HealthKlinix Newsletter – May 2022
LIFE HACK: 3 GREAT OFFICE STRETCHES
Human bodies are made to move for most of the day, so it’s no surprise that modern office life can leave us feeling stiff and lead to various injuries. Our bodies don’t like being made to sit for 8 hours a day. Here are three simple stretches that can help to reverse the postural effects of sitting all day.
Pectoral Stretch:
Stand facing away from a flat wall. Bend your knees slightly and step forward slightly. Keep your head, thoracic and base of the pelvis in contact with the wall, allowing small gaps where the curves of your spine are. Try to keep your head on the wall, but if you struggle with this, you can place a towel behind your head to keep this comfortable.Keep your chin tucked in gently and with your palms facing forward, move your arms up along the wall. Try not to let your head come away from the wall. This stretch targets your pectoral muscles and helps to develop a sense of what good spinal alignment is.
Lunges:
Step forward with one foot, keeping both feet facing forward. Let your back knee sink to the ground and shift your weight forward onto your front leg, letting your front knee bend to 90 degrees. Keep your hips even until you feel a stretch at the front of your hip. Hold for up to 2 minutes and then change legs. This stretch with help to open up your hips and counteract the effects of sitting for long periods.
Hamstring Stretch:
Find a clear space on the ground and stretch one leg out in front of you. Tuck your other leg in towards your inner thigh. Bend forward at your hips and lean towards your foot as far as possible. The stretch will be felt at the back of your thigh, if you feel a pull behind your knee, bend your knee slightly until you feel the stretch behind your thigh again.
Hold this stretch for up to 2 minutes and then swap legs. Repeat three times on each side.
Ask your physiotherapist to demonstrate these stretches and check you are doing them correctly. Your physiotherapist can also give you more tips for how to improve your office setup and keep your body healthy after a long day of sitting.
lEARN abOUT: bROKEN COLLAR BONES
What is the collar bone?
Also known as the clavicle, the collar bone is one of the bones that are most commonly broken in the body. Its function is to connect the thoracic region to the arm and is actually the only bony connection of the arm to the rest of the body. There are many muscles that attach to the collar bone, including the deltoid and pectoral muscles.
How do they usually break?
A fall directly onto the should is the most common way that the collar bone is broken. This often happens in sports such as mountain biking or football. This happens frequently in childhood from falls from playgrounds but can happen at any age.
- What does it feel like?
The pain of a broken collar bone is usually felt specifically over the broken area. When the break occurs there is usually a popping or cracking sensation along with sharp, severe pain. There might be ongoing grinding or creaking with movements of the upper arm. There will be swelling and bruising over the damaged region and difficulty lifting the arm.
- How is it treated?
Surprisingly, a broken collarbone is often left to heal without surgery. The bones are fixed together only in very severe cases, more often the treatment is to rest and support with a sling and pain relief. Most of the time the collar bone will heal on its own quite well. There will usually always be associated muscle and ligament damage that also needs to be addressed. Nerves, blood vessels and in some cases lung tissue underneath can be affected, causing the lunch to collapse.
- How can physiotherapy help?
Physiotherapy plays an essential role in recovery by helping you get back to your pre-injury strength and mobility with a targeted rehabilitation program.
None of the information in this article is a replacement for proper medical advice. Always see a medical professional for advice on your individual injury.
