Watch the video below or Read More.

Smartphones and other small handheld devices place unique stresses on our hands and wrists. It is common to see people complaining of thumb pain when they type on their small keyboards, and wrist pain that coincides with use of keyboards, various computer mouses, and touchpads. Also as we bend over our devices, our necks get strained.

When using a smart phone or mp3 player, we tend to hold it close to our stomach and look down. Change your posture and bring the phone up to a level that allows your neck to be more upright. Lock your elbows into your sides to reduce strain.

If you use a real keyboard with your thumbs, stretch your thumbs out and massage the muscles between your thumb and second finger. If you are using a virtual keyboard, stretch all your fingers out, and make attempts to alternate the fingers that you are typing with.

For all smartphone users, please practice all the stretches the in Office Stretches posting on savant.com.

• About Deanna Savant

Related posts:

1. Preventing Smartphone Injuries
2. Ice or heat for injuries?
3. When to See a Doctor for Sports Injuries ~ Health and Wellness Exercise Tip

Watch the video below or Read More.

1. Keep your head up and eyes focused forward, not down.

If you look down at the floor, your back will be rounded, making you more vulnerable to injury. If you lift your chin and head, your back will automatically arch into a safer position.

2. Keep your load close to your body.

Holding weight at a distance from your body greatly increases pressure on your inter-vertebral discs, again making you more vulnerable to injury. Try this out: Hold a book out in front of you for several seconds and feel your effort. Now bring the book into your chest and feel the difference in your effort.

If you have a load that you cannot bring close, such as a heavy pot of boiling water, try locking your elbows into your sides.

3. Avoid twisting your spine as you carry a load.

If you are taking a load from one place to another, use your feet, not your trunk, to shift direction. For example, if you are taking a pot of water from the sink to the stove, pivot with your feet and avoid rotating your trunk.

There are always going to be situations in which it is difficult to maintain proper body mechanics during a lift or load. Stay aware and do some exercises, such as standing and bending backwards, to offset an unhealthy load.

• About Deanna Savant

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Watch the video below or Read More.

Smartphones and other small handheld devices place unique stresses on our hands and wrists. It is common to see people complaining of thumb pain when they type on their small keyboards, and wrist pain that coincides with use of keyboards, various computer mouses, and touchpads. Also as we bend over our devices, our necks get strained.

When using a smart phone or mp3 player, we tend to hold it close to our stomach and look down. Change your posture and bring the phone up to a level that allows your neck to be more upright. Lock your elbows into your sides to reduce strain.

If you use a real keyboard with your thumbs, stretch your thumbs out and massage the muscles between your thumb and second finger. If you are using a virtual keyboard, stretch all your fingers out, and make attempts to alternate the fingers that you are typing with.

For all smartphone users, please practice all the stretches the in Office Stretches posting on savant.com.

• About Deanna Savant

Related posts:

1. Learn How to Prevent Smartphone Injuries ~ Health & Wellness Tip
2. Ice or heat for injuries?
3. When to See a Doctor for Sports Injuries ~ Health and Wellness Exercise Tip

• About Deanna Savant
• About Dr. Savant

Interested in more health and wellness tips?
Browse: Healthy Body | Healthy Eating | Healthy Living.

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• About Deanna Savant
• About Dr. Savant

Interested in more health and wellness tips?
Browse: Healthy Body | Healthy Eating | Healthy Living.

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During the first 2-7 days following an injury, inflammation is present and a leading cause of pain. Ice can have profound effects on controlling inflammation and relieving pain. Apply ice to the painful area for 20 minutes while you lie or sit in a position of comfort. The area will at first feel cold, then burn, then feel numb. It’s good to let the skin rest from the ice for a couple hours, then apply again. For body parts that are not flat, like knees, I recommend using a bag of frozen peas, or a reusable cold pack found at most drug stores. For flatter areas, like a low back, ice cubes in a bag work very well. Place the bag in a pillow case and apply.

Some people freeze up in response to ice which leads to increased pain. Before giving up on ice completely, I recommend the following: apply the ice right to the painful area, and place a hot pack nearby, or opposite to the ice. For example, if you are applying ice to your neck, place an ice pack either on your chest, or on your back below the ice. The heat may relax you and allow you to tolerate the ice without tightening up.

Heat is used mainly for relaxation. For those with long-term pain, heat may help decrease muscular tightness and add to a greater sense of well-being. Often physical therapists apply heat to a body part prior to joint mobilization or massage in the hopes of relaxing the soft tissues.

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Here are guidelines to properly set up your computer workstation and avoid an injury that could earn you a trip to your friendly physical therapist.

Watch the videos below, or Read More.

1. Sit with your buttocks all the way back in the chair.
2. Your feet should rest on the floor or on a foot stool.
3. Your knees should be lower than your hips, so that your hips are bent at approximately 100 degrees.
4. If your seat does not tilt forward, you can add a wedge cushion under your buttocks.
5. The back of the chair should support your lower back as it curves inward. If it doesn’t, you can add an inflatable lumbar support roll.
6. Ideally your keyboard rests below elbow height, so that your elbows are open to approximately 100 degrees, relaxed at your side.
7. Keep your shoulders and neck aligned and relaxed, with your mouse as close as possible to your body. If your right shoulder or arm is painful, you might want to consider transferring your mouse to the left side of the keyboard, where it can be at a closer angle to your body, as the keyboard lacks a number pad on the left side as it has on the right.
8. The top of your screen should be at the same height as your eyebrows.

If you are working a lot on a laptop, consider investing in an external keyboard and mouse. You can rest the laptop on books to get it to the correct height and bring the external keyboard and mouse to a more ergonomically friendly position. Also try to avoid using your laptop in an unhealthy posture.

Remember that even if your workstation is set up perfectly, our bodies are not meant to stay in one position for a long period of time. It is really important to get up at least once and hour, walk around, do some stretches, (we’ll show you stretches on another video, stay tuned!) take some relaxation breaths, and then return to your work. If you take more frequent breaks, you’ll find that you are not only more productive, but also less tired at the end of your workday. • About Deanna Savant

Sit Up Straight. Your Back Thanks You.

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While you are healing, try to eliminate all processed foods from your diet, especially desserts, sodas, juices, fried foods, and all foods containing partially-hydrogenated oils of any kind (otherwise known as trans fats).

Many foods are thought to have anti-inflammatory properties. They include:

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Various vegetables such as bok choy, bell peppers, and broccoli
• Various fruits such as avocados, apples, and berries
• Nuts such as almonds, walnuts, and hazelnuts
• Green tea, and fish oil containing omega-3 fatty acids

Water is also very important. Increasing the amount of water that you drink has several benefits. Water is crucial to most systems of the body, including fascia (the connective tissue surrounding your muscles and organs), and the intervertebral discs (the discs between the bones of your spinal cord). When these discs lack proper hydration, they lack efficiency in performing their job which is to absorb shock in your spine. Some people also feel that increased water intake helps to control headaches. Also if you have a sitting job, increasing the amount of water you drink forces you to get up from your computer more often and walk to the bathroom.

So remember, reduce sugar and trans-fats in your diet and increase your hydration to promote anti-inflammation and reduce pain. • About Deanna Savant

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