Your health news update from ChiroVoice

Yoga: A New Way of Relieving Depression, Anxiety and Stress

Many Americans suffer from stress on a daily basis and studies have shown that stress can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity and depression. Rather than turning to medication to treat the effects of stress, consider incorporating a few of these yoga postures into your daily routine.

Everyday Office Ergonomics

Nearly anyone who has used a computer has experienced discomfort in the neck at some point. The most common cause is overuse of the neck muscles to hold the head up, instead of letting the spine do the job. Follow these tips to minimize discomfort in the workplace.

Adjust the monitor
In general, the screen should be about an arm’s length away and should always be placed at eye level.

Position the chair
Lower the chair until feet are well supported on the ground; adjust the seat depth so there is one-to-three fingers’ space between the front of the chair and the back of the knee; and position armrests so they are one inch below the forearm.

Choose a keyboard
A keyboard that allows angle and pitch adjustments is generally best so as to avoid severely bent wrists. Additionally, a keyboard tray can fix problems such as excessive reach for the keyboard and improper wrist angles when typing.

In addition to following these ergonomic tips, office workers should also take 15-second micro-breaks every hour to shake out their arms and allow their eyes to focus on something farther away than the computer screen.

Scoliosis

Scoliosis affects 5 million to 7 million people in the United States, with more than half a million visits made to doctors’ offices each year for evaluation and treatment. Although scoliosis can begin at any age, it most often develops between the ages of 10 and 15, and most commonly affects girls.
Learn more about scoliosis.

Obama Launches Attack on Health Insurance Companies

According to a recent article on cnn.com, the White House’s newest tactic in the health care reform debates is to initiate an offensive against health insurance rate increases. The article quotes President Obama as asking, “How much higher do premiums have to rise before we do something about it?” Read the full story here.