Physical therapists ZiLi Wang and Ilija Dimitrovski gave staff at LIH Olivia’s Place Shanghai a workshop on managing workplace postures, including short assessments for staff with work or sports related pain. The health of our clinicians and support staff is very important, as having a pain-free body allows us to perform at our best.
Staff learned about the basics of core muscle strengthening to help maintain proper posture, and how to manage their works pace. Specific problems, such as neck, back, and shoulder pain were individually addressed, with the physical therapists showing their assessment flow – from asking subjective questions to the actual physical examination. Suggestions for exercises to relieve neck stress and stretch the neck and shoulder muscles were also given and demonstrated.
Here are a few of the exercises that were included:
Neck Extension: This exercise helps relieve pain from the neck after too much time spent looking down at laptops or paperwork.
Tuck your chin in and slide your whole head backward. Slowly extend your neck as you look up. Slowly right your head, then repeat the movement 10 times. Do not repeat this exercise if it worsens your pain!
Neck Muscle Stretches: These exercises help stretch out the neck muscles on both sides.
Look down and turn the head slightly (45 degrees) to either side. Take the arm on the side turned to, and gently pull the head down. Maintain the stretch for 30 seconds.
Core and Back Exercise: This is a general exercise that can be used to improve core strength and back stability. If it is too difficult to maintain, do only the legs or arms component.
Kneel down so that your back is flat and your knees and shoulders are flexed to 90 degrees. Slowly raise up one leg and at the same time raise the opposing arm, keeping your back flat. Hold the posture for up to 1 minute. Repeat using the opposite limbs.