Dubai: The pre-holiday work deadlines that push residents to put in longer hours at their desks may increase risk of spinal injury, a chiropractor has cautioned.
The long working hours, often more than 10, affect the professional adversely. According to Dr John Graham, a Chiropractor who practices at the Dubai Bone and Joint Centre, Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) and Mazyad Medical Centre, Abu Dhabi, bad work posture as a result of hunching over the laptop /PC for long hours could be detrimental.
Speaking to Gulf News, he said that the hazardous position for long hours without motion increases the pressure on the spine. “When you are focused on your work, you forget about good body posture.”
Dr. Graham has treated patients, realigning their spine from the chronic ill effects of being an office professional.
He explained that when the vertebrae of the spine are misaligned, it results in pinched nerves. “When nerves become pinched, there is a radiation of pain/numbness across the shoulders, down the back of the arms, and into the little and ring fingers.”
The same holds true for the lower back, he said. “The ache radiates towards the buttocks and down the legs. I tell patients, there is more stress on their spine in a sitting posture, than a worker raking concrete.”
Quoting from the book Clinical Biomechanics of the Spine by Augustus A. White and Manohar M. Panjabi, he said, “The authors determined that the sitting posture actually places a 30 per cent increase on the spine as opposed to standing up and moving about.”
His advice is multi-fold, starting with being aware of what a good posture at the workplace is. He said, “It is important to maintain the proper curve in the lumbar spine while sitting.”
Dr. Samuel Saukkonen, a Chiropractor at Chiropractic Dubai, also spoke to Gulf News. Of preventive measures, he said a good posture is the most important aspect to ensure that the skeletal system is aligned correctly and the nervous system functions well.
“To prevent spinal injury get up every 20-30 minutes, and perform neck and head exercises. By doing so, the neuromuscular pathways are activated, keeping muscles, joints, ligaments and the underlying nervous system functioning properly,” he said.
Further, he advised regular exercise as it helps maintain good posture for a range of activities including sitting at one’s desk.
Gulf News also spoke to patients. Nicole Lau, a Malaysian professional in the trading industry, works for more than 12 hours at her desk. She said that she experienced pain in her neck and shoulders, but only when it worsened did she take it seriously. “I am a walking example of the cumulative effects of bad posture at the work desk.”
Emirati patient Rashid Beljaflah, an Operations Manager in Human Resources, said for six months he experienced a host of symptoms from headache, neck, shoulder and back pain before seeking chiropractic help. “I would rest over the weekend, get a massage, and even take muscle relaxants – nothing worked. At the chiropractor I learnt that my bad posture was the cause.”
