Ergonomics
May 13, 2008 The Story of My Life
I have a headache from working on a desk that isn’t set up ergonomically. I did manage to find a chair that wasn’t as tippy but it’s still kinda low so my neck is hurting. Such is life.
I have whiplash from two car accidents. The first one was from a woman who missed a stop sign (she was drunk) and the second was from when a woman turned left in front of me. (She said she just wasn’t paying attention.) I got a $500 settlement from her insurance company and gleefully bought a Cannondale racing bike. Now I wish I’d hung in there to get a little bit more because that was 21 years ago and my neck still hurts.
Chronic pain bites. I get scared sometimes because I already have some disc degeneration in my neck and one expects it’ll only get worse. Acupuncture helped a lot but it’s outside our budget right now. Meanwhile I take a lot of ibuprofen but not as much as I’d like to take because it can be hard on your stomach. So I pretty much have resigned myself to hurting all of the time. That sounds so dreary but I’ve gotten used to it.
I’ve been thinking though about how pain limits me — interfering with sleep and exercise and other activities. There are things — like raking — that I can’t do for long or I’ll pay for it for a week. IF I still had that Cannondale racing bike I couldn’t ride it because my neck couldn’t take it. Sitting next to someone — say at a movie theater or dinner — means I’ll be in pain by the end of the event from having to turn to look at them (so I try to sit across from people when I can).
Anyway. I hope to get back to the acupuncturist because I’ve had the longest, most encouraging results there. Chiropractors, physical therapists, traditional MDs — none of them have been long-term help. These miracle balls have helped a great deal though and I’m glad I found them. Frankly it’s one of the things I find difficult about working on-site — no miracle ball break when my head starts hurting really bad. But at least I have it to look forward to when I get home!!
May 13th, 2008 at 7:27 am
Have your chiropractors been ones who do rehabilitation as part of their therapy? Because I have a lot of improvement from the 6 months of chiro-care with rehab exercises to reteach my muscles to hold things in place. But I think that kind of care is pretty rare.
Not to diss acupuncture. My best friend is an acupuncture intern.
May 13th, 2008 at 8:22 am
totally understand.
i have three, yes three, herniated discs in my neck from an injury many years ago. i have seen chiropractors, had therapy, worn braces, live on pain relievers and been asked to consider a cervical fusion.
for me, I can control it with proper exercise, minimzing stress (ha!), pain meds, etc. I havent head a really bad episode in a few years but there are times when simply washing my hair can pull out my neck and leave me incapacitated for days.
course, I also have lower back issues and I am overweight..so in summary, my spine is a wreck.
feel better. (swimming helps me alot)
May 13th, 2008 at 8:42 am
Oh no…I understand…I have chronic back pain too…same reasons too (two accidents). Accupuncture is what helped me too although I originally went in for fertility reasons and found out that it helped my back instead! I used to take more painkillers until the lining of my stomach rebelled so now I just tolerate it more and fidget a lot! As in …if you were w/ me at a conference you’d think I had ants in my pants type of fidgeting and adjusting looking for a more comfortable position. I also developed bursitis and tennis elbow and that is when I finally invested on a good chair and adjusted my work area (this was back when I was working)
I found that chiropratic adjustments helped me for a while too but the lasting effects were less than w/ accupuncture…still..if I could afford them I’d go back to both!LOL
I know you know this but since you write you might get too wrapped up in your work to notice so set a timer and get up and move a bit then come back. Try arranging your monitor (either lift w/ phone book or board) or use a small stool to lift your legs, try not to lean too much (to answer or talk on the phone)….and as soon as you can invest on a good chair…really…you sit too much to not get a good chair!
hugs,
angela
May 13th, 2008 at 11:03 am
Yeah, I hear you on the chronic pain front. Have you looked into trigger point therapy? It’s something you can do yourself, actually, although some massage therapists know about it. The book Trigger Point Therapy by Claire Davies is really great.
The theory is that when muscles over-work, they get stuck in the clenched-up mode, and nothing other than working the trigger points fixes it, even if they might make us feel better in the short term.
I’m so full of trigger points that it’s taking a long while to search them out and get rid of them, but I managed to make my sinuses release, which for me was something big! And it costs something like $15 for the book, once. Might be worth looking into.
May 13th, 2008 at 11:04 am
I meant to add that whiplash is something he treats in the book, and whiplash is nearly always connected with trigger points, because the muscles are stretched so far so fast.
May 13th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
That kind of pain is so difficult to manage. I went to a physiatrist, who is an MD who specializes in pain management. He injected something called Euflexxa into my knees and it created a kind of cushion where my osteoarthritis had worn out the stuff between my knee bones. He sent me to a physical therapist who taught me how to walk properly, among other things. I am now pain-free.
May 13th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Arnica
May 13th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
I would also suggest getting a prescription NSAID. I have rheumatoid arthritis, and ibuprofen was too hard on my stomach. I take nambutone, which is easier on my stomach, only needs to be taken once a day, and has been around for years, so it’s risks are well known. (No Vioxx for me.) It’s generic and cheap too.
May 13th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
For the love of all things good and holy, do whatever you can to preserve your back health. Make room in your budget for preventative back care! Do it now!
This message brought to you by the spouse of someone who had a tri-level lumbar fusion in Feburary after nearly a year and a half of disabling neuropathy. Do it for your family if you won’t do it for yourself!
May 13th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Ummm…. sorry. Your pain is cervical, not lumbar. Substitute “neck” for “back” in my previous post, remove all references to my husband (’cause his neck is ace), and make room in your budget for preventatitve neck care! Do it now!
May 13th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
Second the prescription NSAIDs–they’re generic now–and the rehab chiropractics administered by someone who will work with a PT.
I have full range of motion and strength back, 13 months after an accident that should have lost me the use of my arm. I am lucky that my spouse and kid were able to support a full rehab, including daily flexibility and strength training, for almost a year. In the long run, it was worth it to them as I’m not nearly as crazy with pain as I was.
For cheap fix: the Toys-B-Hell boycott can be waived for a 22″ rubber ball with handle. They’re toys, and yet the cheapest form of spinal rehab you’re going to find–no scrip required. I work either balancing on one, or standing.
YMMV.