How To Avoid Back Pain And Shoulder Pain In A Computer Based Job?

By Raj | Jul 27, 2007

As said early, transcribers perform around 50,000 to 200,000 keystrokes each day and paying attention to your body needs may be a distant dream on a tight scheduled day; well, prevention is always better than cure. While there are many factors that lead to these ailments such as obesity, osteopenia, family history etc., on which you can do only less, the factor that is work related, especially posture related, can be given attention to. If you spend a good chunk of your time in front of a computer, you may experience occasional aches and pains from sitting still for extended periods of time. On an average, your body can tolerate being in one position only for about 20 minutes before you feel the need to adjust. Listen to your body’s needs before everything is out of your hands and reaches an alarming state.

Back Pain and Shoulder Pain

Good office setting, pleasant work atmosphere

How can you avoid back pain and shoulder pain in a computer based job? While wrong posture is the prime reason of computer related shoulder and back pain, the following tips are intended to help you mitigate the chances of contracting these pains by practicing them before it is too late. Please note that these are preventative steps only while you are pain-free and if you are experiencing any serious symptoms, you should see a health care professional immediately. The symptoms of back pain include pain when you cough or sneeze or make you awake from sleep along with loss of control of urination.

Check your posture – sit up straight.
Use a firm and comfortable chair that supports your back. Adjust the chair to find the most comfortable position for your work, the chair height should be such that your thighs are horizontal, your feet are flat (suppose the foot pedals for MTs are flat), your forearms should be approximately horizontal and the backs of your knees are slightly higher than the seat of your chair. The back of the chair should support your lower back. If the chair doesn’t support your lower back’s curve, place a rolled towel or small pillow behind your lower back. Remove bulky objects, such as wallet, keys or any such things from your back pockets when you sit because they can disrupt balance in your lower back.
Make sure there is space under your desk to move your legs freely. Move any obstacles such as boxes or equipment.
Relax your shoulders. Your upper arms and forearm should form a right angle with your wrist and hand in roughly a straight line.
Use the computer as you would play the piano, with fingers up and down. Don’t rest your wrists and move your fingers sideways to type.
Position the mouse at the same height as your keyboard. When you slide the mouse around, move your entire arm and not just your wrist.
Be sure you have enough desktop space for work papers and other equipment.
Some movement is desirable, but avoid repeated stretching to reach things you need.
Do not sit in the same position for long periods. Make sure you change your posture as often as practicable. Take frequent short breaks, breaks of at least five to ten minutes every hour or so.
Organize your workday, if possible, to intersperse other tasks with your computer work so that you are not sitting at the computer for several hours without a break. Variety is the key. Most jobs (except transcription) provide opportunities to take a break from the screen, e.g., to do some filing. Make use of them. If there are no such natural breaks, your employer should plan for you to have rest breaks. Frequent short breaks are better than fewer long ones.
Stretch your lower back by standing up and pulling each knee to your chest, holding that position for a few seconds.
Being under stress causes your muscles to tense and this can make you more prone to injury; the more stress you feel, the lower your tolerance for pain. Try to minimize your sources of stress both on the job and at home. Develop coping mechanisms for times when you feel especially stressed. For eg., share your frustrations with a close friend or spouse, do deep-breathing exercises or just a stroll around the building.
Sleep is an excellent rejuvenator. Sleep at least 8 hours a day. A deep sound sleep may help alleviate almost all your fatigue/stress related somatic ailments.