Ergonomics, people, ergonomics!

Backache? Neck pain? Simple things you can do  — or stop doing — to feel better. Because, structurally at least, we are what we do.

Forgive me for the rant, but I’m going a little bit crazy this week. My office is transitioning to a new space and expanding our services, so I’m spending endless hours on the phone, creating business cards, approving website designs, making brochures, contacting my practitioners, writing bios, selecting furniture, ordering office supplies, interviewing and hiring staff. I also happen to be starting in my new and exciting role of Director of Community Education at the hospital. With that comes intense planning meetings, creating and developing large events, and presenting health information to the public. Non. Freakin’. Stop.

Business meetings and presentations mean wearing high heels, drinking caffeine, staying up late honing Power Points. I was so exhausted the other day, instead of eating lunch, I took a nap on my exam table. I turned on my white noise app on my iPhone, closed the blinds and slept for 25 minutes. I woke up feeling rejuvenated but with a stiff neck from lying facedown on a hard vinyl “bed”.

And of course with all this work also comes not sleeping, not exercising, not cooking which equals eating take-out and stress and stress and more stress. My family is ready to strangle me, my patients can tell I’m excited but distracted and in the meantime, all these little aches and pains are starting to surface. I haven’t been conscientious about my activities of daily living, how I’m doing the things I usually do. I haven’t been taking the time to take care of myself and as a result, I am starting to really feel unwell.

On a daily basis I can be heard chanting in a sing-song fashion to my patients “We are the way we are because of the way we do the things we do.” ERGONOMICS PEOPLE, ERGONOMICS!!!!

I should seriously take my own advice. As I was treating a patient yesterday, she saw me slouching over as I wrangled with spasm in her upper back. She scoffed at me and told me to fix my posturing so I don’t injure my back. My! How the tables can turn so quickly. We laughed together because for months I have been hounding her about the heavy bag she continues to carry on her left shoulder which I believe is contributing to her back pain.

In my world of musculoskeletal medicine, where structure and function are inseparable, ergonomics rule supreme. We truly are the way we are because of the way we do the things we do. At least structurally.

The young mom who carries her kid on her hip will undoubtedly create areas of muscular spasm change the shape of her spine over time. The burly man who works for Riverhead Town doing road maintenance will surely develop arthritis in his already-damaged knees if he doesn’t lose weight. The 70-something who relies so heavily on her cane will continue to worsen her hunchback if she doesn’t modify her posturing to correct her kyphosis. And the sedentary office worker with chronic low back pain will be up for epidurals if she refuses to stop sleeping on her stomach at night.

So here are a few common mistakes that may be contributing to your conditions or may be preventing your body from healing itself. Some simple modifications to your lifestyle may translate to dramatic improvement in your quality of life.

1. Sliding into your car and not adjusting your hips – especially if you’re commuting long distances. If you don’t stop and center your hips on your seat before starting the car, you could be putting unnecessary stress on your sacrum and sacroiliac joints. This can translate to chronic low back pain over time.

2. Wearing high heels. In order to maintain balance when you lift your heels off the ground, your hips must thrust forward. This can exaggerate the curves of your spine which are there to act a shock absorbers. Not only can high heels cause back pain, they also cause a host of foot and ankle problems such as bunions, hammertoes, stress fractures, tendonitis and neuromas.

3. Sleeping on your stomach. For me, one of the most comfortable positions to be in – but wreaks havoc on your spine (as you know, anything that feels good, tastes good or involves fun is totally off-limits). Stomach sleepers actually reverse the curves in their mid and low spines. And because you can’t sleep with your face in the pillow, turning your neck to one side will inevitably cause neck spasm which manifests as tension headaches, neck pain, TMJ and jaw problems. The best position to sleep in is side lying with a pillow supporting the neck and another in-between your knees. This keeps your spine straight while you snooze.

4. Carrying a heavy bag on one shoulder. If you must carry all of your earthly possessions to and from work, try to use a bag with two straps that distributes weight evenly on both shoulders, like a backpack. Even a fanny-pack will do if it’s centered on your hips (if they’re still legal). But heavy one-shoulder bags will tweak your spine sideways and increase your risk of arthritis and disc herniations. The same goes for carrying small children and walking big dogs. If you must do so, try to always alternate sides regularly.

5. Not stretching before exercising. Cold, tight muscles will be at significantly increased risk of injury as compared to warm, loose muscles, especially if you’re aggressively increasing the intensity of a workout by adding distance or weight. Make sure you’re body is prepared to exert itself by staying hydrated and stretching the major muscle groups you plan to use during your workout.

6. Sitting at a desk with poor posturing. I use an ergonomic ball seat when I’m treating patients because it forces me to engage my core and supports the natural curves of my spine. But most normal desk chairs do not support your body in the right places. But you can modify your workspace to accomplish good posture by doing the following. Make sure your chair height is set so that your feet are flat on the floor with hips and elbows at 90 degrees. If your desk is too high, elevate the chair and rest your feet on a step stool or phone book. Set your computer screen directly in front of you so that you’re not craning your neck to one side to see it. If you spend a lot of time on the phone, get a headset instead of propping the phone with your shoulder. And if your chair does not have a lumbar support, you can make one of a small pillow from home.

I could go on and on… but as I am hunched over, eyes squinting, chewing gum and typing this article, my head is throbbing, eyes sore, jaw cramped and my mid-spine cries out for a hot shower and a heating pad. It’s 11:30, I’m still at work and I’m working on all weekend…. I’m going to go home and sleep on my stomach instead! (Do as I say…., not as I do :))))

Alexis Hugelmeyer, D.O. is the wife of Michael, mother of Isabella, 5, and Lance, 3, and a family physician whose passion is hands-on manipulation for treatment and healing of any and every type of medical problem. She is the director of community outreach education at Peconic Bay Medical Center and also a private practitioner in Riverhead. A graduate of Villanova University and New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, she lives in Baiting Hollow.

Look for Dr. Mom every Saturday on Riverheadlocal.com

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