Shoulder Pain and Neck Pain (Ergo, Ergonomics!)
I was riding in the car with a colleague. Traffic was heavy; she needed to merge into the right lane in time for an upcoming exit. As cars zoomed past on the left and right, I could read pain on her face as she strained to look over her right shoulder. “I’m like this every time I have to put in long hours at the computer”, she moaned. In an effort to help, I twisted around to check oncoming traffic in order to navigate her safely over to the exit lane. Since that day, on several occasions, I’ve seen that look on her face, the familiar twinge and wince. She had been helping her husband with a work project at night, and went from a day at the computer to long nights at the computer. It was taking its toll.
Shoulder pain and neck pain (caused by sitting in the wrong chair for hours and hours, usually at a computer), has reached epic proportions around the world. Just as it is vitally important to sleep on a mattress that supports and aligns the body properly during sleep, it is equally important to support the spine in an ergonomically designed chair during the workday. The term “ergonomic” refers to the science utilized in the designing of spaces and a variety of products with the purpose of avoiding injury at the workplace. There are desks, lighting, tools, and all kinds of machinery, as well as work spaces, which are designed ergonomically to allow for long term, injury-free productivity.
Slipped discs, pinched nerves, and muscle spasms, shoulder pain and neck pain, are keeping the chiropractors’ offices filled to capacity. However, there is absolutely no need to suffer. Computer-induced maladies are preventable, folks, and the bonus is, we can be blissfully comfy all day long while increasing productivity. Our needs have been met via a variety of state-of-the-art chairs, gorgeously designed for the task of allowing the body to sit and move in alignment, avoiding chronic and sometimes irreversible injuries. Don’t wait until it’s too late! Make shoulder pain and neck pain a thing of the past and live pain free henceforth.
The superstar of these cutting-edge treasures is the AERON Chair, made by Herman Miller. It’s the Mercedes of ergonomic chairs, providing a deliciously comfortable system of supports that allow the body to move and flex and align during long hours of work. This one was adopted by the Museum of Modern Art for its permanent collection. Talk about endorsement.
Another fabulous choice is the EMBODY Chair, also from Herman Miller. The body itself isn’t the only thing that suffers during extended sitting at the computer. Our brain also takes a beating, due to low oxygenation from having the blood supply to the brain cut off. Diminished oxygen spells diminished brain capacity, and lethargy, hence, diminished output. This is the Mind/Body chair. It’s engineered to allow healthy blood flow through the limbs to the brain.
Once these amazing feats of technology are experienced, the prospect of once again spending days (and months) in the typical office supply store-caliber chair seems ridiculous. It’s asking for trouble, right up there on the warning list with errors such as sleeping on a poor mattress, or wearing ill-fitting sports shoes. What once seemed like a splurge is now, clearly, a very practical investment in all-around health. It’s a “Quality of Life” choice which will pay dividends in the future.
If you suffer from the shoulder pain and neck pain associated with hours of poor posture while doing computer work, waste no time bringing the salvation of an excellent, ergonomically designed computer/desk chair into your life.
You won’t be sorry!
-Karen S
