Poor posture at work leads to Spinal injury: RESEARCH

KARACHI- If you suffer from headaches, neck and or back aches whilst working at your computer desk, instantly check your posture, making sure your head is aligned on top of your neck.

Researchers at San Francisco State University urged students and working men and women who stay at their desks to pay close attention to their postures. Poor posture while using computers at a stretch can lead to fatigue, increased muscle tension and may lead to vertebral injuries. The practice of slouching or scrunching necks also has the ability to limit head movement.

These researchers at San Francisco University also monitored 12 students with electromyography and found that, trapezius muscle tension is increased in the scrunched, head forward position and tested the effects of head and neck positions.

Prof. Erik Peper, San Francisco State University, US stated that, “When your posture is tall and erect, the muscles of your back can easily support the weight of your head and neck; as much as 12 pounds. But when your head moves forward at a 45 degree angle, your neck acts like a fulcrum, like a long lever lifting a heavy object.”

Prof. Erik further informed that, the muscle weight of one’s head and neck is equivalent to about 45 pounds, which leads to the revelation as to why people get stiff necks and shoulder with back pain, so often.

During this posture based study, researchers asked 87 students to sit upright with their heads properly aligned on their necks and asked them to turn their heads. Then they were asked to ‘scrunch’ their necks and move their heads forward. 92% students reported being able to turn their heads much farther, when not scrunching.

In the second test, 125 students scrunched their necks for 30 seconds, after which 98% reported some level of pain in their head, neck or eyes.

Prof. Peper offered other solutions, that included increasing the font on your computer screen, using reading glasses or placing your computer at eye level, to reduce screen strain.

In order to increase body awareness, Peper advised everyone to purposely replicate the head-forward/neck scrunched position and then try to correct one’s posture.