Osteopathic Works

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Workplace Ergonomics

Good posture is essential in all aspects of life but we are finding that workplace ergonomics can be lacking for a number of people and as a result injury can occur.

Workers who sit at their desk for hours on end before going home to sit in front of the TV increase their chances of heart disease, type-2 diabetes and obesity.

Individual workstation assessments are aimed at identifying risk factors at the workstation that may cause injury and finding preventative solutions to these problems.

An active worker is a more alert, productive and engaged worker, so how can you be more active at work?

  • Stand as often as you can. This might be mean standing for a phone call or when reading a hardcopy document.
  • Remove your bin from your desk so that you are forced to walk to a central office rubbish bin to discard waste.
  • Use the stairs between office levels rather than the lift.

There are a number of things you can adjust in order to acquire a better posture during work hours.

Sitting

Having both and adjustable desk and chair are important to ensure you can set your workstation up to a point that fits you.

  • Adjust your chair so that when your buttocks are right at the back of your chair, your feet rest flat on the floor, and your hips are slightly higher than your knees.
  • Adjust your desk to ensure that when your shoulders are relaxed back and down, your forearms rest horizontally on the table.
  • Your keyboard should be positioned directly in front of you with your wrist and forearms supported on the table. This helps to prevent forearm and wrist aches and pains.
  • Ensure you are not over-reaching for your mouse by keeping it adjacent to your keyboard and elbow by your side.
  • Your screen should be positioned around arms-length away from you. When looking at the screen your head should be in a neutral position (neither tilted forwards nor backwards).

Standing

If you have a sit-to-stand desk, alternate periods of sitting and standing throughout the day. Early research suggests you should only spend 1 hour standing for every 1–2 hours sitting. This is far better than half a day sitting followed by half a day standing as these are still significantly long periods of time.

Whilst standing:

  • Set your standing desk at about elbow height. This means your elbows should be in a 90 degree position from the floor.
  • Natural “S” shape curve of your spine maintained
  • Shoulder relaxed back and down
  • An arm support is soft padding or surface area that attaches to your desk. It is designed to reduce pressure on the wrist that operates the mouse. This is a well-researched area, with numerous studies showing arm supports can significantly reduce the risk of developing neck and shoulder problems
  • Feet hips width apart with weight evenly through both legs
  • The top of your screen should be eye level, with a small upwards tilt of between 10 and 20 degrees.

General office tips:

  • Take a break every 45-60 minutes from sitting
  • Try using an automated software or app to remind you to take regular breaks throughout the day.
  • Take microbreaks (30 second break every 5-7 minutes) from keyboard and mouse use
  • Vary work tasks and postures within the hour
  • Use both sides of the body
  • Rest and refocus your eyes periodically. Look away from the screen every so often and focus on something else for a few seconds.
  • Take lunch away from the desk
  • Avoid over reaching or twisting and bending their spine to grab objects from shelving and cupboards. Objects commonly used should be stored and placed in positions of easy reach and where twisting and bending can be limited.

For more information on workplace ergonomics be sure to ask your Osteopath during your next consultation. Book online today or call the clinic on 98725889

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The importance of sleep.

“Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise”.

A good night’s sleep is incredibly important for health.

Poor Sleep strongly linked to weight gain.

People with short sleep duration tend to weigh significantly more than those who get adequate sleep. The effect of sleep on weight gain is believed to be mediated by numerous factors, including hormones and motivation to exercise. if you are not getting enough minutes of sleep or good quality sleep, your metabolism will not function properly.

Good Sleep Can Improve Concentration and Productivity

Sleep is important for various aspects of brain function including cognition, concentration, productivity and performance. It has been shown to improve problem solving skills and enhance memory performance of both children and adults A study found short sleep can negatively impact some aspects of brain function to a similar degree as alcohol intoxication.

Poor Sleep Is Linked to Depression

Mental health issues, such as depression, are strongly linked to poor sleep quality and sleeping disorders. The relationship between sleep and depressive illness is complex – depression may cause sleep problems and sleep problems may cause or contribute to depressive disorders.

How to have a good nights sleep

The National Sleep Foundation suggest having healthy sleep habits can make a big difference in your quality of life.

1       Stick to a sleep schedule of the same bedtime and wake up time, even on the weekends. This helps to regulate your body’s clock and could help you fall asleep and stay asleep for the night.

2       Practice a relaxing bedtime ritual. A relaxing, routine activity right before bedtime conducted away from bright lights helps separate your sleep time from activities that can cause excitement, stress or anxiety which can make it more difficult to fall asleep, get sound and deep sleep or remain asleep.

3       If you have trouble sleeping, avoid naps, especially in the afternoon. Power napping may help you get through the day, but if you find that you can’t fall asleep at bedtime, eliminating even short catnaps may help.

4       Exercise daily. Vigorous exercise is best, but even light exercise is better than no activity. Exercise at any time of day, but not at the expense of your sleep.

5       Evaluate your room. Design your sleep environment to establish the conditions you need for sleep. Your bedroom should be cool – between 15 and 20 degrees. Your bedroom should also be free from any noise that can disturb your sleep. Finally, your bedroom should be free from any light.

6       Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillows. Make sure your mattress is comfortable and supportive. The one you have been using for years may have exceeded its life expectancy – about 9 or 10 years for most good quality mattresses. Have comfortable pillows and make the room attractive and inviting for sleep but also free of allergens that might affect you and objects that might cause you to slip or fall if you have to get up

 

Please seek advice from your Osteopath during your next consultation if you have any queries about how to get a good nights sleep. We have a range of supportive pillows available in the Clinic that can also be fitted during your consultation.

 

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Kickstart Nutrition Package.


Reach your health goals for 2018 with our Kickstart Nutrition Package.  Until the end of February we are offering an initial 60 minute appointment plus 2 return 30 minute appointments with our Nutritionist Sarah for the special price of $195.

As a University Qualified Nutritionist, Sarah can help you achieve a healthier way of life through the foods you eat.  Poor choices with food can negatively impact your health and wellbeing, leading to fatigue, pain, a lack of energy, digestive issues, poor sleep and decreased sports performance.

Sarah will work with you to develop goals that are specific to your needs and provide you with tools to keep you focused on attaining the results you desire, without the need to go on restrictive fad diets.

Change the way you feel and function on a daily basis, and discover the road to a healthier you.

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Having a happy and healthy Christmas.

Merry Christmas to all our patients! Wishing each and every one of you a happy and healthy break. Osteopathic Works will be closed from Saturday 23rd December until 2nd January 2018 so before we check out for the year we wanted to leave you with some notes on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle during what can be a tempting period for bad habits.

Nutritional therapist, Kerry Torrens, has written a great article (below) on avoiding over-indulgence during the festive season. She emphasises the importance of starting the day with a healthy breakfast and staying hydrated especially during times when the champagne is flowing!

Throughout the year we have written blog posts on how to maintain strength and mobility between Osteopathic treatments. The aim of our treatment is to rebalance the body so that it can function accordingly and therefore be in a state where optimal healing can occur. Be sure to continue following the advice your Osteopath has given you over the Christmas period, whether its stretching/strengthening exercises or nutritional advice. Begin your 2018 in a positive way.

Another tip is to encourage family and friends to get outdoors on Christmas day. It looks like the weather is going to be perfect for backyard cricket or even jump in the pool. Gifting presents that encourage a bit of activity will help ease the guilt that comes with that second serving of Christmas pudding.

If you have an questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to contact the Clinic or email your Osteopath before the 23rd December. Have a wonderful break and be sure to rest. See you all in the new year!

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Maintaining a healthy you.

As Osteopaths we use soft tissue techniques, gentle joint manipulation, stretching and dry needling in the aim to increase the mobility of joints, relieve muscle tension, enhance blood flow and effect the nerve supply to tissues. During a consult we inform patients on the cause of their symptoms and educate them on how best to rehabilitate the injury or adjust simple lifestyle elements that may be affecting their musculoskeletal system.

The aim of our treatment is to rebalance the body so that it can function accordingly and therefore be in a state where optimal healing can occur.

Our lives seem to be getting busier and busier, but never take your health for granted. Those small lifestyle changes or few exercises prescribed can make all the difference to optimise your health – increase your energy, mobility and overall emotional state while decreasing everyday pain and discomfort.

A few take home tips:

Drink more water

  • Not only does it increase your energy levels, water can help you concentrate (the brain is approximately 85% water)
  • Flushes the body of toxins through sweat and urination
  • Aids in digestion
  • Relieves headaches causes by dehydration

Exercise Daily

  • Exercise improves your mood by influencing the parts of the brain that regulate stress and anxiety. It can also increase brain sensitivity for the hormones serotonin and norepinephrine, which relieve feelings of depression and increase the production of endorphins, which are known to help produce positive feelings and reduce the perception of pain
  • Helps to strengthen muscles and joints and increase bone density
  • Reduce risk of heart disease

Correct your posture

  • Strong muscles can help with postural correction and reduce symptoms of bad posture such as back pain and headaches.
  • Ensure your pillow and mattress provide the right support while you sleep
  • Ergonomic workplace assessments are a great start to ensuring that you have correct posture while at work.

For more specific exercises or other advice please don’t hesitate to ask your Osteopath during your next consultation to provide information anything you could be doing at home or work to optimise your health.

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