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Category: Work Injury

My OsteopathNews & ArticlesWork Injury
Physio for neck pain
By thisworksadmin Physio, Work Injury

Working from Home, can be a real pain in the neck

It’s great to be able to work from home during this pandemic, with comfy loungewear, endless snacks, and lie-ins, but the poor workstation layout can cause many problems, mainly for posture.

However, makeshift office furniture, from the coffee table, the dining table, to poor substitute office chairs over even a short period of time, can lead to problems such as, neck and shoulder pain and low back and hip problems.

Top tips to help you Working From Home

The right seat: The key to a good posture is a good chair to help align the body. Avoid using the sofa to slouch on and leaning over the coffee table. If you’re working in the dining room, the combination of the higher table and lower chairs will cause you to overstretch or slouch, causing pain in your neck shoulders and put pressure on your wrists. Raising your height with cushions and use a box as footrest. Ideally your feet should be under the table and not under your chair. Feet under the chair will make you lean forward causing the low back muscles to fatigue. If you have arms on your office chair, ensure the arms of the chair adjust, so you can get the chair under the desk.

Screen Height: If your monitor or laptop screen is below eye level then it is likely you are hunching over, which may lead to neck pain and headaches. In an ideal world, you would have an adjustable stand. If that’s not the case, you can substitute with a box or book.  Keep the keyboard and mouse close to your body to prevent overstretching and will encourage you to sit up straight.

Move regularly: Posture is greatly helped by regular movement, set a timer on your phone to move at least once per hour and do some simple stretches. I often advise patients to boil the kettle and swim to the fridge, followed by a couple of neck stretching exercises, such as gently tilting head towards your shoulder and gently pull on the side of the head with the opposite hand.

 

If you continue to suffer from Working From Home aches and pains, contact us for an assessment and maintenance treatment.

knee-buckling
By thisworksadmin News, Physio, Therapy, Work Injury

Why does my knee keep giving way?

I regularly treat people with knee injuries in my practice.

One of the common ailments people present with when complaining of their knee is that “my knee keeps giving way for no reason!” It often occurs unexpectedly and can result in a fall which can lead to injures such as fractured ribs or hips. One patient recently reported that his knee gave way whilst carrying two cups of tea upstairs. He fell backwards down the stairs. Thankfully, he didn’t break anything.

 

Causes for Knee buckling.

Ligament injury: Ligaments are bands of tough elastic tissue, which bind joints together and offer support to joints. An injury to a ligament of the knee, through a sport injury or fall and lead to instability within the joint and make your knee buckle

Cartilage tear: A cartilage tear can occur if you land heavily on your knee and twist as often seen in football players. Cartilage tears can also develop as we get older. This is probably due to the elasticity of the cartilage reducing with age.

Osteoarthritis: Oosteoarthritis is the natural aging process. In your knee the cartilage can become so thin that it no longer covers the ends of your bones. They start to rub against each other and eventually wear away. This can alter the shape of your joint, forcing your bones out of their normal position. In addition, the muscles that move your knee gradually weaken and become thin or wasted. This can make your knee unstable so that it gives way when you put weight on it.

Back problems: If you have a back problem, particularly with nerve pain down the leg, this can alter the nerve transmission to the muscles. If the muscles that move the knee don’t receive the signal clearly, there can be some misfiring resulting in your leg giving way or buckling.

By thisworksadmin Physio, Studies, Work Injury

Identifying And Treating Pain From Nerve Tension

Do I have a trapped nerve?

We all know that your joints move and your muscles contract and stretch. But did you know that your nerve tissue also needs to move freely and unimpeded?

If your neural tissue is impeded then pain or restriction of your nerve movement is a common result.  The adverse neural tension can result in nerve pain and limited motion. This is what is commonly referred to as a trapped nerve.

Nerve tension is pain that occurs because a nerve is being compressed or stuck in its surrounding tissue which prevents it from moving within its tract like it normally does. This can happen for a variety of reasons.

Common examples of structures that can impede a nerve’s movement include:

  • Back Pain e.g. bulging disc
  • Piriformis Syndrome
  • Sciatica
  • Neck Pain
  • Shoulder Pain
  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
  • Tennis or Golfer’s Elbow
  • Pinched Nerve

Depending on the severity of the damage that is causing nerve tension, surgery may be necessary. However, in most cases nerve tension can be relieved through physical therapy such as osteopathy or physiotherapy, and prescribed stretching exercises.