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.

(Chin tuck exercises also helps relieve pain (Illustration : Sunil Kumar Mallik ))

 

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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Sangrur (PTI): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday laid the foundation stone of a Rs 14.63 crore modern sports stadium here, underscoring that expanding access to quality playgrounds alongside a strong education system is key to steering the youth towards "purpose, performance, and global achievement".

The stadium coming up on 4.38 acres in Satouj will offer professional training and host a wide range of sports including badminton, handball, judo, netball, basketball, volleyball, football, gymnastics, kabaddi and karate, according to an official release.

"It is a historic day for the region as this stadium is coming up at a cost of Rs 14.63 crore. This stadium will be constructed over an area of 4.38 acres, and the complex will host various sporting activities," Mann said.

"The stadium will have a 200-metre athletic track, pavilion for spectators and players and a multipurpose indoor sports hall," he said.

While highlighting the wide range of facilities being created, Mann said professional training opportunities will be provided to children and youngsters in the stadium, adding that this project will ensure that the area emerges as a sports hub.

Emphasising the importance of balanced development, he said, "When there is a good school for education and a proper ground for sports, a child can bring glory to their village, state, and country on the global stage."

Reaffirming the Punjab government's focus on youth development, Mann said, "It is a matter of immense pride and satisfaction that the Punjab government is successfully providing world-class facilities for education and sports."

This project will help in further breaking the backbone of drugs by fostering sporting culture in the state, and it will help in channelising the unbounded energy of youth of state in a positive manner, he said.

Such stadiums will play an important role in helping the youth stay away from the curse of drugs and in order to encourage the youngsters to realise their dreams of winning medals in national and international sporting events, the CM said.

Later, Mann launched an ultra-modern community health centre here that aims to benefit the residents of 85 villages. It is equipped with round-the-clock emergency services, surgical facilities, treatment for serious illnesses and specialist care for children, he said.

Mann alleged that previous governments neglected regions like Dirba and kept development restricted. He said his government is reversing this by investing public money back into villages through hospitals, schools, libraries and roads.

"To impart quality health services to people, we have dedicated the CHC at village Kauhrian... This ambitious project has been completed at a cost of Rs 13.23 crore and the centre has a capacity of 30 beds," he said.

He further noted, "The CHC will also have paediatric specialists for treating children's diseases, and free treatment along with all necessary tests for mothers and children will be provided."

Mann added that dental treatment will also be provided by a specialist at the facility.