All Things Transcription

Do you ever give much thought to your posture? We medical transcriptionists spend a lot of time in front of the computer. There really is no choice. If you don’t stay in the chair, you don’t make any money. Chair time equals aches and pains. It can also equal some pretty severe problems that can create huge medical expenses. We have talked about those so let’s focus on a few of the little things. How about we start with back pain?

Follow up:

I would be willing to bet that there is not one medical transcriptionist reading this who can say they have never had trouble with back pain due to work. The longer you work, the more your lower back stiffens. Then it begins to ache. By the time you are ready to relax, you are lucky if you can stand without assistance.

How about your upper back? Do you hear the sound of corn popping when you turn your head, and it turns out to be your neck? How are those knees? Do you see Quasimodo when you look in the mirror? Granted, it may be the Disney version with a sweet smile and a good heart, but it still isn’t very pretty. If you have at one time or another suffered from any of these ailments and many more, look to your posture. The main thing is:

Sit up straight!

I bet that phrase sounds like your mom in your head when you read it. I don’t think there are too many kids that did not hear that phrase multiple times during childhood. It turns out that mom was right about this one. Your posture affects your breathing. If you roll the major components of your respiratory system up into a ball, it is bound to suffer. Then you have to consider exactly what your respiratory system is doing for your body. Turns out poor posture not only looks bad, it is really bad for your health.

Poor posture and breathing can have the following effects on your body:

Inhibits blood flow to and from the heart.
Inhibits breathing and diaphragm function.
Shortens the frontal muscles.
Stresses the lower back.
Hyperextends back muscles.
Adds pressure to the kidneys, adrenals, colon and stomach.
Causes sleep problems.

I would imagine that the brain and a few other important bits might not appreciate being oxygen deprived either.

I know that this is just one more thing to think about. Account specs tend to take up a lot of space so how do you keep your posture in mind? By following simple advice that is already familiar because it helps specific problems.

You must get up frequently. Your face freezes when you make a face, so we must assume that poor posture will freeze your back in permanently hunched position. Taking the time to stand and stretch for just a minute or 2 every hour really does help. Make it a habit.
Make sure that your equipment includes a chair that is comfortable and set at the correct working height for you, ditto the desk. Pad the part that is supposed to stay in the chair. Get some back support. It does not matter what works for you as long as it does. If you are comfortable and you do not have these aches and pains, it’s good.
Stretch. There are many simple stretching exercises. Many can be done sitting at your computer or by pushing your chair back and standing up for a minute. I strongly encourage giving Yoga a try. Yoga is all about posture and breathing. This is what you want to fix. The bonuses are that it does not take a lot of time to benefit from Yoga. Seriously, 10 minutes a day will help tremendously. It is also incredibly relaxing. I know, I know, it seems a bit far-fetched that hanging about in silly looking positions would do any good, but it does. Really.

Posture also reflects our emotions. When you see a person who is sad, what is their posture like? Their shoulders are rolled in towards their chest and their neck is bent. When someone is angry they tend to pull their shoulders close around their ears and pulling their head into the shoulders. Think about your posture if things are not going well during your workday. You are all hunched up over the keyboard. Add to that the fact that you are looking up at your monitor in this position and you just cannot conclude that this enhances your productivity.

If posture can be a reflection of emotion, it follows that it can also effect our emotions. If you are upset because you made a mistake that would be the time to sit up straight and take one of those deep breathes we have been talking about.

This time, take mom’s advice. Your whole body will thank you for it.