The 6 common types of muscle injuries when working in front of a PC

A summary of the main common Muscle injuries caused by working in front of a PC with poor posture.

Working for more than 8 hours in front of a computer is the daily routine of many employees, especially those who work in offices or from home.

Many working days are spent sitting, with few breaks in which to stretch or relax the muscles. Add to this the fact that few people incorporate physical exercise into their daily lives, and we have a serious problem of sedentary lifestyles.

The muscle injuries common to working in front of a PC are increased by an inactive lifestyle, which is why they are becoming increasingly common.This is why they are becoming a serious public health problem. Here we will see what are the main injuries of this type and what to do to avoid them.

6 common muscle injuries when working in front of a PC.

Mostly, working hours are 8 hours from Monday to Friday, which translates into about 40 hours of work per week. While there are breaks for lunch, coffee and bathroom breaks, and hopefully short periods of relaxation, many workers spend many hours at a time in front of their PC, especially those who work in an office or from home.

Everyone knows that a sedentary lifestyle is detrimental to your health. Not moving enough is linked to various health problems, both physical and mentalIt also increases the chances of suffering from chronic diseases. Every year there are more and more cases of people suffering from overweight or obesity, with the World Health Organization (WHO) estimating that about 40% of the world's population suffers from these problems, which translated into numbers would be about 1.2 billion people.

On average, an adult spends almost 10 hours a day sitting down. This is not only due to work, although it is worth mentioning that it is of particular concern to remain seated in front of the computer for almost 8 hours a day. The extra 2 hours (which can be up to 8) are due to domestic "activities" such as watching TV, using the computer for recreational purposes or simply lying down.

The ideal is to take advantage of free time to exercise, move as much as possible.. This sounds great in theory, and we all have it internalized as the number 1 tip to combat sedentary life, but in practice it is more complicated. It's hard to fight exhaustion after a hard day's work and, added to the irritability and frustration associated with a heavy workload, the last thing on our minds when we get home is running a marathon, lifting weights or doing some squats.

For this reason, with the intention of trying to make the reader aware of the need to combat the sedentary lifestyle, instead of recommending the gratuitous advice to move, we are going to go for something much more effective: to publicize the main muscle injuries common to working in front of a PC. They are all ailments associated with spending hours sitting on chairs in an uncomfortable position.So, whoever says "working on the computer" also says "playing video games" or "scrolling on social networks".

1. Epicondylitis

Epicondylitis, also known as tennis player's disease. is an injury characterized by an intense pain in the external face of the elbow, just in the region of the epicondyle.

It is a painful inflammation in the muscles and tendons of this part of the body, caused by constant and repeated overexertion and tension on this region of the elbow. This injury occurs specifically at the insertion points of the tendons of the humerus, radius and ulna bones.

Although it is usually attributed to physical exercise such as tennis or paddle tennis, it can also be caused by spending too much time in front of a computer and maintaining an inadequate posture. To alleviate this ailment, the treatments used include physiotherapy, the application of ice and the consumption of painkillers.

2. Low back pain

Low back pain, more popularly known as lumbago, is a pain located in the lower part of the back. a localized pain in the lower back that can present itself in two forms, one acute and limited in time and the other chronic.which lasts in the long term.

The lifetime incidence is estimated to be between 60-90% of the population, which means that 9 out of 10 people worldwide may experience low back pain in their lifetime. Fortunately, about 80-90% of cases are temporary, and only 10% of cases have a long, chronic duration.

Among the most common causes of this ailment is a strained ligament or muscle in the back. A muscle strain in the lower spine can cause microcracks and lesions to develop, which are what cause the pain. Also can also be caused by having the back arched for too long, given the mechanical stress associated with having the spine in such a position..

Preventive treatments include postural correction, considered the best tools to prevent acute low back pain. For this reason, if we cannot stop working at a computer, we should watch our posture, sitting with a straight back, with a correct angle of support that allows the spine to rest.

3. Tension headaches

Sometimes we get headaches because of sitting in the wrong position. Tension headaches occur when the muscles of the neck and scalp contract as a result of psychological discomfort, especially due to stress, anxiety or stress-related stress.This is especially due to stress, anxiety and depression, along with poor postural habits and head injuries. All of these problems can damage the neck musculature.

These ailments are common due to a combination of work stress and poor posture. Tension headaches manifest themselves in many ways, such as pressure in one eye, pain in the sinuses or in the form of tension around the head..

To avoid these discomforts it is very important to use de-stressing techniques, take the air slowly and, in case the potential cause is emotional, go to a specialist, especially a psychologist to see if there is some kind of psychological problem such as anxiety and depression that causes it. He or she will give us recommendations to manage the psychological discomfort and also strategies to manage work stress.

4. Scoliosis

Scoliosis is more than a muscular injury is a bony injury in which the affected person's spine curves to one side due to having maintained an incorrect posture. because of having maintained an incorrect posture repeatedly and for a long time. As a consequence of the curvature of the spine, the affected person may feel great pain in the back and discomfort when sitting. This injury can be mild or severe depending on how curved the spine is.

It can be prevented by using ergonomic furniture in the office, as well as doing exercises that help to center the spine, such as swimming. such as swimming. In the most severe cases, surgery will be necessary to center the spine, a process that is quite painful as many vertebrae have to be relocated.

5. Lordosis

It is normal for the spine to present curves in the neck, torso and lower back, positioning the head of the pelvis in a natural way. In addition, these curvatures serve as shock absorbers, these curvatures serve as shock absorbers, distributing the tension that occurs during movement, walking or grasping objects.when walking or grasping objects.

However, sometimes it happens that these curvatures are accentuated, producing lordosis, which resembles scoliosis, but instead of curving the spine to one side, it curves forward and backward in an exaggerated manner. Lordosis is diagnosed when an excessive curvature of the lower back is observed..

This condition can involve muscle pain and is caused, in addition to not using a proper ergonomic seat, by factors such as age and certain medical conditions, congenital and acquired, including achondroplasia, discitis, obesity, kyphosis and osteoporosis.

6. Carpal tunnel syndrome

Finally we have the carpal tunnel syndrome in which the muscles and tendons of the hand are affected. This condition is caused by the immobilization of the median nerve of the hand, nerve that is located right in the carpal tunnel. It usually occurs when repetitive activities are done with the hand, causing fluid to accumulate in the hand.This causes fluid to accumulate in this area and the tendons under the tunnel become inflamed, causing pain in almost the entire hand, especially the middle finger, index finger and thumb.

As a consequence, this disease prevents a natural movement of the wrist, causing different degrees of pain and temporary disability, although it can become chronic. This ailment is common in people who perform manual jobs that demand flexion movement with the hand, being common in tennis players, padel players and, also, people who work every day with their hands.It is common in tennis players, padel players and also in people who work every day with computers, typing and using the mouse constantly.

What to do to avoid this type of ailment?

For to avoid this type of ailments associated with using the PC for long periods of time we can follow the following list of tips:

• Get up every 30 minutes, preferably doing some stretching.
• Answer the phone or watch TV standing up.
• Use ergonomic chairs and place high tables in the work environment, which help to avoid involuntary arching of the back.
• Make work meetings walking or standing.
• If we work at home, place the computer or tablet on a running machine and walk while we work.

These small tips are ideal to avoid muscle injuries, as they serve to relax the muscles and avoid any physical problems.These small tips are ideal to avoid muscle injuries, since they serve to relax the muscles and avoid any type of physical problem. Incorporating them progressively in our daily life can make a big difference, besides being an effective but not very intense way to fight against sedentary lifestyles.