How do you handle or prevent health issues? 5

[KevinDeSmet]

I love working behind the computer doing CAD but these past few months, I have been getting some health issues that cause me discomfort and mild pain, enough to throw my attention off.

Doctors are idiots. Since they seem to not figure out what it even is, let alone what I can do to help it. The obvious thing might be to exercise, but is that myth or fact? I can think of many possible things that could potentially crop up with heavy computer use: wrist pains, eye strains, neck soars, back pains, butt pains (which sadly I have), elbow aches, etc...

So, what do you guys do to help cope with or prevent health issues from getting in the way of getting your work done?

Certified SolidWorks Professional

 

[BJC]

"Doctors are idiots." and engineers are experts in health care?
I don't trust a lot engineers to do engineering work.
True some doctors don't have the patients to deal with hypochondriacs.

 

[casseopeia]

OK, I’ll give this one shot, but that’s all. Diet and exercise are good but if your diet is very bad and you are out-of-shape and overweight, do not jump into something overnight. Work up to it slowly or you will become discouraged and sore.

Arm, wrist, neck and upper back pain can be posture and /or stress. To fix your posture, strengthen your core muscles, especially upper abdominals. Do not slouch at your desk. If you do not know what your core muscles are, work with a trainer. Deep tissue massage can be beneficial as well, but you still have to do the physical work to get any benefit.

The ‘butt’ pain sounds like sciatica. Google ‘stretches for sciatica.’ There are a ton of websites. The most valuable exercises for me is to stand up and stretch my hip flexors which are compressed while sitting. Also, crossing your ankle over the knee on the other leg, then bending forward slightly will help to open up the hip joint. And if you can tolerate the medication, ibuprofen will help reduce swelling that may be pinching the sciatic nerve.


For lower back pain, try bending forward and placing your elbows in front of your knees, then relax and move your lower spine LIGHTLY up and down. It’s kind of a ‘going number two in the woods’ kind of posture. Not pretty, but does the trick. It works well to do this in the shower with warm water running on your lower back. It helps loosen the muscles.

And one final thing, wear looser clothing without a bunch of stuff in your pockets.

"Gorgeous hair is the best revenge." Ivana Trump

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Just remember that you are not really in the woods when trying that lower back pain exercise.

 

[TheTick]

One of the problems with computer workstation related pain is that it creeps in. You don't notice the pain until you've alread sat the wrong way for a while, and it can take some time to undo.

Another problem is that the location of the pain is not always close to the source of the problem. It can be wrist pain from sitting too low or it can be shoulder pain resulting from squinting and hunching. Sometimes even the sound of your computer can cause stress.

 

[vanmorrison]

This is a Workplace Health and Safety issue. Your company should have an ergonomic assessment program and your equipment should fit you and not that you are made to fit the equipment.

Ergonomic assessments for computer work stations should look at for example; screen height, chair height, chair support, leg positioning, keyboard height, keyboard style, wrist angles when mousing and typing, posture etc. There are ideal body positions to minimize stress and repetitive strain injuries. There are also stand up work stations that may be more suited for certain activities.

Ideally... you should advise your supervisor of any work related injuries and they should want to provide you a safe and productive work environment.

 

[moon161]

Your boss owes you a safe workplace. Just because you're not a 7 fingered shear operator, don't think that there are not potential hazards in your desk job. Google 'hazards of a sedentary lifestyle' if you want to get depressed.

Talk to your local workers comp board to find out your rights, and THEN go on the record with HR. They should answer your first mention of on the job pain with an incident report form, if not, well... maybe better to find & fill out the form after you talk w/ WCB, then go to HR.

I have dealt with remarkable pain, because I didn't know better. I developed worsening wrist pains 6 months into a call center job. I had shooting pains, soreness, numbness & parasthesia sometimes from fingertip and wrist up as far as the shoulder. Seen a number of doc's of varying pedigrees, skill levels and levels of attention, dealt with concern & ignorance at many levels. Been on OTC meds (ibuprofen- bad for your stomach, naproxen- much better) scrip meds(celebrex-allergic, vioxx, banned). I have dealt w/ the condition on & off since 2000.

Best remedy of all:
Get away from your desk and move around, frequently, for a good chunk of the day. You can even do a fair amount of your job standing up at a call center. Ride a bike or walk to work.

Followed by:
Ice cube on inside of wrist, hold it there till it's gone, it'll hurt a bit. More specific to my problems.
Pro active tinkering with workstation, posture, motions at workstation.
Stop drinking coffee.
Manage job stress, work intensity & volume.

I've looked into a standup desk, not sure my boss was into it. A few neat examples at instrucables.com

 

[plasgears]

Victor Herbert, popular composer of operettas of the early 1900's, composed while standing up. It was the opposite of reclining or sitting, which is conducive to sleep. The heart rate was probalby higher than when sitting.

 

[Latexman]

We have two people (peers, not pointy haired types) at work who are trained in workstation ergonomics. Upon request, they come in as a team to observe and review your office furniture and set-up, posture, work habits, take a history, etc. Then they recommend modifications, order new hardware, talk about work habit changes, etc. to help alleviate your symptoms. I had two issues come up in the past and they were spot on with the fix each time! Maybe your workplace has the same or could benefit from this approach.

Good luck,
Latexman

 

[moon161]

plasgears

2 jobs ago, the manager of engineering had a standup cubicle- counter height desk, no chair. Animated, energetic guy, it suited him. I saw his name on some big, 20-30 year old pencil drawings, probably stood at his drafting board as well.

Regarding the OP, I've been misdiagnosed, asked by my dr. when I was going to get carpal tunnel release (wrong nerve!). Muscle spasm, muscle tone and chronic tension or inflammation probably won't show on most scopes or films.

It's discouraging when no one else sees your problem. At least you know that you have to do something about it. You probably have another 40 years +/- with that sack of bones, see how you can actively participate and keep it in good shape.

John Kabbatt-Zinn's books Full Catastrophe Living, and Wherever You Go, There You Are offer useful perspectives and practices for chronic pain and stress.

 

[KevinDeSmet]

Moon,

Glad to hear I'm not alone with this, and I could hardly imagine I would be.

I have read about stand-up desks too (or even ones with a treadmill) but I dunno. It does seem like you would have more energy standing up, it all sounds great except for that friggin' gravity!! Seriously, standing still really puts some pressure on your feet and ankles. The fact your human body can't even seemingly handle as simple as standing still.

Or am I wrong? Do you get used to it? Do some folks here stand up?

Certified SolidWorks Professional

 

[GregLocock]

Standing on your feet all day without moving around doesn't strike me as a recipe for success, I used to do that running a production lathe. However if you can combine standing at your desk with walking around the office/workshop I'd have thought that was pretty much what the human body was designed for.

Cheers

Greg Locock


New here? Try reading these, they might help FAQ731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

 

[PatCouture]

At my last Job I convinced my boss to buy an adjustable height desk. It's a desk with electric actuator in the legs so you can have it at normal sitting height and when you feel the need to stretch up a bit you push a button and then you can have the desk at a required height to work standing up.

It's a pretty cool desk to have but it's pricey. At first I thought I would be able to work 70 to 80% of my time standing up and sitting only to rest a bit. It's been the complete opposite, I was working almost all of my time sitting except a couple of times a day I would stand up for 15 to 30 minutes.

I would say if you have the money then it's good but if you don't just make sure you take a walk every hour and you will be fine.

Now I have a standard desk and I just make sure I'm sitting straight and that I have the proper ergonomics as mentioned earlier: Monitor height, chair height, keyboard, etc.

Patrick

 

[ewh]

I agree that Doctors don't always get it right, and it can be quite frustrating at times.
That's why they call it the practice of medicine.

"Good to know you got shoes to wear when you find the floor." - [small]Robert Hunter[/small]

 

[brandonbw]

When I was working in an office, I would make sure every 15 minute break to walk around the block for as long as possible. Also I would at least every hour stand up and get a glass of water in the break room. I would also try to chat up any of the higher up Engineers about projects so I could also be on my feet while learning at the same time.

I became very close to a lot of project managers doing this. And who is going to be upset that you are getting glasses of water throughout the day and going to the bathroom? I also later found out that my buddies doctor said that the walking every day saved his life, he had bad kidney's.

You could also try yoga? I like to run so I try to run 4 miles at a time, at least 3 times a week. And try to see the gym at least 3 times a week too. You obviously have to find something that you like doing. Running clears my head and lets me think.

B+W Engineering and Design
Los Angeles Civil and Structural Engineering

http://bwengr.com

 

[kontiki99]

I workout almost daily and try to only eat good low fat, low salt unprocessed foods in moderate amounts.

Your activity and what you eat are things that you can control and those things that will have a huge impact on your health.

If you see it in an ad, you don't want to put it in your mouth. Many things sold by "food" companies as "foods" or "snack foods" are really low grade toxic materials with no nutritional value.

Don't eat in restaurants where the majority of the customers are obese, and unhealthy.

I'm not at my goals for weight, but I do swim about 3 miles a week and have fair calistentic strength workouts in between (30-90 pushups per session, 100s of stomach exercise reps. I'm 55, I see people 1/2 my age with obesity, and blood pressure problems that I don't want.

 

[brandonbw]

BTW don't do what I did when I was working 80+ hour weeks and bring a Costco case of Red Bull or Monster, put it under the desk and drink drink drink. I didn't gain much weight but I had 2 root canals because of that! I could only imagine how awful those 2 years of doing that were for my body.

Also, bring some lemons and honey and make some tea each morning. My old PM would do that and also had a bag of peanuts in his office. One of the principals would come in and they would talk while cracking them open and chomp away. So some of this better food sitting at your desk might invite the right people over as well as give you something healthy to eat.

B+W Engineering and Design
Los Angeles Civil and Structural Engineering

http://bwengr.com

 

[lacajun]

Here are a few things I use to help improve body function and keep problems at bay:

http://fitness.scoobysworkshop.com/traps.htm

(free weights)

http://www.trxtraining.com/

http://tptherapy.com/shop/smrt-core-products/the-grid-121.html

(helped with upper back and neck pain significantly)

http://www.whartonperformance.com/

(get their books)

http://www.thestick.com/

http://www.callawaygolf.com/Global/en-US/Products/GolfBalls.html

(any golf ball will do for plantar fasciitis)
Chiropractor
Bicycle
Running shoes

Ensure everything fits and is appropriate for your body's little nuances here and there, e.g., different limb lengths, scoliosis, plantar fasciitis, torso length, fused vertebrae, etc.

 

[KevinDeSmet]

I'd like to add. I got one of those "nasa approved" tempur seating cushions, and my discomfort and pain is nearly all gone. You can't trust on doctors but you can on NASA! (unless you want to go beyond low earth orbit)

Certified SolidWorks Professional

 

[rmw]

I found a Chiropractor who is a Sports Medicine/Extremities Specialist. He has done wonders for my wrist, elbow and shoulder not to mention my knees and ankles (victims of my aerobics program.)

He (and his type) can find stuff that no MD can find with a scan because for one, they know where to look and where to apply pressure.

Try it - you'll like it.

rmw

PS: @ bjc

True some doctors don't have the patients to deal with hypochondriacs.

I love it!!!!! Brillent play on words.

 

[Gymmeh]

KevinDeSmet,

I came late to this one... you already had an answer i was going to say...

I had a buttox (as Forest Gump would say) problem. After a number of Doctors and test. An old doctor said to get a good seat cushion - mine is not nasa approved :-( -and to keep my wallet in my front pocket and see what happens.

It worked extremely well, I still kinda have pain sometimes but not that often and not as bad. Evolution did not intend for use to sit 60+ hrs a week.

Good luck, I know it sucks working pain...