How to Keep the Pain Away at Work

Neck and back pain are becoming more prevalent at the office.

80 percent of Americans have jobs that consist of little to no physical activity.  Neck and back problems are the second leading cause of disability in the US – and the leading cause of job-related disability, costing us more than $50 billion each year.  You can’t quit your job, so what can you do to help stop lingering pain?

1.  Sit Up Straight

Whether we realize it or not, we have a tendency to slouch at our desks.  Even more so when we’re using a mobile device.  The biggest problem is not paying attention to our posture on a daily basis.  Without even realizing it, we could be the cause of our own back pain.  Make an effort to sit up straight!  This could be as simple as putting a reminder in your phone or email.

2. Raise Your Chair

Adjust the height of your chair so that you’re just able to keep your feet flat on the floor.  This will help put your back and neck into a more upright position.

3.  Adjust Your Keyboard and Computer Monitor

When a keyboard and monitor are too low, your body will naturally slouch.  The ideal keyboard position keeps your arms parallel with the ground and your elbows at your side.  Your monitor should be situated so that your eyes are hitting the top third of your screen at all times.

4.  Work Standing Up

Have you seen the new desks that allow the height to be adjusted for sitting or standing?  These are marketed to consumers as an easy way to increase circulation and improve productivity.  Standing up while you work can also encourage correct posture.

5.  Buy a Posture Correcting Seat Cushion

These are designed to straighten and align your back.  By elongating your spine, you loosen up tension and age without a hunch.  

6. Stretch When You Can

Certain neck and back stretches can help reduce and sometimes, even eliminate pain.  They can be done at your desk or during your break.  Doing these stretches on a regular basis will keep your mind and body sharp.

Hopefully following one, or two, or more of these tips are able to alleviate some of your neck and back pain while at work.  Try to make these a part of your routine until they start to become healthy habits.  Doing the little things now can pay off later down the road!  

If the pain continues, consider VIVA Patch.  The flexible and form-fitting design sticks with you from your morning commute to the time you clock out.  The reduced scent formula won’t overwhelm your office with menthol.  Both you and your co-workers will be happy that you asked your provider about VIVA Patch!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month Hits Home At Terrain

A few weeks into my sophomore year of high school, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her mother had lost the battle 15 years earlier, so we knew the possibility existed. But you still never expect something like that to happen to you and your family. What came next is a true testament to the strength and courage displayed by those who must endure the physical and emotional challenges of cancer.

First, she had lumpectomy surgery. That was followed by a mastectomy. While in recovery from her mastectomy, the doctors discovered that 8 of the 10 lymph nodes they removed were enlarged. This meant that the cancer had spread into her rib cage and liver. This is when the doctors told my father to start “making arrangements.”

She started to fight back with four aggressive treatments of chemotherapy. That’s when she lost all of her hair, including her eyebrows and eyelashes. After those first four treatments, the doctors decided to give her a break with the two remaining treatments. These two treatments were what the doctors described as “a walk in the park” compared to the first four. As luck would have it, her body reacted poorly. She lost all of her fingernails, toenails, and even the skin on her palms and the bottoms of her feet. Then she began 28 straight days of radiation therapy.

Through it all, she kept her head held high. When my father and I offered to show our support by going bald, she adamantly protested (and won). I’d sit in the waiting room during her treatments. Each and every time she’d come out with a smile on her face, like nothing ever happened. She wouldn’t let cancer get in the way of being a wonderful wife, mother, sister, friend, and co-worker to those lucky enough to be in her life – all while fighting another battle with her insurance provider who tried to label her situation as a pre-existing condition! And six long months after her initial diagnosis, she was finally deemed cancer free.

She is not alone in her experience. Each year, hundreds of thousands of women are diagnosed with this terrible disease. Tens of thousands of women and families are not as fortunate as we were 14 years ago. For me, every October is a reminder of this. For my mother, every day is a reminder.

My mother, my family, and the entire Terrain Pharmaceuticals family want to offer our support to those of you who have been affected by breast cancer. If there is anything we can do for you and your family, please do not hesitate to reach out. We’ve been down this road before and we’d like to help others do the same.

Kyle-Operations Manager at Terrain Pharmaceuticals