There are many good treatment strategies for neck and back pain, but our first concern is to eliminate the cause of the problem. The self-awareness to feel and repeat good spine posture is important, and that skill is useful to maintain good health and prevent injury.
Neck & Shoulder Pain
Neck pain is a common in the office. The typical complaint is “My neck and shoulders are always tight, or I carry tension in my upper back.” Pain comes later. People are often not aware how much neck bend is used to do the work. When spinal bending is understood, it becomes clear how much the upright, neutral spine has collapsed. Unless there is some relief from forward bending, some postures may be sustained or repeated for hours
Low Back Pain
Low back pain is one of our most expensive medical problems. The HipIndex™method is particularly effective for low back trouble because the primary purpose is to stabilize and protect the base of the spine. Just as with neck problems, forward bending of the spine may be hard to see. The body can easily move from the absolute best posture to the absolute worst posture, without changing chair adjustment!
It can be surprising how quickly the body moves from the absolute best posture to the absolute worst posture, and without changing the chair adjustment!
HipIndex Signature Method of Neutral Spine
Wrist and Hand Pain
Wrist and hand pain are commonly associated with the computer keyboard and mouse. The pain can simply be the result of using sustained and repeated awkward postures. Some symptoms may be eased with an ergonomic keyboard tray, or an ergonomic keyboard and mouse that improve the position of the wrist and hand. Look for the weight of arm support that causes contact pressure at the wrist on the desktop.
Wrist and Hand Pain can result when the weight of the arm and shoulder is carried through the outstretched arm onto the base of the wrist, or the carpal tunnel. Here the work surface is too low for good forearm support, and the arm is held out in front with the load of the arm carried on the bent wrist during keyboard and mouse use.
Wrist and hand pain can often involve the entire arm. Often problems at the neck, and the nerves from the neck can contribute to symptoms further down the arm. When symptoms include upper arm pain, hand numbness, tingling and muscle weakness, medical attention is needed. Changing postures at the neck and shoulder may help, but professional medical treatment is critical to resolve a problem that may only get worse.