SHOULDER AND NECK PAIN SOLUTIONS

The Computer Hunch: Shoulder and Neck Pain Solutions
By Gretchen Reynolds
O, The Oprah Magazine | From the April 2010 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine

Have long hours spent slumped over your computer turned you into the office hunchback? Here's how to work out the kinks.

Amy Markham was once an endurance athlete, running marathons and cycling long distances. Then, at the age of 37, she took a new job as director of admissions at a small liberal arts college in Massachusetts. Her new sport was hunching over her keyboard. At first the pain barely registered, but the tension in her neck and shoulders eventually became so severe that it was sometimes impossible to turn her head, shrug on clothes, or even type. While Markham's pain was extreme, the circumstances that led to it are not uncommon.

As many as 63 percent of all office workers will suffer from neck pain sometime this year, with women at particular risk, according to a recent comprehensive review of neck pain studies. Poor posture is partly to blame; the ever-increasing dependence on computers doesn't help, either. Happily, some relatively simple exercises can help.

5 moves that reduce neck pain and increase neck strength

A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that the five moves below dramatically reduced neck pain and increased neck strength in female office workers. For the best results, complete at least three sessions a week. (A session consists of three sets of three of the moves listed here; for each set, repeat the exercise ten to 12 times.)

1. Shoulder Shrug
Stand, holding a pair of two-pound dumbbells at your sides. Keeping your neck straight, slowly lift up your shoulders toward your ears and lower them again. Repeat.

2. One-Arm Row
With a dumbbell in your left hand, stand at the left side of a knee-high workout bench. Set your right knee on the bench and bend at the waist, setting your right palm on the front of the bench for balance. Your left arm should be straight, palm facing in, with the weight hanging toward the ground. Slowly pull up the weight toward your chest, then gently lower and repeat. Switch sides and repeat with the opposite arm.

3. Upright Row
Stand holding a weight in each hand, resting the weights on your thighs, palms facing your body. Bending at the elbows, slowly lift up the dumbbells to chest height (your elbows should point slightly up, not straight out to either side). Keep the weights close to your body and your neck relaxed and straight. Lower gently and repeat.

4. Reverse Fly
Reposition your bench so it's at a 45-degree angle to the floor. With a weight in each hand, straddle the seat and press your chest against the raised end of the bench. Extend your arms toward the floor, palms facing in. Keeping your elbows slightly bent, extend the weights out to your sides until your arms are parallel to the floor. Slowly lower and repeat.

5. Shoulder Abduction
Stand holding the weights at your sides, pressed against your thighs. With your elbows slightly bent, extend the weights out to your sides until your arms are parallel to the floor, palms down. Keep your neck straight and relaxed. In a smooth motion, lower and repeat.

Create a perfect workstation for mind and body.

MY THOUGHTS

something to plan for. i have the perennial neck and back problems because of working 8-12 hours a day. meaning,i have the computer hunch syndrome. massage works short term. you start working and in a day or two the pain's back. hope this exercises help.

HOW TO DEAL WITH A NARCISSIST

How to Deal with the Office Narcissist
By Jessica Stillman | March 2, 2010

Poets might be known for their higher than average incidence of depression, but the world of business is famous for attracting those with another sort of psychological disorder; “psychologists have studied narcissistic traits in actors, chief executives and politicians, where such tendencies are all but built into the job description,” reports the NY Times.

What exactly is narcissism? According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association, the diagnosis involves, “a pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration and lack of empathy… a grandiose sense of self-importance.”

Of course, most cubicle dwellers are normal, empathetic people, but your chances of running into a narcissist is probably higher among high achieving business leaders than, say, at a convention of dentists or pre-school teachers. So how do you handle a narcissistic colleague or client when you meet one? A blog post by Karen Leland on Web Worker Daily offers five tips from Connie Dieken, author of the book Talk Less, Say More:

* Give them options. Beneath their bluster, narcissistic people fear being left out of the loop. They crave control. It’s far better to offer them options to choose from, rather than feeding them ready-made decisions. They’ll tear other people’s decisions to shreds. Giving them options helps them feel respected and in control. It also prevents nasty hissy fits.

* Focus on solutions, not problems. When you explain a problem or a challenge to a narcissist, direct their attention to the solution. Don’t allow them to dissect the problem over and over again. Narcissists love drama and revel in the chaos. They’re easily agitated when frustrated. Define problems and present possible solutions, so they don’t smell blood in the water and tear you apart.

* Make them the hero. Narcissists are preoccupied with power and truly believe they are special and unique. They live for attention and admiration. Want them to do something? Tell them how great they are at it and watch them perform. Better yet, praise their performance in front of others. Just keep it real, please.

* Let them think it’s their idea. Narcissists often steal the credit for ideas that aren’t theirs. Why do they do that? Strangely, they truly believe that hijacked results are their own. Grabbing credit is a driving force for them. If this gets things done, I say learn to live with it. Over time, everyone will catch on — wink, wink. Meantime, graciously transferring credit for ideas to them makes things happen.

* Manage their emotional blind spot. Egomaniacs lack empathy. They’re so caught up in their own world that it doesn’t occur to them to consider your feelings or viewpoints. It’s a huge blind spot. You must put your own feelings on the table, if you choose to do so. Just be smart about sharing feelings with a narcissist. Brace yourself for the guilt trips and disparaging criticism that narcissists often dole out when others explain how they feel.

MY THOUGHTS

so, do you have this constant need to be admired? do you have this feeling of self-importance that's way beyond normal? do you lack the capacity to feel for others, understand their situation and actually feel what they are feeling? then you really should be reading about 'how not to be a narcissist".

but if you are on the end of the spectrum and you find yourself dealing with an 'egomaniac', read over the tips very carefully.remember, being honest is still necessary but you can't win with a narcissist if you fight them off.