How to Survive your Desk Job

Do you work in an office where you’re sitting for the majority of your day?  If so, let us offer you some tips to prevent discomfort and fatigue!  Turns out, sitting for long stretches of time can be surprisingly hard on your body.  Recent studies show that in an ideal day of work, you should aim for roughly 4 hours of standing – yet the average office worker sits for about 10 hours.  This sounds like a lot – but think of the time spent sitting in front of the computer, going through emails, making calls, taking meetings, eating lunch – and that’s before you factor in your commute, surfing the web, and watching TV on the couch at home.

There are numerous conditions/diseases associated with excessive sitting, including heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, etc – and this is in addition to the more obvious muscle and joint problems.  Without further ado, here are some things to try if you sit all day long at work.

1.       Stand Up.  Ideally your office will have a standing desk option.  If not, find something sturdy to prop your computer up on, whether it be books or even your printer.

2.       Move.  Get up and stretch throughout the course of your day.  Walk to communicate with others in your office.  Take the stairs if you can instead of the elevator. 

3.       Don’t slouch.  Your should sit upright, with your head “stacked” directly above your shoulders.  The further your chin pokes forward, the more strain goes through the muscles of your neck and shoulders. 

4.       Adjust the screen height.  Further to the point above, the top of your monitor should be level with your eyes.  If the screen is too low, your head will be forced downward, and if its too high your neck will be cranked into hyperextension. 

5.       Support your arms.  Aim to have your arms supported by the desk or arm rests of your chair.  Leaving your arms dangling unsupported for long periods puts a lot of strain on your neck and shoulders.

There you have it – Give these a go and let us know if you have any other tips!  Happy sitting!

Runner’s Knee

It’s that time of the year again, the sun is out, the days are getting longer, and people are slowly coming out of winter hibernation.  You slowly start to run again, but unfortunately, there seems to be a nagging pain in your knees!  There was no obvious injury that you can remember – not a single incident comes to mind.  A very common injury in this instance is runner’s knee (or more technically known as patellofemoral pain syndrome).

Symptoms

Runner’s knee will typically affect younger, recreational runners (although, an advanced runner who suddenly ramps up their mileage may also be susceptible), and women twice as frequently as men.  Usually, pain is felt “behind” or “around” the kneecap.  Things that make it worse are typically impactful activities such as running, jumping, squatting, and going down the stairs. 

Causes

There are countless factors that can contribute to runner’s knee.  For example, research shows that people who suffer from this injury typically are weak in their quadriceps and hip abductors, while being too stiff in their calves and hamstrings.  As well, many studies are also showing that poor biomechanics could be the cause (i.e. you run weird!).  Again, this is just to name a few potential causes for runner’s knee, and this list is not meant to be exhaustive.

Treatment

At Physiolab, we will complete a thorough assessment to determine the root cause of the problem.  As mentioned above, there are numerous factors that could lead to runner’s knee.  We will work with you and customize a treatment plan that is unique to your needs.  The treatment plan may range from simple stretching and strengthening, to something more aggressive such as dry needling or bracing.  It all depends on what your body needs.