By Tulsa Bone & Joint Physical Therapy Staff
Proper workplace posture is key to decreasing aches and pain throughout the neck, shoulders and back. So, where do you start when making your workspace ergonomic for yourself?
First, let’s discuss how poor posture can contribute to pain symptoms. With static posture, a person is more prone to slouching – especially with prolonged periods of time at a computer or on the phone. As a person slouches, they decrease spinal alignment. This contributes to decreased flexibility of the spine and decreased hydration to discs due to shearing forces within the spine. Also, the overuse of these supporting muscles causes tightness which can lead to headaches.
Now you might be wondering, what steps can I take in order to prevent poor posture while working from home or in the office?
The main focus will be getting in a neutral alignment:
- Sit back in the chair with upright posture
- Feet flat on the floor (do not cross at the ankles or at the knees)
- Adjust the seat so the knees are slightly higher than the hips
- Tilt the seat so the hips are slightly rotated forward for a neutral spine
- Arms will be at 90 degrees at the elbow, wrists straight, hands at elbow level
- Computer screen at eye level
- Maintain mouse, phone, printer within close proximity to minimize reaching
For frequent use of the phone:
- Utilize speaker feature or a headset to decrease cradling between head and shoulder
Finally, make sure to take breaks throughout the work day. You can set a reminder to either perform stretching at the work space or standing/walking breaks to reduce slouching positions.
Tulsa Bone & Joint is on the cutting edge of orthobiologic therapy. Patients can rest assured that our physicians take an honest, direct approach to this treatment.
While “orthobiologics” are an exciting medical breakthrough, the treatment is not yet covered by insurance since it is not FDA approved. Our physicians are upfront about that fact and about sharing with a patient how effective they expect the biologics therapy to be.
“Orthobiologic” injections are never a cure for arthritis, for example.
“I believe these biologic injections are here to stay, and we will have more indications for orthopedic use as more research emerges,” says Tony Jabbour, MD. “We strive at Tulsa Bone & Joint to have honest discussions with our patients based on scientific proof.”
Dr. Jabbour has used Autologous Conditioned Plasma or ACP to treat pain in his own knees, but he is careful to point out that the treatment is not an arthritis cure. ACP has been proven to decrease knee arthritis inflammation in an FDA-sanctioned study. ACP is still not covered by insurance.
“There is also lots of misinformation regarding what is truly an “orthobiologic” (bone marrow, fat) versus growth factor injections (platelet rich plasma – PRP, ACP, or concentrated amniotic fluid). We are extremely cautious on when to recommend them. PRP has been shown in a peer-reviewed study to treat chronic tendon problems such as Tennis Elbow. PRP is still not covered by insurance,” Dr. Jabbour says.
“Be careful if someone is pushing you hard to pay thousands of dollars in their office or at a so-called seminar. Most claims regarding knee arthritis, at these seminars, have not been confirmed to be cures. The graphics on some marketing videos or lectures can be dazzling. Please get your doctor to stick to the facts. They need to be honest about this still being an investigational treatment without FDA approval, and not covered by insurance. Be cautious if your medical information and indications’ source is from Facebook, or other social media,” Dr. Jabbour says.
The physicians at Tulsa Bone & Joint who practice orthobiologics believe there is a place for such treatments, but that they need to be conducted in a safe, professional and ethical manner.
“We first determine if established, insurance-covered, standard practices of medical care have been exhausted before moving on to these treatments,” says Keith Stanley, MD. “We would advise patients who pursue these treatments to do so through physicians (MD or DO) who can clearly establish this as a part of their specific medical practice.”
Dr. Stanley cautions patients exploring the possibility of orthobiologics treatments to be wary of medical practices that are trying to sell a special package in order to make a quick dollar. “Your treatments should be through a legitimate practice in the area of orthopedics and sports medicine.”
If you are interested in scheduling an appointment with one of our credentialed physicians to discuss the possibility of orthobiologic treatments, call 918-392-1400.
