Do You Have Computer Back - Chronic Neck, Back & Shoulder Pain?

“Computer Back” is a term I coined after treating client-after-client who came to me with pain radiating down their neck, across the tops of their shoulders and into the middle of their upper back.

Does that sound familiar? What do all these people have in common?

They work in offices sitting at computers all day!

Computer Back begins with a stressful thought combined with poor posture. The tense thought usually travels to your jaw. From the jaw it travels down your neck, across the tops of your shoulders and straight into the middle of your back.

If it is not addressed, the pain then travels back up across your shoulders, back up the neck into the head resulting in tension headaches.

Computer back is an equal opportunity disorder. A high level executive is just as susceptible to neck, back & shoulder pain as an administrative assistant or data entry operator. Anyone who works with a computer all day is likely to suffer Computer Back.

Exte
al causes of Computer Back are usually ergonomic - improper height of screen, keyboard/mouse position and chair height combined with poor posture.

The number one internal cause of Computer Back is stress. Stress is not an exte
al event; it is an internal mental, emotional and spiritual response to that event. It is the thought that creates the emotion that sends the signals to your neck, back and shoulders to tighten.

Conventional means of treating Computer Back include physical therapy, muscle relaxers, chiropractic treatments, analgesics, anti-inflammatory medications. Alte
ative medicine methods include massage therapy, other forms of body work, acupuncture, hypnosis, etc. n
Body work, such as massage therapy, acupuncture and exercise, helps alleviate the physical symptoms of pain. Life coaching and mind/body therapy can help relieve the internal sources of pain.

The optimal treatment plan consists of a combination of both bodywork and relaxation response training can provide long-term relief from chronic neck-back-shoulder pain.

The pain can resolve altogether if you are willing to embark on a new path of self-care and wellness along with practicing proper body mechanics throughout the day.

Prevention for Exte
al Stressnn* monitor directly in front of youn* screen proper heightn* keyboard set so your elbows are at your siden* mouse located easily within reach.
* get up and stretch oftenn* proper posture

Prevention for Internal Stressnn* pause, breathe, respondn* surround yourself with positive affirmationsn* fresh flowers or green plant on your deskn* relax your mind - relax your bodyn* set your priorities, feel good - do good

Treatment Suggestionn
1 - full body massage + relaxation response training for intake purposes
1 - 30 minutes upper body massage + relaxation response practice/week x 3 weeks
1 - full body massage + relaxation response practice per month for maintenancennnn© October 2008 Pixie Stevenson