Workplace : Habits of Harm(Office Pathokinesiology)

Jon Turnquist MOL, OTR/L, ATPFall 2014

“The Sitting Disease” When sitting, the large postural muscles of the back and legs are shut off which

reduces fat-burning enzymes by 50%. Sitting also decreases the HDL:LDL cholesterol ratio, increases the risk of contracting diabetes by 7% for every 2 hours of sitting per day, increases the risk of heart disease, increases the incidents of depression, increases the risk of acquiring metabolic syndrome by 26% for every hour spent sitting irrespective of the quantity of moderate exercise performed (as shown by Australian researchers) and decreases lifespan (as shown by Canadian researchers involving a twelve-year, 17,000 person study as well as by Australian researchers involving a six-year, 8,800 person study). In addition, prolonged sitting increases incidences of discomfort (including back pain, muscle tenderness and aches, stiff necks, and numbness in the legs, chronic disorders, arthritis, inflamed tendons, chronic joint degeneration, impaired circulation, varicose veins, hypertension, obesity, cancer, high blood triglycerides, high blood sugar, osteoporosis, and herniated discs (Graf et al. 1993 and 1995, Grandjean 1987, Kelsey 1975).

Sitting is EVIL

Sitting 6 or more hours a day

total = > mortality

Even worse is how we sit!Myth of 90,90,90

Popular practice not based on research

Too much disk pressure…

Jelly donut

WomanCon: Exercises, stretches and shoe selection tips to

keep you and your business going strong (8/2014)

What NOT to do!

What NOT to do!

THE Chair…

Wall-E ???

90,90,90 or 100,100,100 Open up the hips and decrease the disk pressure

or Slouching without

lumbar support

Decreasing back pain by

putting yourself at risk

for a DVT…

Static or Dynamic

Traditional Criterion - Seat height should be adjusted to support a knee angle of 90-degrees to prevent leg swelling. However studies are showing 75% of leg swelling may be due to low leg muscle activity rather than the chair.

Use of a foot rest may restrict movement

No Chair, but get a good mat!

Sitting leads to 40 - 90% more stress on the back (disc pressure) than standing posture

Standing desk available to try out at Jim’s Place

Neck and ShoulderDo these behaviors if you want!

Neck ache or Headache Cervical spondylosis (spon·dy·lo·sis )Rotator Cuff injury

We carry our world on our

shoulders

How many things can you remember lifting up?

VS.

How many things can you remember pushing down?

Loading up the neck

Newton's 3rd Law: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

In males, the prevalence was 13% in the third decade, increasing to nearly 100% by age 70 years.

In females, the prevalence ranged from 5% in the fourth decade to 96% in women older than 70 years

Prevalence of Cervical Cpondylosis

A too strong upper trapezius muscle will upset how your scapula rotation and shoulder works

Mr. and Ms. Information

1. Shoulder Shrug Stand, holding a pair of two-pound dumbbells at your sides. Keeping your neck straight, slowly lift up your shoulders toward your ears and lower them again. Repeat.

Read more: http://www.oprah.com/health/Computer-Related-Neck-and-Shoulder-Pain-Solutions/2#ixzz2bOGvlwNL

This exercise was provided for shoulder and neck pain…

Chair push ups(beware of chairs with

wheels!)You also can do one side at a time.

Done correctly when you can feel the upper traps relax (soften)

Treat the cause not the symptom

I can’t recommend a wireless Cell Phone Social Experiment

Go with wired

Head habits and

Adaptive shortening

Treat problems not just symptoms

“For every inch of Forward Head Posture, it can increase the weight of the head on the spine by an additional 10

pounds.” Kapandji, Physiology of Joints, Vol. 3

THE Mouse…

Of Pisiform and mice

One of the carpel bones and the easiest injured due to poor mouse fit

Mice pad height

Changing the position of the forearm on the desk was found to affect contact pressure. The pisiform area contact pressure was highest when the wrist rested on the edge of the desk, and this was significantly higher than the other forearm positions

Change wrist angleBy moving the Mouse placement

OR…

Change the mouse

This one can hurt your texting thumb

THE Keyboard…

Negative angle best for reducing tendons inflammation that can lead to carpel tunnel problems

But I rarely type… I talk with Dragon Naturally Speaking

THE Keyboard…

Avoid this…

Just plug in a keyboard to your laptop

Did I mention I just talkFree DNS IPad app

The Light(s) Light is measured in LUX or Foot-candles What is the lux/FC at the workstation? Is there reflecting light? Is there a bright light source in their visual

field? (light, window,…) Is lighting balanced (many sources or just 1

bright light One foot-candle is equal to one lumen per square

foot or approximately 10.764 lux

Recommended illuminance targets in footcandles

Area or activity

Under 25 25-65 Over 65

Passageways 2

4 8

Grooming

15 30 60

Conversation

2.5 5 10

Reading/Study

25 50 100

Kitchen Counter

37.5 75 150

Hobbies 50 100 200 See any trends?

LUX meter app for IPad

Office Additions

Organize yourWorkstation

• Keyboard• Mouse• Phone• Documents• Light direction

Office ErgonomicsAvoiding Discomfort and injury by limiting the twisting and reaching but keep moving safely

Straining neck to view monitor

Twisting of your neck and/or back

Office ErgonomicsRed Flags

Reaching for keyboard and/or mouse

Poor lumbar support

Office ErgonomicsRed Flags

• Inadequate lighting• Improper lighting• Improper monitor

brightness• Direct and reflected glare• 20/20/20 Rule?• Ctrl & scroll up to zoom in• Lens prescription

Office ErgonomicsAvoiding Discomfort and Injury/Office Lighting

Current Ergonomics Monitor distance far away, still read clearly (LCD vs CRT) Keyboard placement push back; forearms on desk (don’t hold arms with

shoulders) Mouse placement goal is next to keyboard Chair height keyboard height? then adjust Use of footrests static is NOT good 100/100/100 posture hips to 130; open angle, knees > 90 Keyboard height elbow height OR LOWER Keyboard angle plane of forearm; neg.angle Wrist position YES always flat (unless pisiform pain) no wrist deviation Monitor height eye level or LOWER; comfort (type of glasses you use) Use of wrist rests too hard or too thin = bad Rest breaks 30 sec. every 10 min. (micro breaks) Correct posture? Dynamic = correctness

Use your computer!!!

Change FONT size, color shape Use low vision screen Adjust mouse: speed, click, size

Use your computer!!! Using the Windows Task Scheduler to do hourly break prompts.

XP:

http://blogedutech.blogspot.com/2011/04/simple-hourly-reminder-to-get-up-and.html

Windows 7:

http://www.howtogeek.com/120566/how-to-create-a-repeating-alarm-in-windows-7-without-extra-software/