Pain in the...

After 40 odd hours (sometimes very odd:-)  sitting at desks and conference room tables -  necks, backs and shoulders complain. They complain bitterly through big angry knots, aches, pains and sometimes loss of mobility (frozen shoulder, inability to turn your head etc).  It’s not their fault – they’ve been treated poorly and are responding as such.

So what do you do when you wake up Sat morning and your shoulders feel like they’re made of rocks?

Read on for a couple of quick ways to help you get back on track when you are suffering upper back tension and some tips for preventing it happening again.

I’m in agony but I haven’t done anything to injure myself...

Not true I’m afraid. You may have not been lifting weights, painting the ceiling or doing headstands but simply sitting incorrectly at your desk or walking around with your shoulders at your ears isn’t nothing.  Neck and back tension can build up over time and suddenly the simplest movement can cause sudden sharp, shooting pains, difficulty turning head, looking up, down or to one side.

·         Try to isolate where the pain is coming from. It can sometimes feel like it’s your WHOLE BACK/SHOULDER/NECK area. Often it’s one offending part that’s causing complications up along the back and neck area. Once you find out where the pain is stemming from try to apply heat to the area. Hot shower or bath with *essential oil of Rosemary,  a heat patch – available from most chemists or one of those microwaveable cushions are good also. The heat brings fresh blood to the area and helps the body remove waste products like lactic acid* from the area. 

·         Get a good massage or acupuncture. Both massage and acupuncture are extremely beneficial in treating upper back tension.  When you’re already in pain you might not like the idea of having the area worked on but often you will feel immediate relief with more mobility in the hours that follow your treatment.

*Essential oil of Rosemary bath. Rosemary essential oil is widely available – usually under €10 per bottle and is a great essential oil for pain relief and muscular tension. Drop 6-8 drops of the oil in to half a glass of full fat milk (weird I know but it stops the oils from sitting on top of the water) and add to a hot bath. Lie back and relax! Nice alternatives to Rosemary oil are Marjoram or Lavender. Never apply the neat essential oil directly to your skin as this will likely cause irritation.

*Lactic acid is a nasty sticky gloopy waste product produced by the body in response to movement. Usually it’s removed naturally however If it isn’t removed from the area properly it binds muscle fibres together preventing them from working normally. 

I never want to feel like this again....

Akin to Sunday morning hangovers the world over my clients swear they won’t let their backs get in to such a state again. Never will I ever etc. However it’s hard to break routines and despite our best intentions it is very easy to get back in to old habits.  Trying to change lots of habits overnight is too much to ask. It takes 21 days of repetition to create a habit so bear that in mind the next time you are trying to take up/give up something. Try one small change a month and see how you get on.

·         Drink more water! You’ve heard it said a hundred times before but water is essential for virtually every single body function – including getting rid of that nasty lactic acid and waste products from your muscles. Guidelines vary but typically women are recommended to drink approx 2L per day and slightly more for men. If you’re very active then another half litre on top of this is a good idea.   

·         Address your posture. Set a reminder every hour or even once a day to begin to review your posture. Think about it when you are sitting, standing, walking, running or sleeping.  When sitting - shoulders down and back, head straight, stomach muscles slightly engaged, feet flat on the ground, hip width apart. Look at one area at a time and you’ll get there. Strengthening abdominal and back muscles will make this much much easier. Pilates and any core work is great for this

·         Avoid being totally immobile. If you are stuck at a desk don’t stay in the same position all day. Streeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetch – it feels great and immediately releases endorphins which lift your mood. Rotate your shoulders gently, get your shoulder blades moving (think swimming strokes) and gently drop your neck to one side then the other then forward and look up.  All of these should be done gently avoiding any sudden movements.  If you think your co workers are looking at you funny smile smugly in the knowledge that you will be pain free for another week.

That’s enough to be getting on with for now! Enjoy your week and if you have any questions feel free to mail me at Deirdre@myworklifebalance.ie or visit the Work Life Balance web site

Stress and Exercise

One of the most important things when coping with stress is exercise.

Exercise helps relieve the symptoms of stress greatly and usually leaves you feeling a million times better. It can be hard to get motivated but once you get in to the routine of exercising regularly you will notice a difference in both your physical and mental state.

The reason for this is very simple. Exercise in its various forms releases endorphins in the brain essentially making you happier. Endorphins also help when coping with pain as they have analgesic properties.

Exercising also improves blood flow to your brain making sure that the correct amount of oxygen and nutrients are delivered in a timely fashion.

When working the brain hard the neurons in your brain function more intensely. As they do they produce a waste product that can build up leaving your thinking unclear and 'foggy'. Exercise helps the body rid itself of waste products and thus improving brain function.

So if you're not already convinced - exercise will also improve the condition of your heart, lungs, circulatory and vascular systems and aside from making you feel great, exercise will assist with weight loss in conjunction with a proper diet.

So get going. Don't join a gym unless you are 100% sure that you will use it enough to justify the pricing. Start simply by going for a short walk or swim once a week, then twice a week and increasing frequency and duration as your fitness levels adjust. 

For those who seek more of a challenge try something new and exciting like street dancing or pole fitness (www.twirl.ie), ballet, tap or salsa!

If that's not your cup of tea there are plenty of group activities available like Tag rugby, football, basketball, or athletics (often available through your company - see www.bhaa.ie).

Human bodies need activity and exercise almost as much as we need food and water. If your job is sedentary then you particularly need to take the initiative and get moving.

NB: If you are not used to taking exercise regularly, then it may be appropriate to take medical advice before starting an exercise program.

What is stress?

What is Stress? How Does It Impact?

Stress is a term that is bandied about a lot. What is certain, however, is that everyone will experience stress at some point in their life. How it is experienced and how it is coped with will vary from person to person.
Hans Sayle (1907—1982) - the 'father of stress research’ - is largely responsible for what we know about the human body and stress. He researched the general adaptation syndrome — more commonly known as ‘fight or flight’.
There are three distinct stages to the stress response.

• Stage 1 - Alarm When your body perceives a threat (real or imagined) adrenaline is released. This causes your body to react by cutting off circulation to less immediately important systems (digestion and reproduction) and sends the blood to areas of the body that are responsible for physically carrying you away from the threat. You'll have experienced this at some point in your life — your pupils dilate, your heart rate and breathing accelerates, adrenaline frees energy stores in your liver and blood from your spleen, sending it coursing through your veins.
  A certain amount of stress is healthy and can give you the little push you need to perform whether it be during a race or in the board room. However, if the perceived threat does not disappear, the body enters a second phase
• Stage 2 - Resistance The body cannot sustain the initial phase for more than a short period of time and so tries to adapt and meet the demands of the situation. If sufficient rest from the stressor is not received, the body depletes itself which eventually leads to stage three…
• Stage 3 - Exhaustion By this third stage, your body is at its limit. Long term damage is under way and the body is no longer able to repair itself. The initial response symptoms may appear: raised heart rate, sweating and so on, and the body’s immune and endocrine glands are damaged. With reduced immune function your body is much more open to illness and infection.

The Results of Stress

For the individual, ulcers, diabetes, cancer, stroke as well as other cardiovascular problems can manifest. Depression, anxiety, insomnia, nervous exhaustion and mental breakdown are also common.
For the organisation, issues of contagious low morale, and reduced productivity can results, with increased absenteeism commonplace.

For more information on coping with stress please visit http://www.myworklifebalance.ie/ or email info@myworklifebalance.ie