Wow what a wake up call!! As an active in-shape (sort of) female getting a pulmonary embolism was about the last thing I would have expected. Here’s how it happened and how this all relates to ergonomics.
I had a minor surgery in December that required anesthesia. I was put on bed rest for 24 hours following the surgery.
Three days later I experienced extreme calf pain which I attributed to a pulled muscle. Upon advising my doctor about this pain he immediately recommended I go to the emergency room. I thought he was being overly cautious and being the workaholic that I am the thought of spending hours in ER seemed absurd. I decided to treat myself instead (big mistake). I took Advil for the pain and swelling, elevated my leg and waited for the calf pain to disappear. It didn’t. Finally, I came to my senses and went to a local clinic to get an ultrasound. The rest is history. I was diagnosed with a DVT (Deep-Vein Thrombosis) and the clots had traveled to my lungs. I wound up spending 8 days in the hospital.
DVT is a blood clot in a superficial vein, Pulmonary embolism most commonly occurs when a DVT breaks loose in the leg or pelvis and travels through the bloodstream to the lungs.

It has been 2 weeks and I am much better but here is how all this relates to ergonomics and New Years Resolutions…

DVT has been tagged the “desk-bound syndrome”. Sitting for long periods of time at a desk, on an airplane, or in a vehicle puts people at a higher risk of developing a DVT. The less you move the slower your blood circulates.

Ergonomics and New Year’s Resolutions
• If you sit at a desk use an articulating footrest. This helps to keep the blood circulating so that it does not pool in your ankles and your legs.
• Get up from your desk every 30-45 minutes. Get a drink of water, go to the fax/copier or restroom, etc.

• Consider a portable leg massager.
• On airplanes, request an aisle seat (less constricting) and practice ankle/calf exercises that can help move the blood from the lower extremities.
• Consider purchasing compression stockings at a medical supply store and wearing them. I do, and they really work.
• Avoid wearing socks that are too short and too tight as they make it much harder for the blood to circulate out of the lower body. Also, avoid crossing your legs for long periods.
• Drink plenty of fluids and avoid dehydrating fluids, such as coffee and alcohol. Dehydration causes blood to thicken and vessels to narrow.
• When traveling by car, stop every hour to walk around.
• Between connecting flights and during long flights, get up and move around. This squeezes the blood vessels, helping to prevent DVT by preventing the formation of blood clots.
• If you can’t easily move around, curl or press your toes down often throughout your trip.

I hope this condition never happens to any of you. Just add it to your list of New Year’s Resolutions, remember these simple techniques to prevent DVT and have a great, happy, healthy and prosperous 2010!

I just came across Dr. Lynn Kerew’s recent “Taking the Pain out of the Holidays”" blog and I really want to share this information with all of you. Dr. Kerew is a chiropractor who is very in-tune with the importance that ergonomics plays in a healthy lifestyle. This is great advice for all of us preparing for the Holidays and those of us traveling.

Per Dr. Kerew's blog, Last year, AAA reported a total of over 100 million Americans traveling during the holiday season in November and December. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the average Thanksgiving long-distance trip length is 214 miles, compared with 275 miles over the Christmas/New Year’s holiday. At the same time the near 50,000 shopping centers throughout America are expected to swell with busy shoppers, despite the state of the economy.

“Low back pain is the number one ailment my patients come to see me with during the holiday months,” said Dr. Lynn. “This is an exciting time of year for many folks, but it is filled with so much planning, traveling, gathering, shopping and often too little sleep that many people can get themselves into a world of hurt, literally!”

Dr. Lynn has several tips and reminders for everyone looking to make it a pleasant pain-free holiday season, also many of the items recommended in this list double as great holiday gift ideas for any friend or family member who travels frequently. Here are a few of Dr. Lynn's recommendations and your can read her blog in its entirety on her blog website: http://lynnkerewchiropractic.com/blog/

When shopping:

• Be sure to really be aware of how much time you are spending on your feet and especially how much weight you are carrying when shopping.
If you’re already in pain or have a history try to keep your shopping load to no more than 10% of your body weight.
• Consider a portable shopping cart to make those long days at the mall less painful, they may not be the sexiest, but neither is spending the holidays on your back!
• This simple ergonomic shopping bag handle is great for reducing hand, wrist and arm stress from carrying too many bags at once

• Wear proper walking shoes! Get a proper pair of shoes that will give you the proper support so you can walk for hours at a time. Pretend you will be walking on cobblestones the entire time; you will not want to wear shoes that will hurt after 1 hour.

When traveling:

• Get some sleep! On overnight flights, bring some sleeping aids. Even if you are not tired, force yourself to sleep by using homeopathic supplements you can purchase at the homeopathic store. If you don’t sleep you will be jetlagged for days. Likewise, use JetLag homeopathic remedy when you arrive and just before you go home; about 12 hours before on either end will really help you.
• Get up often on the flight if you are not sleeping. This will help to prevent DVT – Deep Vein Thrombosis which is a potentially deadly blot clot that can travel to your brain (stroke) or heart (heart attack).
• Get an aisle seat. If you can sit in either business class or on international flights, luxury economy, there is more legroom and possibly a better meal. More legroom which is important, even if you are only 5 foot 4 like me!




travel footrest

• Invest in a travel foot rest for the flight.

• Invest in Noise Cancelling Headphones and also eye shades, to help you rest easier.

• Neck pillows provide much needed neck support for long periods of travel both in a plane or in a car (if you‘re a passenger of course!)



Neck Pillow

It is perfect for providing much needed extra support at hotel and travel destinations.

• Special ergonomic suitcases like this one have better telescoping and softer handles with special wheels to make them easier than others to pull around airports and hotels.

Hope you have a great holiday!

This year I am going healthy. I lost 10 lbs from the weight loss challenge at the YMCA and I am not going to blow it this holiday season! A friend gave me this recipe for pumpkin pie that I am going to try this year.

Low Cal Pumpkin Pie
½ can pumpkin
¼ cup cool whip
2-3 packages of Sweet-n-Low
dash of nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
Whip with wire whip and pour into pie shell

There is so much going on during the holidays that we don’t always make the best decisions when it comes to our health and wellbeing. I am not just talking about food choices.

Injuries and /or aches and pains occur from lifting, twisting, bending, reaching, pushing etc. If you just take a couple of seconds to use proper posture and technique when putting your groceries in the cart as well as in and out of your car, injuries can be avoided. Also take a minute to stretch while doing these shopping chores.

In the kitchen have a step stool handy when reaching into the higher cabinets.
There are plenty of ergonomic kitchen items now and some of them might be useful to you. If you are referring to recipes you might want to try an ergonomic adjustable slantboard. These are beneficial as they allow you to adjust the angle for less strain on your neck. Remember to have your kitchen at the light setting that is best for your eyes. Eyestrain can bring on fatigue and stress. Pick out easy to grasp handles for your cooking utensils.

I’d love to hear some of your recipes and ideas for a “more ergonomic” holiday this year.

Time Change, Safety and Ergonomics
Did the recent time change have any effect on you? Is there a benefit to changing our clocks in the fall and spring?

Did you know that even one hour’s change can disrupt sleep patterns that can persist for up to five days after each time shift? There is also a huge spike in traffic accidents the first week that is attributed to the sudden decrease of the amount of light during driving times.

What’s the connection to ergonomics? This change in sleep patterns also has a significant effect on work efficiency and work place safety. Whether the clock is leaping forward or falling back, body clocks are thrown off and productivity inevitably falls in the days following a switch. Additionally and unfortunately, the rate of workplace injury occurrences also increases. OK, people…Be careful out there!

Daylight savings time is supposed to save energy. Is it really worth it? What are your thoughts?

Ever experience what we are calling the “Blackberry Thumb”? Those that actually do the research and provide treatment for these injuries have seen it all before with Nintendo thumbs etc. I guess everyone ought to slow down and think before breaking out the thumb. Won’t an index finger do? At the very least people should be trying to relearn the way they use the Blackberry. There is much pain involved and there could be permanent damage down the line. So take heed all you fast thumbs. Slow down.

The state of California has a great program in effect – I’m surprised that it hasn’t gotten more buzz. It’s a wonderful opportunity for small employers (less than 50 employees) with injured employees to receive the needed ergonomic furniture/supplies necessary to bring the employee back to work. The employer pays the initial cost of the supplies and the state reimburses the employer – making the cost to the employer FREE!! The state will pay up to $2500 for expenses incurred making workplace modifications needed to bring the injured worker back to work. For further information, follow this link:
http://www.dir.ca.gov/DWC/ReturntoWorkReimbursementProgram/ReturnToWork.htm

Or you can contact Janet at TheErgonomicStore.com

It seems there is always someone interested in buying an ergonomic chair online. They love the low prices but they are concerned how the chair will fit. We get it. I am showing a link to a very helpful form you can fill out and e-mail back to us. Take some time and study the form and fill it out and of course, send it back to us and we will head you towards an ergonomic chair that will be right for you. Thanks for reading.

Here is your link: Chair Fitting Guide

This package is all you need wherever you and your laptop go. What you get for a very low price is a backpack, one of the light weight beanbag laptop stands, foot rest and a back rest/support. I love a bargain and this is really a great package. You don’t need to use them all at once, but I am pretty sure that you will get use out of each and every item. Staying home or traveling, this is somthing to check out.
Let me know if there is anything else you can think of that should go in this package of great ergonomic products.

Sitting in a chair is hard on the body. Nature did not intend for the human body to be in one position for hours at time. When you are at your desk it is so important that your chair fit you. Big and Tall chairs are designed to accommodate larger people. They are proportioned differently, have reinforced seat pans and stronger frames than regular office chairs. If you are over 6′1″ and/or weigh over 250 it would be a good idea to try and find a big and tall chair for yourself. At the end of the day, however long it may be, your muscles will thank you. Anyone have any favorite Big and Tall chairs they would like to share with some future users?