WORKPLACE POSTURE AND WHY IT MATTERS.
Injuries in the workplace have been on a steady rise over the past 7 years. In 2017, there were approximately 231,100 work related injury claims made in New Zealand, costing over 3.5 billion dollars annually! One may assume that the majority of these injuries are occurring in jobs involving heavy physical work, but trade workers are not alone - and there is one common theme…
When we talk about posture, we often compare the alignment of the body to a plumb line. Any structure or object that creates additional load to one side of the plumb line (such as carrying a heavy item in one hand, or in front of the body) moves the center of gravity away from the plumb line, and requires an equal force from the muscles opposite to counteract it. In an office setting, sitting with your head leaning in towards the computer screen or your arms reaching forwards for the keyboard increases the load on the neck, upper back and shoulders due to the influence of gravity acting on a longer lever arm. In fact, when the head is forward beyond its neutral alignment, the effort required to hold the head up is increased as if the head were 10 pounds heavier with every inch! Darn gravity.
When we move and work without taking into account the biomechanics of the body, our joints and tissues are being put under additional loads. Even for simple movements like reaching forwards for the mouse or keyboard, we are unnecessarily increasing the energy expenditure required to perform the task. This promotes low grade muscle fatigue and increased feelings of tiredness - not good for workplace productivity! Over time, the repetitive load of poorly executed movements and sustained bad posture may start to generate symptoms of pain, which can develop into chronic issues if not dealt with. In the office, headaches, pain at the neck, shoulders, upper and lower back, and arms, can often be traced to postural causes.
Pay attention as you go about your day at work. How is the load at your neck and shoulders being influenced by gravity as you type away at your computer? Could those aches and pains that you are feeling at the end of the day be avoided with a few simple adjustments to your desk set up?
At KinetEx, we take a biomechanics approach to chronic pain and injury rehab. We offer work place assessments to promote the correct posture in the workplace, returning the body to a more neutral alignment and reducing the unnecessary load on the joints. (Click here for more information and to book in for a workstation assessment).
With the cost to the health care system, the cost to our work productivity, the cost to our health and our quality of life; it’s time to start sitting up straight and taking notice!
References:
https://www.stats.govt.nz/information-releases/injury-statistics-work-related-claims-2017
Theories of musculoskeletal injury causation - Shrawan Kumar (article published 10 Nov 2010)