Fit and fine: Why are young people complaining of nagging pains and aches today...
So you finish college and are lucky to land a job in a call center. In no time you are spending hours working on your computer, tied to your desk. Soon you start to notice stiffness and slight pain in one side of your neck, then your upper back/shoulder blade area starts to ache and finally you have tingling pain down your arm!
You say to yourself: ‘I am a young guy, how can I have these aches and pains?’ But, what you are experiencing is not unique or unusual. It’s called the Mouse Neck/ Shoulder and is also known as the Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI).
Repetitive Strain Injury or repetitive motion injury is mostly a work-related musculoskeletal disorder. It can affect muscles, tendons, joints and nerves. Generally, RSI is caused by improperly-designed workstations, incorrect posture and inadequate fitness.
Repetitive injury results in repeated tissue micro-trauma, which disrupts the normal repair process, leading to reduced blood supply, reduced activity of nerves, muscle fiber loss and even cell death. Some individuals with RSI have severe pain, others just lose strength and fine muscle control.
How a niggle becomes a literal pain in the neck!
Hours of sitting and working on badly-designed workstations, then spending leisure time peering at a mobile screen and finally sleeping on a misshapen pillow often results in a stiff neck and/or a mild headache. If ignored, this can get worse and disrupt everyday activities. Soon you will be popping painkillers to get through the day, but the pain will seem to only get worse over time.
Finding the cause
Look at your workstation. Is the computer screen at eye-level? Is your wrist bent backwards while using the mouse? Does your desk make you shrug your shoulders up? While typing, do your elbows hang free? If your answer is yes to these questions, then it’s time to make changes to your workstation.
(Ensure that your computer screen should be at eye level (Illustration : Sunil Kumar Mallik ))
Here’s a workstation checklist to keep RSI at bay:
1.The computer screen should be at eye-level.
2.Your wrist should be straight.
3.Your shoulders should not be shrugged up while sitting.
4.And finally, the chair should support the elbows.
The cure: stretch and strengthen
1.Stretch your neck by touching your chin to the chest and then look straight up at the ceiling. Turn your head left and then right. Do these stretches 10 times each.
2.Get up from your desk every half an hour, walk a few steps.
3.Strengthen your neck by pushing it backwards towards your chin with your fingers in such a way as to form a double chin. Hold this position for 10 seconds. Do this three to four times in a day.
Author bio: Kamal Singh CSCS is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with a coaching experience of 15 years. He specialises in post rehabilitation training and has worked with some of the biggest names in the corporate and sports world. Kamal was picked by Men’s Health magazine as one of India’s Top personal trainers.
courtesy : hindustantimes.com
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Vijay secures majority support, set to stake claim to form Tamil Nadu govt
Chennai: After four days of political uncertainty and intense negotiations in Tamil Nadu, actor-politician Vijay is learnt to have secured the numbers required to form the government, sources said.
Supporters gathered outside Vijay’s residence in Chennai on Friday evening, raising slogans in support of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam soon after reports emerged that the party had managed to secure majority support.
Sources said Vijay is expected to meet Tamil Nadu Governor R. V. Arlekar on Friday evening to stake claim to form the government. The meeting is likely to take place around 6 pm.
In its electoral debut in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, TVK won 108 out of the 234 seats, dealing a major blow to the 62-year political dominance of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.
However, Governor Arlekar had reportedly made it clear that the party would not be invited to form the government without proving a clear majority. Even after two rounds of discussions on Wednesday and Thursday, the Governor is learnt to have maintained his stand that letters of support from at least 118 MLAs must be submitted in the 234-member Assembly.
Apart from Vijay, TVK had the backing of 107 MLAs. Vijay had contested from Tiruchy (East) and Perambur constituencies and won both seats, meaning he would have to resign from one seat before taking oath. This increased the need for additional support.
Amid the political developments, five MLAs from the Congress party, which reportedly moved away from the DMK-led alliance, extended support to Vijay. Vijay also held discussions with leaders of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Communist Party of India.
The VCK, CPI(M) and CPI had so far been allies of the DMK. At the same time, political discussions intensified in the state over speculation that the DMK could even explore a post-poll understanding with its long-time rival AIADMK to prevent an alternative government from taking shape.
Reports had been circulating since Friday afternoon that the VCK and Left parties were likely to support Vijay. Sources later said that the VCK, CPI(M) and CPI agreed to extend the support of two MLAs each, helping TVK cross the required majority mark.
All eyes are now on the Governor’s next move and the official announcement regarding the formation of the new government in Tamil Nadu.
