Blogger Injures Self - Aggravates Old Wounds

When does posture really matter ?  Looking at yourself in the mirror, in a photograph, sitting on a towel at the beach or by the hotel pool, when you're being judged (I was thinking of when I was a competitive horseback rider and then realized, these are all "judgement" times...)

And now I know that when we Blog, or any other length of time at the "screen" it is VERY important to practice perfect posture.

I have aggravated two old (2 seasons ago) ski injuries (very minor) and after 3 sessions with a physical therapist who specializes in Myofasical Release, Craniosacral Therapy and Frequency Specific Microcurrent I can now return to the screen for the first time in 3 weeks.  Yipee!

So learn from my mistakes make your sessions very short - 20 minutes (ha!).  Learn the keyboard!  My most injurious habit has been small continuous head motions to glance at the keys.

And yes, in my "soft focus" years I do have to wear cheaters.  Their "smart girl" frame design is obstructing my view just enough that I am looking over and around them, rather than through them (which causes more head movement).

Imagine this......

Corrections I have made to my computer desk & posture are:

• If I need to, I hold up the keyboard to find the correct key (yes, I am memorizing it - slowly)
• Notes are now clipped to the screen instead of to the left of the keyboard (no more head turning)
• The screen is tipped so that I look into it at 90 degrees
• My feet are (mostly) flat on the floor
• My back is touching the back of the chair (though I do find myself creeping into the "perch" position if I have worked past the 20 minute session)

New practices I am (will) bring to my passion for blogging are:

• Use my break time to do some cross training like walk the dog, stretch, do the dishes from last night, yoga class (haven't gone since Fall - the season, not the accident)
• Set a timer (next time for sure!) so I am aware of how long I have been sitting, typing, searching, reading your blog entries
• Judge your posture throughout your day.  Stand tall and tight, well alined, stomach pulled in, engage your muscles to give yourself the support necessary for stability in even minor tasks like walking and bending.

Now that I have sought a solution to my "conditions" I am thankful for:

• My physical therapist
• The fact that I wear a helmet when skiing (and walking about) - though I rarely fall, and never at a high rate of speed, I do have a tendency to whack myself with my skis and poles simply exiting from the car
• The cold feeling nerve "firing" over my ear is not a brain tumor
• The hot feeling nerve "firing" in my calf, and up my leg, is not DVT (deep vein thrombosis) 
• Being a questioning patient who sought out a non invasive therapy - after seeing a neurologist who suggested a shot of cortisone into the tight muscles along my skull

Take care of your personal home ie: your Skeleton and all it's connective tissues - the engineering that has gone into its design is beyond amazing!

If it "goes" (and it may) you really miss how perfectly it ran before and you'll do anything to get it back to (or better than) normal.

Cheers!  Linda