Question
I spend many hours a day sitting at work. Shoulders, back and legs hurt because of so much sitting.  Is the Balance Ball Chair a good idea or bad. It is basically a core exercise ball on a base to prevent it from rolling away.
Thank you for any information you can provide

Answer
Hello Marlene,

Sorry to hear your shoulders, back and legs hurt from so much sitting.

First thing:  ANY prolonged posture, any prolonged (repetitive) activity fatigues and ultimately irritates, inflames, damages the body.  Every 15- 20 minutes, you should get up from the chair, talk a 40 second walk, break up the monotony, break up the fatigue, change postures/ movement patterns --- even just for 30- 60 seconds.

Years ago I had a Opthalmologist MD as a patient.  His complaint was lower back pain from sitting in a awkward posture testing his patients vision.  I gave him the advice I just gave you--- move, change postures.  The Doctor chuckled, and said-- I give the SAME advice to my patients for their eyes.  We are all focused on computer screens now-a-days.  The Eye Doctor recommended: every 15 minutes get up, out of the chair, walk to a window and focus as far away as possible; i.e.: look away to the distance, look at the Statue of Liberty way over there,  change the focus of your eyes.  He had the same recommendation-- for a totally different body system, but for the same reason: fatigue causes problems, break up the fatigue.

Will the Balance Ball Chair help you?  Probably yes in the long run, probably not in the short run.  The balance chair will FORCE you to sit in a proper posture.  But, if you sit (even in the proper posture) for an hour, two, more, you will fatigue, irritate, inflame, damage.  Get up every 15 minutes or so, walk down the hall, walk back, even aim the chair slightly differently.  Change postures to break up posture fatigue.

Even with the balance ball chair, you should break up that prolonged posture-- get up every 15- 20 minutes.  The Balance ball chair will take some time to get used to, and that 'getting used to' process could leave you additional soreness, different soreness, new soreness.  In the long run the balance Ball Chair will make you sit in a more proper posture, so in the long run it will help prevent soreness and some fatigue, will help prevent osteo-arthritic degeneration (spurred on by poor posture, poor movement patterns).

Proper posture, proper movement patterns, proper alignment is very important in maintaining structural integrity and prevent degeneration of our joints.  Here is an information handout I utilize in my Staten Island Chiropractic office that you may find helpful:


OsteoArthritis and proper alignment:
Degenerative    Disk     Disease
DDD = Degenerative Disc Disease; DJD = Degenerative Joint Disease; = similar/ same OsteoArthritis.

Degenerative Disc Disease  (old term =  DJD) is  actually  a  quite  common  condition.   
However,  the course of the condition   is  highly variable.   Some patients with DJD literally cannot walk, yet other patients with similar X-ray/ MRI findings may be able to run marathons or lift heavy weights.   Some people suffer for only a few days with pain and symptoms, some people suffer for months.

Although the course is highly variable, there are certain steps that are usually helpful to follow:  Ice the area when painful-  10/ 15minutes on, 30/ 45 minutes off;  avoid certain postures and movements;  bend the knees when coughing or sneezing;  bend the knees when lifting anything;  do not extend legs straight out when sitting, laying down, lifting, or driving.   Avoiding certain movements and postures will prevent aggravation of the condition.  

Proper movement patterns, proper postures, proper alignment,  SLOW arthritic degeneration.   Improper movement patterns, poor posture, malalignment of joints HASTENS arthritic degeneration.  Chiropractic HELPS with movement patterns, postures, alignment - - to SLOW arthritic degeneration of joints.

Practicing good postures and movement patterns will help the condition heal and be less painful.  DDD, DJD,  OsteoArthritis, -  deteriorating discs (disk)   is/ are  often caused by,  or often  concurrent with the Vertebral Subluxation Complex.  VSC is a misalignment which hastens deterioration of the joints involved.

         Vertebral   Subluxation   Complex    (a.k.a.  憇ubluxation?
The vertebral subluxation complex is the underlying cause of many healthcare problems.

A subluxation interferes with the proper functioning of joints, and can cause osteo-arthritic degeneration, Degenerative Disk Disease, degenerative joint disease, etc.

A subluxation interferes with the proper functioning of the nervous system (the master system which controls and coordinates all function within the body) and may cause various other conditions, symptoms and problems.

Subluxation  is  a  serious  condition  identified  by  its  five  parts:

    Spinal Kinesiopathology:
         This is fancy way of saying the bones of the spine have lost their normal motion and position. It restricts your ability to turn and bend. It sets in motion the other four components.

    Neuropathophysiology:
         Improper spinal function can choke, stretch, or irritate delicate nerve tissue. The resulting nerve  system  dysfunction  can  cause  symptoms  elsewhere  in  the  body.

    Myopathology:
          Muscles supporting the spine can weaken, atrophy, or become tight and go into spasm. The  resulting  scar  tissue  changes  muscle  tone,  requiring  repeated  spinal  adjustments.

    Histopathology:
         A rise in temperature from an increase in blood and lymph supplies result in swelling and inflammation.   Inflammed  Discs can easily bulge,  herniate,  tear,  or  degenerate.   Other  soft tissues  may  also  suffer  permanent  damage.

    Pathophysiology:
         The VSC contributes to  OsteoArthritic  degeneration.  Bone spurs and other abnormal bony growths attempt to fuse malfunctioning spinal joints. This spinal decay, scar tissue, and long-term  nerve  dysfunction  can  cause  other  systems  of  the  body  to  malfunction.



The Vertebral Subluxation Complex describes what happens when spinal bones lose their normal movement patterns and position.  When subluxated, joints are in a stressed, vulnerable, compromised condition.  Subluxation may cause Arthritis, Disk Herniation, Disk Degeneration,  or aggravate such conditions.
 
          Vertebral  Subluxation  cannot be corrected through chemicals (medicine), stretching, yoga, vitamins or physical therapy alone.     Subluxation- a neuro/skeletal/muscular-   mechanical-   problem  requires  a   mechanical correction-  -  -    a manipulation,     best performed with the chiropractic adjustment.

Dr. Victor E. Dolan,   Doctor of Chiropractic;   Diplomat, American Chiropractic Board of Sport Physicians; Diplomat, American Academy of Pain Management; Certified Clinical Nutritionist (IAACN); FIRST  Chief of Chiropractic  in  a  Hospital  in  New York State (DHSI);  As  Seen  in  PREVENTION  Magazine
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Along with that information routinely handed out by this Staten Island Chiropractor, I also give information on common drugs utilized for many aches and pains:



PAIN     

Pain  is a  憆ed light on the dashboard?
 
Pain is your body telling you that something is wrong.

That RED LIGHT on the dashboard of your car- -- do you ignore it until the car breaks down, or do you get it checked and correct the problem?  

Pain, pain in your body- -- do you ignore it until your body breaks down, or do you get it checked and correct the problem?   Pain,  do you cover up the pain by taking a painkiller?  Take a painkiller, mask the pain, and allow a problem to progress in your body?

   NOTICE  ON  PAIN  RELIEVERS:
 
Label changes ORDERED by FDA;  the FDA announced proposed label changes for OTC over-the-counter pain relievers to include the potential for stomach bleeding and liver damage (FDA news  206- 207;  12-9-06) ;

The  American Heart Association issued a scientific statement recommending medical doctors change the way they prescribe OTC pain relievers from a first choice to an alternate of recommending non-pharmacologic treatment (AHA statement  2-26-07).

NSAID Acceleration of ARTHRITIS; an important side effect of Aspirin and other NSAIDS is that it will inhibit cartilage repair and accelerate cartilage  destruction ( Journal of Rheumatology, 1982; 9: 3- 5 ). Many times people take NSAIDS for the pain of Arthritis, not realizing these drugs may make the underlying condition worse.  These medications cover up the pain, and cause the problem to worsen.


Pain  can  often  be  the  result  of  the  Vertebral  Subluxation  Complex.

Vertebral  Subluxation           (  慥SC?,    憇ubluxation?  )
Vertebral Subluxation  is  actually  a  quite  common  condition.   Doctors of Chiropractic look for pathological conditions which may require referral to other specialties,   and also look for 慡ubluxation? Other disciplines look for pathology, but overlook the importance of alignment and movement in the spine which affects our nervous system  (the master control system- ALL health disciplines learn this).  VSC- 慡ubluxation??can be the cause of many symptoms and conditions.



Only a Doctor of Chiropractic will evaluate and treat for VSC, as well as other pathology.



The course of VSC is highly variable.   Some patients with VSC literally cannot walk, yet other patients with similar test findings may be able to run marathons or lift heavy weights.    Some patients immediately develop symptoms related to the VSC,  some patients take years to develop symptoms.  Some people suffer for only a few days with pain and symptoms, some people suffer for months.  Some people recover in days, some take months or years, depending upon severity of the condition.

A subluxation interferes with the proper functioning of the nervous system (the master system which controls and coordinates all function within the body) and may cause various other conditions, symptoms and problems.


The Vertebral Subluxation Complex describes what happens when spinal bones lose their normal movement patterns and position.  When subluxated, joints are in a stressed, vulnerable, compromised condition.  Subluxation may cause Arthritis, Disk Herniation, or aggravate such conditions.

       Vertebral  Subluxation   cannot   be corrected through chemicals (medicine), stretching,  yoga,  vitamins  or  physical  therapy  alone.       Subluxation- a neuro/skeletal/muscular-    mechanical-    problem  requires  a    mechanical correction-  -  -    a manipulation,         best  performed  with  the  chiropractic  adjustment.
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I hope this information helps.  

Put a little egg timer- a sand hourglass (15 minute size) at your desk,,,, it runs out?,,, time to stand up!!

If you need to re-contact me, please do so:  ALLEXPERTS.com
( http://allexperts.com/ep/965-100794/Chiropractors/Victor-Dolan-DC-DACBSP.htm ).   Thanks for the question, Good Luck, and I wish you-

Good Health, Naturally,

Dr. Victor Dolan, DC
http://drvictordolan.chiroweb.com    (email newsletter)
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http://www.SIautoaccident.com