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Postural/Ergonomic Assessment

Postural issues can affect almost anyone, though the “desk jockey” who sits at a computer all day for work is the most typical scenario. With an unprecedented amount of individuals now working from home, poor posture and injuries resulting from it have only become more common. Neck pain, constant nagging tension at the shoulders and upper back, low back stiffness and aches, migraines/headaches, persistent hip tightness, and even jaw pain can all result from improper posture and sitting at a poorly set up desk, table, or workstation.

Another very common injury as the result of improper workstation biomechanics is carpal tunnel syndrome, which is the when one suffers from tingling and numbness at the hand caused by a pinched nerve at the wrist. The treatments provided by Dr. Jelen at Unity Chiropractic and Wellness Center can be very successful at easing the pressure and tension of this nerve. In fact, Dr. Jelen has helped countless patients avoid carpal tunnel surgery through the success of his work.

Dr. Jelen is very experienced at helping patients improve their posture, properly set up their workstation—either at the office, at home, or both—and prevent reoccurrences. Dr. Jelen can also assess and see if an adjustable sit/stand workstation would be ideal for you. He can also give specific recommendations regarding ergonomic accessories, such as a standing mat or wrist pad for your mousing and keyboarding needs.

Lastly, sleep position is a type of posture that often gets overlooked. It is absolutely critical to have a supportive mattress and a pillow that is individually sized to you. After all, we spend 6-9 hours per day sleeping, so if the biomechanics for this are “off” or not ideal, this can lead serious injuries, includes neck pain, low back pain, headaches, and numbness or tingling into the arms. Dr. Jelen has extensive experience treating these conditions, including how they relate to your sleep positioning. Amongst other sleep tips and recommendations, he can recommend specific products such as ergonomic cervical pillows that a properly fitted to support your body and neck.

Whatever the exact injuries caused by a patient’s workstation setup and/or postural throughout work or sleep, Dr. Jelen can thoroughly examine you to find the root cause. In-office treatments incorporate not only improving your workstation ergonomics but also addressing the affected regions of your body. With postural issues, there is typically some sort of imbalance in your body (head is angled too far forwards, body weight is shifted towards one side more than the other, etc.). Our treatments work to realign and maintain these imbalances through chiropractic adjustments, manual therapy, myofascial release, instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM), and specialized home care. Patients will be instructed on simple but effective individualized home exercises, postural corrective drills, and stretches that can easily be performed before, during, and after your work days in order to prevent and relieve neck/back pain, muscle tightness, joint stiffness, and headaches.