation gives you and your muscles a break.
　
　
　

　

　

There are days that I wonder what people do that don’t go for chiropractic care. I help people everyday, not only with their musculo-skeletal problems but their overall health. In a great many instances, I am the first health care provider to see a patient no matter what their problem. I refer my patients out to other health care providers according to their health care needs. We are trained to diagnose and help. That is what we as chiropractors do. So when your senator or representative wonders if chiropractic should be included in the new HealthNet in Missouri or in the healthcare laws that are being established…..The answer is YES!

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome-Its Causes & Treatment

I had lunch with a friend the other day.  He asked me what I thought were the main causes of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS).  I have been working with CTS since the mid 90's when I was part of the control group for cold laser therapy prior to its approval from the FDA in 2002.  At that time there was much discussion about the effects of computer work and its correlation to CTS.  As of 2012, the National Institute of Health reports the most likely cause is due to a congenital predisposition which means that the carpal tunnel is simply smaller in some individuals than others.   There are metabolic problems such as pregnancy, diabetes and arthritis which may contribute to CTS or mechanical problems such as a fracture of the wrist or a sprain.  Studies also show that working with vibrating tools or work on an assembly line that requires prolonged or repetitive flexing, may put excess pressure on the median nerve.  It was shown that CTS is 3 time more common in assembly line workers than those that work at a computer station for up to 7 hours per day.
  
CTS is caused by compression of the median nerve which runs down the arm, through the tunnel and into the hand on the thumb side.   There can be  pain, burning, tingling and/or numbness in the thumb, index and middle fingers and the palm of the hand.  These symptoms may occur while sleeping, driving, or performing any task that requires the fingers and wrist. 


The best approach to relieving the symptoms and cause of the pain is to seek early diagnosis and treatment thereby avoiding permanent damage to the median nerve.  The examination consists of a number of orthopedic and neurological tests.  Upon diagnosis there are a few different approaches to treatment.  The cold laser therapy has been shown to treat CTS over a period of time given that it has not progressed too far.  The National Institute of Health has stated that acupuncture and chiropractic have benefited some patients. 

Here at Young Chiropractic, I use all three procedures to help with the treatment of CTS.  I discuss your extracurricular activities, the tasks performed daily as related to your job and many everyday activities that you perform.  I find that with a good treatment regime, a stretching program, adaptations to your home and work activities, and possibly a night splint, the CTS can be relieved or at least kept at bay. If you do not respond to treatment, then I recommend that you seek a medical doctor that specializes in CTS.

Welcome to my Blog!

I wanted to communicate in such a way to help enhance all our lives.  The blogs that will come in the future will be designed to educate whether it be about ergonomics, nutrition, chiropractic, acupuncture or everyday activities and tasks.  This will help, hopefully, all of us to have a healthier home in these bodies that we inhabit.

This past year I decided it was time to change my eating habits and lose weight.  At this point in my life it is no easy task.  I decided to try Weight Watchers again to help bring my eating to a healthy state.  Joining Weight Watchers alone does not mean you are eating healthy. I started looking at the packaging of the products for the ingredients.  I wanted to get away from preservatives and hormones in my food.   Basically, I wanted to enjoy my food yet keep it healthy.  This is not an easy task in the high paced world that we live in.  But, I have found that it is doable most of the time.

So three things I would like to share on this first blog: 

• Shop on the outside of the grocery store.  This is where the fresh items are located.  Or shop your local farmer’s markets to get farm to the table freshness.  There are farmers markets all over town.  The ones closest to the office are:

Schlafly's Farmers Market
Webster Groves Farmers Market
Tower Grove Market
Cherokee Street International Market

Check the sites for days and time.

• When you pick up an item at the grocery and the ingredients lists words that you are not able to pronounce-put it back.  Decreasing the amount of preservatives in your diet will help you to metabolize the nutrients you need.

• Take in some form of exercise. Even a 10 minute walk can make a difference.  Whatever you are comfortable with-give it a shot! Remember that circulation helps everything work better!!!!!  

As I learn, hopefully, I can help others in this journey to a healthy body and mind.

Dr. Nancy Lee Young