When people think of a work injury, they generally think of an accident that happened in a split second that generally couldn’t have been avoided. While those types of injuries account for many of the workers compensation cases filed each year, there is another type of injury that accounts for another large portion of claims. That type of injury occurs over a long period of time and it’s usually the result of repetitive activities or bad posture. Here are some tips from your work injury chiropractor in Kingston to help avoid these injuries that occur over a long term basis.
Use an Angled Footrest
Does your job require you to sit at your desk for hours on end throughout the day? If so, you probably aren’t keeping your knees at the proper angle for optimal health and blood circulation. When sitting at your desk, you should keep your knees at a 90 to 120 degree angle. If it helps, an angled footrest is a great investment to keep under your desk. Put your feet on the footrest to help get the proper angle for your knees and you’ll notice less pain and discomfort in your legs and knee joints.
Bend at the Knees
You’ve probably heard this hundreds of times before, but your work injury chiropractor in Kingston confirms that it’s always better to bend at the knees when you lift something heavy. Bending at the hip is going to cause a great deal of back pain. Even if it doesn’t happen right away, you can slowly strain your back muscles over time and they will eventually become weak. You might not even notice it until one day when you bend over to pick up a heavy object and you throw your back out. Bending at the knees helps avoid this. Also, invest in a high quality back brace or ask your company to provide you with one if your job involves the regular lifting of heavy materials throughout a normal workday.
Take Frequent Breaks
Possibly the worst thing you can do when you work at an office job all day is to sit at your desk without a break for hours on end. It’s not good for your body to sit for more than a couple hours without standing up and stretching. You should get up about every hour and stretch your joints and muscles to help prevent pain and soreness – even if it’s only for a couple minutes at a time. This can also help prevent or lessen various injuries that are induced or magnified by consistent long term stationary positions that strain the body.
You can rest easy knowing that we have a team of qualified and skilled individuals on our side who will help build and restore your health from the inside out. Contact Power Chiropractic Health Center LLC.
