TRANSCRIPT 🔗
WEBVTT
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.220
Hey there, welcome back. I'm Dr. Hunter Schultz
00:00:02.220 --> 00:00:05.059
from 920 Chiropractic Health and Injury Care
00:00:05.059 --> 00:00:07.120
here in Green Bay. And today we're talking about
00:00:07.120 --> 00:00:09.580
something that affects almost every single one
00:00:09.580 --> 00:00:12.839
of my patients, ergonomics. Now I know that word
00:00:12.839 --> 00:00:14.759
can sound a little technical, but stick with
00:00:14.759 --> 00:00:17.000
me because this is genuinely one of the most
00:00:17.000 --> 00:00:19.859
practical things you can apply to your life starting
00:00:19.859 --> 00:00:22.940
today. We're talking about how you set up your
00:00:22.940 --> 00:00:26.670
space, your desk, your chair, your screen. and
00:00:26.670 --> 00:00:29.550
how those small details can either protect your
00:00:29.550 --> 00:00:33.240
body or slowly wear it down over time. Here's
00:00:33.240 --> 00:00:35.600
what I hear constantly in my office. People come
00:00:35.600 --> 00:00:38.719
in with neck pain, shoulder tension, low back
00:00:38.719 --> 00:00:41.219
stiffness. And when I ask them about their daily
00:00:41.219 --> 00:00:44.979
routine, they describe sitting for six, seven,
00:00:45.000 --> 00:00:47.560
eight hours a day in a setup that's just not
00:00:47.560 --> 00:00:50.020
working for their body. And the frustrating part
00:00:50.020 --> 00:00:52.979
is they didn't do anything dramatic, no accident,
00:00:53.079 --> 00:00:56.359
no big injury, just years of small stresses adding
00:00:56.359 --> 00:00:59.039
up. That's exactly what poor ergonomics does.
00:00:59.259 --> 00:01:01.880
It's a slow burn. So let's talk about what actually
00:01:01.880 --> 00:01:05.609
matters. First, your screen height. Whether you're
00:01:05.609 --> 00:01:08.269
at a desktop, a laptop, or even working from
00:01:08.269 --> 00:01:10.670
your kitchen table, your screen should be roughly
00:01:10.670 --> 00:01:13.549
at eye level. If you're looking down at a laptop
00:01:13.549 --> 00:01:16.730
all day, your head is drifting forward, and that
00:01:16.730 --> 00:01:19.290
puts a tremendous amount of strain on your neck
00:01:19.290 --> 00:01:22.129
and upper back. Think about it this way. Your
00:01:22.129 --> 00:01:24.969
head weighs around 10 to 12 pounds. For every
00:01:24.969 --> 00:01:27.950
inch it shifts forward, the stress on your spine
00:01:27.950 --> 00:01:31.170
roughly doubles. That adds up fast. So raise
00:01:31.170 --> 00:01:34.150
your laptop on a stand, prop it up on some books,
00:01:34.250 --> 00:01:36.870
whatever works. Just get that screen up where
00:01:36.870 --> 00:01:39.650
you're not constantly craning your neck downward.
00:01:40.250 --> 00:01:43.269
Second, your chair and your posture at the hips.
00:01:43.530 --> 00:01:45.909
Here's what I want you to think about. When you
00:01:45.909 --> 00:01:49.810
sit, your hips should be at roughly a 90 degree.
00:01:49.769 --> 00:01:53.769
Load full transcript
angle, maybe even slightly open, with your feet
00:01:53.769 --> 00:01:56.730
flat on the floor. A lot of people are either
00:01:56.730 --> 00:01:59.469
sitting too low, which rounds the lower back,
00:01:59.849 --> 00:02:02.629
or too high, which puts pressure under the thighs.
00:02:03.030 --> 00:02:06.030
If your chair isn't adjustable, a small cushion
00:02:06.030 --> 00:02:09.050
or a folded blanket under your seat can make
00:02:09.050 --> 00:02:11.569
a real difference. Try to keep your lower back
00:02:11.569 --> 00:02:14.370
supported, either with the chair's lumbar support
00:02:14.599 --> 00:02:18.060
or a rolled up towel placed right at that natural
00:02:18.060 --> 00:02:21.439
curve of your spine. Third, and this is a big
00:02:21.439 --> 00:02:25.259
one, movement. No ergonomic setup, no matter
00:02:25.259 --> 00:02:27.840
how perfect, is going to save you if you're completely
00:02:27.840 --> 00:02:31.199
still for hours on end. Your spine loves movement.
00:02:31.479 --> 00:02:34.919
It's designed for it. So set a timer every 30
00:02:34.919 --> 00:02:38.219
to 45 minutes. Stand up. walk around for a minute
00:02:38.219 --> 00:02:41.560
or two, do a few gentle neck rolls, stretch your
00:02:41.560 --> 00:02:44.219
chest open. It doesn't have to be a whole routine,
00:02:44.360 --> 00:02:47.360
just break up that static posture regularly.
00:02:47.740 --> 00:02:50.560
That simple habit alone can dramatically reduce
00:02:50.560 --> 00:02:53.120
the tension that builds up through a long work
00:02:53.120 --> 00:02:55.539
day. Now here's some practical advice for your
00:02:55.539 --> 00:02:58.560
home setup too, especially since so many of us
00:02:58.560 --> 00:03:00.719
are working from couches or beds these days.
00:03:01.259 --> 00:03:03.860
I get it, it's comfortable. but working from
00:03:03.860 --> 00:03:06.659
a soft surface with no support is one of the
00:03:06.659 --> 00:03:09.719
fastest ways to create postural problems. If
00:03:09.719 --> 00:03:13.300
you can, designate a real workspace with a chair
00:03:13.300 --> 00:03:16.319
and a surface at the right height. Even a kitchen
00:03:16.319 --> 00:03:19.539
table with a good chair beats a couch every single
00:03:19.539 --> 00:03:22.939
time for your spine. And one more thing, check
00:03:22.939 --> 00:03:25.870
your wrists and shoulders while you type. Your
00:03:25.870 --> 00:03:29.009
wrists should be relatively neutral, not bent
00:03:29.009 --> 00:03:31.490
upward or downward. Your shoulders should be
00:03:31.490 --> 00:03:34.330
relaxed, not shrugged up toward your ears. If
00:03:34.330 --> 00:03:36.750
you catch yourself tensing your shoulders, take
00:03:36.750 --> 00:03:40.110
a breath, let them drop and reset. Now if you're
00:03:40.110 --> 00:03:42.409
already dealing with neck pain, back pain, or
00:03:42.409 --> 00:03:44.129
headaches that seem to get worse through the
00:03:44.129 --> 00:03:47.300
work day, that's your body talking to you. Those
00:03:47.300 --> 00:03:50.520
are signs that something needs attention. A chiropractic
00:03:50.520 --> 00:03:53.319
evaluation can help us figure out exactly what's
00:03:53.319 --> 00:03:56.419
going on and get you feeling better, not just
00:03:56.419 --> 00:03:59.439
managing discomfort. Come see us at 920 Chiropractic
00:03:59.439 --> 00:04:01.379
Health and Injury Care right here in Green Bay.
00:04:01.439 --> 00:04:03.379
We'd love to help you move better, feel better,
00:04:03.479 --> 00:04:05.620
and work more comfortably every single day. You
00:04:05.620 --> 00:04:07.879
can reach out to us through our website or give
00:04:07.879 --> 00:04:09.659
us a call and we're here for you. Thanks so much
00:04:09.659 --> 00:04:11.360
for listening and I'll talk to you next time.