Proper posture while at work to prevent repetitive injuries and strains.

1. POSTURAL CARE IN
ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING
Dr. Tripti Chowdhary
Physiotherapist,
Fortis.

2. DEFINITON OF POSTURE
The word "posture" comes from the Latin verb
"ponere" which is defined as "to put or place."
The general concept of human posture refers to "the
carriage of the body as a whole, the attitude of the
body, or the position of the limbs (the arms and legs).
Sometimes these injuries are referred to as
“Cumulative Trauma Disorders” (CTDs), “Repetitive
Strain Injuries” (RSIs) or Musculo Skeletal
Disorders(MSDs).

3. ERGONOMICS
 Ergonomics literally means “the laws of work”.
 OSHA defines ergonomics as the science of “designing
the job to fit the worker, instead of forcing the worker
to fit the job.”

4. AM I AT RISK FOR A MSD
Do you????
 Perform frequent repetitive motions?
 Bend at the waist or twist when lifting objects?
 Lift push or pull objects throughout the day?
 Sometimes use the wrong tool for the job?
 Grasp tools with your fingers?
 Forget to take breaks while working?
 Feel like you are under stress?
 Have to stretch to reach your work?
 Forget to adjust your work area to fit your task?
The more you answered “yes”, the greater your
risk

5. RISK FACTORS THAT LEAD TO MSD
 Awkward posture
 Static loading or sustained exertion
 Contact stress
 Force
 Vibration
 Repetition of same motion for several hours/day
 Length of tasks without breaks
 Insufficient rest time
 Psychosocial stress

6. SOCIAL AFFECT
 Decrease Health & Quality of life
 Loss of self worth and fear of future
 Psychosocial consequences, e.g.,
anxiety, stress & depression
 Decrease Community involvement
 Decrease Recreational activities

7. ECONOMIC AFFECT
 Lost wages
 Absenteeism (Mean 18 days)
 Medical costs ($ 7000-30,000 per
person)
 Recruiting and training new staff
 Retraining injured workers
 Decrease Productivity & quality
 Compensation

8. SYMPTOMS OF MSDS
Discomfort Numbness
LossTingling
of strength
Pain
Swelling
Reduced range of motion
Fatigue
Stiffness
Aching

9. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF ERGONOMICS?
 Reduction of work-related injuries
 Increased worker productivity
 Increased work quality
 Reduced absenteeism
 Increased morale
Ergonomics provides a win-win
situation….on and off the job

10. PREVENTIONS
 They are preventable and reversible if identified
early.
 The treatment depends on the stage of MSD.
 If the condition cannot be reversed, treatment
can turn into a pain management situation.
The individual plays a large role in
preventing MSD’s.

11. COMPONENTS OF SELF
TREATMENT OF BACK AND NECK
PAIN
Correct Posture
Correct Body Mechanics
Correct Exercises

13. ANATOMY OF SPINE

14. BACK POSTURE

15. OFFICE OF HORRORS

16. Head and Neck
Incorrect head and neck position

17. Action to Take
• Check the distance of the monitor (22-26”).• Check the side-to-side position of the monito
Correct head and neck position

18. Lower
Back
Incorrect lower back position
 When you sit down the inward curve in your lower back flattens,
this places pressure in the spine.

19. Actions to Take
• Get a footrest if you need one .
• If you need more support in the small of your back,
try using a lumbar support.
Correct lower back
position

20. Legs and Knees
Incorrect leg and knee position
What can happen
Pressure can build up under thighs and behind knees if your chair in not
adjusted properly.

21. IDEAL OFFICE

22. EXERCISES FOR THE OFFICE
• One of the biggest injury risk factors is static posture
• Try to spend at least 5 minutes every hour away from your computer
• Remember to ONLY stretch to the point of mild tension
• Try to incorporate the stretches into your daily routine
Hand Exercises
Tightly clench your hand into a fist and release, fanning out the fingers. Repeat 3 times

23. CERVICAL STRETCH
 Seated position
 1 hand on contralateral
upper trapezius
 1 hand on temporal/occipital
lobe
 Gently apply pressure to
laterally flex & flexion

24. CERVICAL ROTATION STRETCH
 Seated position
 1 hand on contralateral
upper trapezius
 1 hand on mandible
 Gently apply pressure
to rotate head

25. CHIN TUCKS
 If you are having neck pain or headaches, try tucking your chin
back as far as it will go, keeping your eyes parallel to the floor.
 Do 10 repetitions slowly, without holding the stretch, every 2 hours
if you are having neck pain.

26. Poor posture
 Normal load on weak or
unprepared back
 Fatigue
 Improper posture/ chronic
malpositioning
 Lack of exercise, poor
physical conditioning
 Weight control problems

27. USE CORRECT POSTURE!
 Most common cause of low back pain is poor posture.
 Find your correct standing posture by squeezing your
buttocks, pulling your “pits to your hips”, and
tucking in your chin.
 Maintain correct seated posture using a lumbar roll.
 Take frequent standing breaks top bend backward
5-6 repetitions, every hour if you have low back pain.

28. USE CORRECT POSTURE (CONT.)
 If you have pain while sleeping, try using pillows
for support and a roll around your waist.

29. CORRECT & INCORRECT TECHNIQUES

30. GETTING OUT OF BED
When getting in and out of
bed, always roll through
your side with knees
together. Use your arms
to push yourself up or
lower your self down as
your legs swing off/on the
bed.

31. PULLING AN OBJECT

32. LOW BACK EXTENSION
EXERCISES
 Prone, or lying on your stomach on the floor or bed, is the best position
in which to do extension exercises. If you have no place to lie down (ie
– you are out shopping), then do the exercise standing.

33. LOW BACK FLEXION EXERCISES
 Bring your knees to your chest slowly, then lower your feet back
down to the ground. Do 10 repetitions pulling your knees a little
further towards your chest with each repetition.
 If you are under the age of 65, try back extension exercises first.
If this aggravates your condition, then do a trial of flexion
exercises.
Pelvic Tilts Pelvic Tilts

34. Single Knee to
Chest

35. FLEXION EXERCISE
 Double knee to chest
stretch

36. Some exercises for the back…
PELVIC TILT
Lower trunk
rotation stretch

37. TRUNK FLEXION STRETCH
Trunk flexion stretch
Prone lumbar extension

38. ALTERNATE PRONE LEG
EXTENSION
Alternate prone leg extension
Aerobic conditioning

39. BREAKS IDEAS
 Eye breaks - blink to moisten eyes every 5-10 minutes.
Every 15 minutes or so look away from the screen to
distant part of room.
 Micro-breaks - between burst of activity rest the hands,
neck and shoulders in a relaxed straight posture.
 Rest breaks - every 30-60 minutes take a brief 5-minute
break and engage in another activity.
 Exercise breaks - every 1-2 hours do gentle stretching
exercises

40. STRETCHES & BREAKS
 Static positions are your enemy!
 Whenever you think of it, change position
 Small frequent stretches go a long way in
preventing MSD’s.

41. Stay Fit, Work Hard
and Thank You!

42. Dr. Tripti Chowdhary
e-mail-tripti.lhmc@gmail.com
Mob -9891534395