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On an ordinary Thursday in Beijing, Ms. Gu felt the pain in her shoulders and back unbearable.
As an indie game developer, she spends most of her time sitting in front of a computer.
Worried about the long-term effects of this condition, she followed her family doctor's advice and sought help from the hospital.
The doctor's first words were, "Improper sitting posture can really cause a lot of trouble." ”
The hospital's neurologist, Dr. Lee, is an experienced and humorous middle-aged man.
After listening to Gu Chenqi's description, he decided to do a comprehensive physical examination, including an MRI scan.
The results of the examination showed that Gu Chenqi's cervical spine was slightly deformed, which was a direct result of working with his head down for a long time.
Dr. Lee explains that most people ignore the health effects of sitting and think it's okay as long as they don't feel uncomfortable.
But in reality, incorrect sitting posture can lead to a variety of problems, the most serious of which include affecting blood circulation, increasing the burden on the cervical spine and even possibly cerebral infarction.
He emphasised that the four common sitting mistakes that people make in their daily lives include:
1. Do not change your sitting position for a long time
Dr. Lee explained that sitting in a static position can lead to poor blood circulation, which may lead to the formation of blood clots in the long run and increase the risk of cerebral infarction.
He recommends getting up and moving for 5 minutes every 30 minutes to improve blood flow.
2. Sitting too forward or backward
Such a sitting posture puts abnormal pressure on the spine, especially the lumbar and cervical spine.
Gu Chenqi's cervical spine problem was caused by this sitting posture. Dr. Lee recommends using a chair with good support and maintaining the natural curve of the spine.
3. Improper leg placement
Many people have a habit of crossing their legs while sitting, which can actually lead to poor blood circulation in the lower extremities and may increase pressure on the veins in the legs.
Dr. Lee recommends keeping your feet flat on the ground with your legs at right angles.
4. Use a chair that is not suitable
Many office chairs and home chairs are not scientifically designed to provide the necessary support.
The right chair should have adjustable height, back support, and proper cushions.
While explaining these sitting mistakes, Dr. Lee also shared some specific cases, including a programmer who suffered a severe lumbar disc herniation due to improper use of a chair for a long time.
He stressed that although this seems to have nothing to do with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, long-term physical burden and blood circulation problems can indeed affect overall health and indirectly increase the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
In addition, Dr. Lee cites a study involving thousands of office workers, which showed that after implementing a sitting posture improvement program,
Participants experienced significant improvements in overall health, including fewer episodes of headaches and neck pain, and a significant reduction in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular problems.
In the end, Dr. Lee left a question for thought: "If simple sitting adjustments can significantly improve our health, why is the importance of correct sitting posture still widely ignored in the modern work environment?" ”
This question has led to deep thinking about the relationship between work and health.
In the face of this problem, we need to consider not only the change of personal habits, but also the overall optimization of the work environment.
Workplaces should provide ergonomic furniture, conduct employee health training, and conduct regular health assessments of the work environment.
In addition, policymakers and business decision-makers should recognize that improving the health of the workplace not only improves employee productivity, but also demonstrates responsibility for the overall health of society.
What are your thoughts on this? Welcome to discuss in the comment area!