The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Computer jobs can cause back, neck pain

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 22, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Computer jobs can cause back, neck pain

R. Sujatha

Short breaks, stretching and walking needed to keep fit

BACK ACHE: Leaning towards the computer for long hours could eventually lead to back pain and bad posture. — PHOTO: S. THANTHONI

CHENNAI: If you are spending a lot of time in front of a computer, take care. Orthopaedists insist that wrong posture can lead to a host of problems. As work picks up momentum the tendency is to bend towards the computer. This reduces the endurance of deep neck flexors (muscles) and results in a stiff neck.

A prolonged sitting alters posture of shoulder, neck, back, wrist and thumb movement, resulting in cervicogenic headache. It automatically leads to low back pain and curvature change of the spine. A sedentary lifestyle further complicates the problem.

Constant working of the wrist (using the mouse) produces numbness, pain, and abnormal tingling sensations. Doctors call it `carpal tunnel' syndrome.

At orthopaedist V. Subramanian's clinic in Chromepet, four of the 20 patients he sees every day come from the IT sector. They are from the middle class and aged 20-30. They suffer from chronic lumbo-sacral strain (low back pain). At least one in ten gets serious and is out of work for two, three months, and may leave the profession. "Ten years ago we did not see so many of them," he says.

Spine surgeon Sajan K. Hegde, attached to Apollo Hospitals, says: "Five to 10 per cent of our patients are from the IT/ITES industry. The human body is not designed to sit without movement for long hours. Stretching and walking improves concentration also. Smoking causes chronic problems."

At the Dolphin Institute of Biomedical and Natural Sciences in Dehradun, a team is studying working conditions in IT companies in the Uttaranchal region. "We are studying internationally recognised companies to find out if they follow rules stipulated abroad for their companies," says T.R. Nanda Kumar, head of its Department of Physiotherapy. Unlike in the West, where the IT sector evolved gradually, in India the growth has been chaotic. Companies are unaware of the need for "ergonomically designed workstations," notes C. Suresh Kumar, physiotherapist at Vijaya Institute of Trauma and Orthopaedics.

Specialists advise short breaks every 30 minutes. "Three hours of continuous sitting itself can be a strain on the back. The brain also tires," explains Dr. Subramanian. Avoid short chairs with rotating back and short armrest. Place monitors atleast one metre away from the body and the keyboard at chest level. The centre of the monitor should be at eye level. Feet should rest on a footrest. Chairs with tall backs to rest the spine and the head are necessary. The eyes should scan the paper/material and not the computer while typing. The printer should be on the table, close to the monitor. The UPS should be at the foot.

Treatment options

Orthopaedists recommend physiotherapy. Treatment modalities for correcting posture include traction and heat therapy.

Though companies have set up gyms and work out places for their staff, not everyone uses them because of irregular shift hours.

Software professional Bhavana says in her office, men, particularly smokers, take more breaks than women. Former software professional Madhan says: "When you begin concentrating on your work you don't want to take a break. You are hardly aware of your posture." And that leads to the complications.

(Names have been changed to protect identity).

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