A director of a physical therapy clinic in Taipei yesterday spoke about the risks associated with poor posture from excessive use of electronics, giving advice about how posture can be improved.
Pan Hsiao-ping (潘筱萍), director of the physical rehabilitation program at Shu Tien clinic, cited a recent case in which a manager at a technology company who is in his 30s recently began experiencing headaches, as well as a stiff neck and shoulders due to excessive computer use at work.
The man sought medical help after finding that he could not extend or rotate his neck — a condition known colloquially as “turtle head” — and could not sleep properly, Pan said, adding that only after undergoing physical therapy, receiving deep tissue massages, taking medication and making changes to his posture was the man able to recover.
Pan said that turtle head is often the result of poor posture, causing muscles to get stretched and tire out, in some cases even leading to deformed joints.
Pan said that only in very rare causes are the symptoms caused by pre-existing physiological abnormalities.
However, weak upper back muscles, osteoporosis, poor vision and other related ailments that develop naturally with age can contribute to the development of turtle head, Pan said.
“In recent years, the excessive use of electronics has caused turtle head among many people. Twenty years ago, most of those patients were older than 50 and seeking medical attention due to upper and lower back pain. Now, more than half of our patients younger than 50 are coming to us with neck and shoulder pain,” she said.
While turtle head is not a disease and in most cases is only temporary, maintaining an improper posture for a prolonged period of time can lead to a sore neck, stiff shoulders, headaches and cartilage abrasion that can lead to inflammation around the joints, Pan said.
In the most severe cases, this can lead to the atrophy and malformation of vertebrae and joints, and subsequently to constriction of surrounding nerves and arteries, she added.
“Aside from medication and physical therapy, people should practice proper posture and regularly exercise their muscles. In the event of a serious ailment, treatment should be sought, as with any disease,” Pan said, adding that those who use a computer at work should pay particular attention to their posture while sitting and should exercise their neck muscles regularly.
“After 30 minutes of work, people are advised to stand up and exercise their neck and shoulders,” Pan said.
The exercises can include “lying down for approximately 10 minutes for every two to four hours of work, or pressing your back against a wall with moderate pressure for one to five minutes at a time,” she said.
“To strengthen upper back muscles, cross your arms behind your back, pull in your chin, straighten your chest and arch your shoulders. Raise your arms behind your back, hold this posture for five to 10 seconds and repeat six to eight times, three times per day,” she said.
“This can help prevent the onset of turtle head,” she added.
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