Treatments: Massage, Modern Lifestyle & Work

sian Blog

Massage & The Modern Lifestyle: alleviating the stress & aching muscles of Desk-Based Work

Desk Back Pain-Nature To Nurture Aromatherapy & Massage in Hemel, Herts & Bucks

All forms of back ache are common when spending long hours each work day at a desk but especially lower back & shoulder pain

The Modern Lifestyle: A typical desk-based work day – sound familiar?

Any seated position held for a long time can result in muscular aches & pains, with driving this is especially so. Using a lumbar support pillow & ensuring your seat is in a fully-upright position can help

Any seated position held for a long time can result in muscular aches & pains, with driving & commuting to work this is especially so. Using a lumbar support pillow & ensuring your seat is in a fully-upright position can help

It’s a work day morning: you’ve probably already spent a fair amount of time sitting in a train or in your car on a daily commute, possibly stuck in traffic, stop-starting & repetitively flexing your feet on pedals. Having arrived you then find yourself in a chair, hunched over a desk, most likely at a computer – & it’s not unusual to find people with 2 or 3, or I have even seen 4 different monitor screens! You will probably be sitting here all day, unlikely to take regular breaks due to the pressures of work &, much as I would hope it might be 9-5, increasing numbers of office workers are working increasing numbers of hours. I once had a client who routinely worked a 15-16 hour day! For many leading a modern lifestyle working in a desk-based job is very likely.

In both private & clinic work I often see the problematic results of this: namely a large number of back, neck & shoulder issues resulting from the classic ‘C-shaped spine’ & posture that you can see in the photo above. Add to this issues with legs, knees & feet from long hours of sitting & arm, wrist & hand repetitive strain injuries which naturally occurs with all that typing & computer work.

Desk Hunching

Chances are of course that it might not even be your own desk: many of my clients report that they are hot-desking, travelling between office sites & sitting where they can. If this is how you work it is very unlikely to be comfortably set-up to suit your body’s specific needs. Indeed, depending upon your employer a correctly ergonomically set-up work place might not happen at all. I was fortunate to work for many years with a company who offered everything in the below checklist but also one firm which made me build my own chair & offered nothing else!

So just how ‘Ergonomic’ is your desk?

Er-go-nom-ics: ‘The applied science of equipment design, as for the workplace, intended to maximize productivity by reducing operator fatigue and discomfort
(The Free Dictionary, http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ergonomics)

These days there is no real excuse for an employer not to provide a really good ergonomic set-up for their staff. There is now an excellent & wide variety of adjustable gadgets & furniture to help you maintain both a good posture & stay comfortable. A really good ergonomic desk set-up can involve:

  • An ergonomically-designed mouse can make all the difference if you are using it all day

    An ergonomically-designed mouse can make all the difference to your work day if you are using it all day

    Chair: specific ones are available for both short & tall stature. The best ergonomic chairs can be fully-adjusted on a regular basis (height, chair depth, back support etc). This is the most essential piece of kit: to help not just your back, but also legs, neck, arms & hands

  • Height adjustable desk: it’s important that you are working at the right height, especially for your arms & wrists
  • Footrest: these can be important in ensuring that your legs are positioned at the correct angle & that your feet are properly placed
  • Monitor platform: to ensure correct height for monitor eye level so that you are not straining or craning your neck in any way
  • Ergonomically-designed keyboard: especially those that allow your hands to rest naturally (note: most keyboards might be in straight lines, but place your hands in front of you & you will see that they naturally curve inwards).
  • User-friendly mouse: they can have scrolling wheels, special-shaped designs such as joysticks, easy to use buttons, trackpads or trackballs, different sizes, left/right hand useage etc
  • Wrist & mouse mat gel supports: crucial to prevent & relieve many types of hand & wrist RSI
  • Phone headsets: no more cradling the phone handset in the crook of your neck & shoulder, which not only affects them but your entire posture

The Benefits of Massage for Modern Lifestyles & Work

I am proof that with an excellent ergonomic desk set-up, regular breaks, stretching & a good exercise regime a desk-based job does not have to result in any back issues (I worked in offices for 15 years before my current career). However, I recognize both my extreme good fortune & the difficulties in doing this. Given the number of clients who book in with me with job-related issues (& it’s not just the office-workers, some of the worse cases I have treated have been professional drivers) the chances are that all that sitting may well result in back, neck & shoulder pain.

So, short of completely changing your career what else can you do?

Regular maintenance massage can help! Massage can be very effective in releasing the muscular tension & tightness that results as well doing your stretching for you (see my blog). Amongst the many recognized benefits of massage, it can help to:

  • Reduce muscular aches & pain
  • Release muscle tension & stiffness
  • Loosen tendons & ligaments
  • Improve mobility & flexibility
  • Increase suppleness of joints
  • Increase blood flow: this can be so helpful, it can improve circulation, reduce inflammation & improve the function of internal organs
  • Increase muscle tone
  • Increase lymphatic flow & the removal of waste & toxins
  • Aid digestion: massage may help with conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome & bloating
  • Aid nasal & respiratory conditions
 I can offer all massage as either Aromatherapy (with essential oils) or Holistic (with plain carrier oils or dry) using a wide variety of holistic, clinical & therapeutic techniques. Please contact me to find out more or book a treatment & gain some relief

 

hunched-over-computer-back-pain

and regular maintenance massage is just one of the ways to counteract pain caused by computer work