People with busy jobs and long working hours often believe that the pain and discomfort associated with their work all just comes with the territory. What many people don’t realize however, is that it’s possible to work the exact same hours and to do the exact same jobs pain-free! Some of the most common causes of time off work that cost both employees and employers billions of dollars each year are workplace related injuries that are incredibly easy to avoid with ergonomic techniques or to treat with chiropractic support.

Workplace Ergonomics To Prevent Workplace Injuries

Workplace injuries that are sustained due to poor ergonomic practice range from musculoskeletal symptoms (including back pains and discomfort in joints and ligaments) to severe headaches. If you’re spending more than a few hours a day at a desk or in front of a computer screen, take note of your:
1. Posture: Leaning forward towards a computer screen or cellphone is instinctive for most
people; however, this is a habit that increases the pressure on your discs and puts stress on
your back muscles. Taking breaks, sitting straight and looking down towards a screen can help to lessen the load on your body.
2. Mouse: Have you ever given thought to the size of your mouse or your cursor speed? Using a mouse that is too small for your hand could force you to use a stronger grip – this can result in muscle cramping in your wrist and arm. Likewise, if your cursor speed is too fast, it’s likely that you’re exerting too much pressure on your wrist to gain more control over the cursor.
3. Monitor: The ideal position for a screen is right in front of you; you shouldn’t have to turn your head in order to see anything on it. Keeping the monitor at about arms length away from you and trying to avoid glare from windows or lights will help you to keep your posture upright, as well as to avoid painful migraines from straining your eyes.
A Chiropractic Approach To Treating Workplace Discomfort
Chiropractors specialize in caring for patients with disorders of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems; this is why chiropractic support is ideal for patients suffering from workplace injuries. Below are three of the many benefits of this approach:
1. Drug free: Because no drugs are involved during a chiropractic session, you don’t have to worry about feeling drowsy afterwards, or about any potential negative side effects that may hinder your ability to get right back to work as soon as you wish to.
2. Hands-on: Chiropractic doctors typically use their hands (and occasionally other specialized equipment) to manipulate different joints in order to reduce inflammation, pain, and other musculoskeletal symptoms. This hands-on approach often results in instant relief for patients.
3. Efficient and Effective: Chiropractic adjustment/manipulation is both a highly controlled procedure and a flexible one in the sense that it can be adapted to meet the needs of individual patients – with this approach you won’t have to worry about cookie-cutter solutions. The duration of the procedure can also be adapted to fit in with your working schedule, making it ideal for people in need of both immediate and effective treatment at work.
Developing Healthy Habits At Work
Working in pain and discomfort shouldn’t be the norm. Leaving what may seem like a minor injury or muscle pain unchecked could result in even more painful (and potentially more severe and difficult to treat) conditions in the future. When at work, make a quick check of how ergonomic your workplace is, and the next time you feel a muscle cramp or a killer headache sneaking up on you, getting chiropractic support could make all the difference to your productivity, health and mood!