Back and neck complaints

Transcription

1 STUDENT HEALTH CENTRE Back and neck complaints

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3 People who spend most of the day sitting down are at higher risk for back pains and chronic back complaints. Sitting positions are after all twice as taxing on the lower part of the spinal column as standing positions. A proper sitting posture and ergonomically appropriate sitting environment helps to prevent back complaints. This folder offers a couple of tips. The structure of the spinal column The spinal column consists of a S-shaped chain of 24 movable vertebrae, which extend to the sacrum and the tailbone. The more toward the bottom, the bigger and broader the vertebrae. The cervical vertebrae are more mobile than the lumbar vertebrae, which in turn have a more robust structure. Between the vertebrae, there are intervertebral discs that make sure that the vertebrae can move forward, backward and sidewards from each other. They also absorb shocks. The ligaments, muscles and tendons hold the spinal column together so the entire structure is strong and flexible. The spinal column has three natural curves: a hollowed inward in the neck, a curving outward at upper back height and a hollowed inward in the loins. Causes of back pain Numerous studies have shown that 80 to 90% of people in Western industrialised societies at one point experience back complaints. Most back pains are caused by poor posture habits such as bending, remaining in the same sitting or standing position for too long and wrong sleeping postures. This can lead to strained muscles and ligaments and can thus produce back pains. In case of longed, excessive strain this can also cause the vertebrae and vertebral joints to wear. view from the side 1 1

4 A lack of physical exercise causes muscles to lose tension, which favours poor posture. view from the top Wrong or brusque movements can cause an intervertebral disc to shift from the inter vertebral space and press against the ligaments or against a nerve root. In the latter case, the back pain can extend to the lower leg (herniated disc). How can you avoid back complaints? TIP 1: MAINTAIN THE NATURAL CURVES IN YOUR BACK The natural curves in your back are: a hollowed inward in the neck. a curving outward at upper back height. a hollowed inward at lower back height. For standing positions Keep your head straight. Push your chest forward. Try to avoid all too hollow loins. Keep your legs straight, but don t overstretch your knees. For sitting positions Position the back of your chair to adequately support your lower back. Put a bolster, a small, long back pillow or a rolled up towel between the lower back and the back of the chair if the chair offers no support in that area. Worktops should ideally be positioned at a slight angle: - For writing, a gradient of 10 to 15 is ideal - For reading, a gradient between 45 and 60 is typically preferred. DO DON T 2 2

5 Choose an appropriate desk chair An appropriate desk chair is a chair than can be adjusted according to your posture: the height of the seat and back support can be adjusted. the curved back support really supports your lower back concave. may include arm supports (depending on the nature of your job) of which the height can be adjusted: position them so that your elbows form a 90 angle. a fist can be placed between the frontmost edge of the chair seat and the kneepit. the chair should encourage movement and should also support your movements. the chair should be easily adjustable in a sitting position. For lying positions For lying positions, your spinal column should form a straight line from the crown of your head to your buttocks. If this is not the case, you are lying on a bed that is either too hard or too soft. Avoid lying on your stomach. TIP 2: CHOOSE AN APPROPRIATE WORK HEIGHT Sit in an appropriate and relaxed position. Your upper arm should hang straight down; your forearm should form a right angle with it. Your upper and lower legs form an angle that is slightly bigger than 90. Your torso and upper legs should also form a 90 angle or higher. If the height of your desk cannot be adjusted, you should have it heightened if the worktop is too low for you, or lowered if it is too high. You can also use a foot support in the latter case. 3 3

6 Tip 3: Appropriately position your screen! Position your screen right in front of you. Place your screen at a distance of 50 to 70 centimetres from your eyes. Make sure that the upper side of the screen is positioned at eye height or lower. Keep enough room for your wrists in front of the keyboard: 15 to 20 cm between the edge of the keyboard and the edge of your workdesk in case you do not have arm supports. If you are using appropriate arm supports, 10 cm will do. Don t place your screen to closely to a window. Position it in the opposite direction of the window, between light fittings if applicable. When using a mouse: Use your front forearm. Work with a relaxed hand and forearm. Keep a straight wrist: manipulate the mouse with your forearm, not with your wrist. Maintain a 90 angle or higher between your forearm and upper arm. Don t use a pointer speed that is too high. Don t use a double-click speed that is too high. Adjust the sensitivity of the mouse button so that you don t have to click it with too much force. Use quick command or function keys instead of always using the computer mouse for certain commands. Do not let your hand rest on the computer mouse longer than is needed; release the mouse and let your hand rest next to it (for example when reading a text). When using a laptop: Place your laptop on a laptop support and use an external keyboard and mouse when working with a laptop for more than two hours. 4 4

7 TIP 4: VARY YOUR POSTURE; AVOID LONG, STATIC POSITIONS Stand up from time to time when working in a sitting position and choose a good chair that allows you to easily adjust your position. Interrupt protracted sitting positions with small exercises. Exercise 1 1 Sit toward the edge of your chair, straighten your back and move one leg forward with the other leg under your chair. 2 Lift your shoulders and then push your shoulders downward. 3 Turn your head from left to right. 4 Extend your arms at shoulder height, fold your hands with your palms facing outward. Stretch your arms. 5 5

8 Exercise 2 1 Relax 2 make a double chin. 3 Put your heels on the ground and lift your toes up. 4 Place your toes on the ground and lift your heels up. Exercise 3 1 Roll your shoulders back and forth. 2 Firmly press your back against the back support of your chair; extend your arms upward. 3 Forcefully spread out your fingers. 4 Close your hands and make fists. 6 6

9 Exercise 4 1 Place your hands on your buttocks and pull your elbows toward each other. 2 Bend your head forward and gently nod no. 3 Spread both arms out side- and backwards. TIP 5: AVOID POOR POSTURES Avoid bending forward with a hollow back and/or turning your torso. Always try to bend forward with bended knees and a straight back. A straight back means that you maintain the natural curves (see tip 1). Avoid turning your torso by simply moving your feet and creating more room. 7 7

10 TIP 6: LIFT THINGS THE RIGHT WAY Before you begin lifting an object, consider if you can lift it by yourself; whether you could use tools; whether you can sufficiently hold on to the object; whether you are wearing appropriate clothing, Stand as close as possible to the object to be lifted. Stable position: feet flat on the ground. Make sure you position your feet well: spread them far apart. Bend through your knees (90 or less). Keep your back straight and look forward when lifting the object. Lift from your legs. Keep the object close to your body. If the object offers no grip: Tilt the object. Avoid putting all the weight on one side when carrying an object: divide heavy weights over both hands; use a backpack if you need to. TIP 7: MAINTAIN AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE Make sure that you get lots of exercise to make your body stronger and flexible, and to improve your endurance. Try get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise three times a week (for instance, by swimming, biking, hiking (not strolling), ) You can of course also engage in more intense exercise, but beware that it is better to exercise three times a week for 30 minutes than to exercise only once for a duration of 90 minutes. TARGETED EXERCISES FOR BACK, ABDOMINAL AND LEG MUSCLES: Things to keep in mind: Calmly complete the exercises; avoid making brusque and rapid movements. Review the instructions well and try to complete them to your best ability. Halt the exercise when you feel pain. Discuss the exercises with your GP or physiotherapist if you have a back condition. 8 8

11 The basis: a natural initial position Feet are directly facing forward at hip width, with your weight divided over both feet. Don t overstretch your knees, but keep them slightly bend. Maintain the natural position of your lower back. Keep your shoulders low and facing backward; stretch your neck but don t lift your shoulders. Keep your arms next to your body, with a slight curve between your arms and torso. Movability of your back: cat s back Hands and knees on the mat (hands under your shoulders, at shoulder width; knees under your hips, at hip width). Tilt your pelvis backward from a neutral position and make your lower and upper back completely hollow with your head facing downward. Lightly raise your head, make your high back hollow and subsequently tilt your pelvis forward so that your back be-comes hollow. Repeat this movement 10 times. Back stabilisation: Superman Same initial position. Stretch one leg backwards until it s horizontal and maintain that position for 10 seconds. Switch legs and keep your torso straight while doing so. Second series but with the opposite arm facing forward (so your right leg backwards and your left arm facing forward). Make sure that neither your leg nor your arm extend beyond the horizontal line and keep your back straight (don t sag). 9 9

12 Strengthen your back and buttock muscles: up and down Initial position: lie on your back with bent legs and your feet flat on the mat. Adopt a good back posture: keep your torso straight and maintain the right back curves. Lift your pelvis (about a fist between the mat and your buttocks) without tilting your pelvis. Maintain position for 10 counts and calmly resume initial position. Watch the curve in your lower back; it should remain unchanged throughout the entire exercise! Repeat this movement 10 times and complete 3 series. Abdominal muscles: bent knees Same initial position as in the previous exercise. Raise your right knee until it is above your hip. Keep your lower leg parallel with the mat. Subsequently bring your left knee next to your right knee without hollowing your back. Bring your left foot down first and then your right foot. Repeat this movement 10 times and complete this series three times. The familiar sit-up exercises are mostly designed to train the upper part of the straight abdominal muscles. 1010

13 Lateral abdominal muscles: from left to right Same initial position as in the previous exercise; hands are resting on your thighs. Raise your head and then your chest while your hands glide over your thighs up to your knees. Your lower back should not be lifted from the ground. Now point both hands to the exterior side of your left knee. Maintain the tension in your lateral abdominal muscles for three seconds and then return to the ground. Switch positions. Repeat 10 times and complete three series. Stretch hamstrings Put your left foot on the mat. Raise your bent right knee above your hip and now grab the back of your right thigh with both hands. Now slowly stretch your right leg until you feel sufficient tension at the back of your thigh. Don t press your lower back against the mat (your lower back should be slightly hollow). Maintain this tension for 20 seconds. Do this twice left and twice right. Lift your knees (stretch your back muscles) Lie on your back. Bend both knees and hips, and keep your hands under your knees. Pull both upper legs to your chest and maintain this position for 20 seconds. Complete this exercise twice. 1111

14 And finally your leg muscles: Strengthen the front thigh muscles. Stand behind a chair and grab the back support. Your legs are spread; your feet are flat on the ground and slightly positioned outwards. Calmly bend through your knees (at an angle of no more than 90 ) and then resume your initial position by keeping just short of fully stretching your knees. Repeat this exercise 10 times. Complete this series three times. Quadriceps stretch Stand next to a wall, table or chair adopting an appropriate posture. Grab the table, wall or chair with one hand. Bend you right knee and grab the heel of your right foot so that your right foot touches your buttocks. Also lightly bend through your left knee. Now slowly bring your right knee back without hollowing your back. You should feel a tension in the front of your thigh. Maintain this tension for 20 seconds. Repeat this exercise three times on the left and three times on the right. What should you do in case of back pains? Try to stay as active as possible, even if your back hurts. Prolonged rest usually slows down the recovery process. Rest for two days if you really cannot move. The best position in this case is to lie on your back with a couple of pillows under your knees or sideways with your knees raised halfway. Try to resume your normal activities as quickly as you can. Apply local heat by using a heat pack, a cherry pit heating pad or a cream. Take painkillers, preferably paracetamol, for a short period if you need to. Visit a doctor if: - the pain is unbearable. - the pain is still strong after one week. - the pain extends all the way to your lower leg. - the force in your leg decreases. - the feeling in your leg decreases. - you start experiencing urinary problems (if you cannot urinate or cannot control your urination). 1212

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16 STUDENT SERVICES General practitioners Naamsestraat 80 box LEUVEN, Belgium tel fax gp@dsv.kuleuven.be Pictures: IDEWE This leaflet was printed on CyclusPrint, 100% recycled fiber paper. Student Services KU Leuven works for the Student Health Centre together with the Social service associations for the students of the LUCA- Campus Lemmens Institute and Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School. v.u.: Jan De Vriendt, Naamsestraat 80, 3000 Leuven