Safety it is said begins at home but it surely should not end there. We spend the most significant part of our wakeful hours in our workplace and that is likely to mean we may also do the most harm to ourselves in this same environment. We are all culprits, from the street hawker to the trader at the market through health professionals in hospitals all the way to Parliament and the Jubilee House. I have not been to the last two yet but surely they will need a short tutorial on what we are about to discuss.

Pick an office at random and just observe people sitting. A few people will perch at the very tip of the seat. They give you the impression they are either scared of the chair, may have an itching anus from worm infestation or both. A significant number get extremely cozy and hang their heads over the back rest so that at the slightest provocation they can enrich the silence with their snoring interludes. A daring few will even have one leg carelessly thrown over an armrest. Have you noticed how people tend to adjust their sitting postures as you enter their office, it’s all simply for your eyes and not to preserve their health.

WORKING WITH FILES

This also applies to traders using shelves.

• Place frequently used files in middle drawers.
•  Avoid overloading upper drawers to prevent tipping.
•  Keep file drawers loosely filled, so that files will be easier to remove and replace.

AVOID THESE LIKE THE PESTILENCE

• Slouching or leaning forward in a chair
• Holding the phone between the ear and the shoulder. The cell phone has made this even more psychedelic. I know a chap who takes a shower while talking on his cell phone yet manages to keep it dry. Imagine the dexterity that goes into this. Surely sooner than later we will be taking a few Ghana cedis from him at the clinic to manage his neck pain.
• Typing with bent wrists
• Turning the head to the side to view the monitor
• Turning at the waist (trunk) to lift an object. It does not matter if it is as light as a feather.

LIFTING LIKE A PRO IS EASIER SAID THAN DONE

I know this perfectly well because I have caught myself doing this on a few occasions. We have such short memories. A man with severe back pain who has been rushed to the clinic will swear that he will never bend over again for any reason and neither will he lift anything again. A few months later he will bend over, pick up and cuddle a crate of club beer with reckless abandon. So the cycle goes on.

Keep these in mind whenever you need to lift, even if you don’t mind spending money on medication and consultation, at least save yourself the pain and time spent away from work;

• Keep the load close to your body. It puts less strain on your back
• Push do not pull better still ask for help. Why strain yourself when there are willing hands close by. Two heads and four hands are definitely better than a stubborn head with only one pair of hands and a bad back.
• Plan ahead. Decide how you will lift, carry, and place the load before you lift. Test the weight of the load by moving or tipping it before you lift. How often have you been surprised at the ridiculous weight of a small object?

The list is endless but mastering a few will do you more good than racing through paragraphs and not applying the knowledge.

Remember it will cost you your life-savings and more to properly manage back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain and all the numerous man-made pains. You will have to live with some of these pains forever. This will mean taking days off work periodically, and the strain this puts on our household, business and national budgets could have been invested in potable water, schools and great roads.

AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)

Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel

Health Essentials/St Andrews Clinic

(www.healthessentialsgh.com)

*Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel is a Medical Doctor, holds an MBA and is ISSA certified in Exercise Therapy, Fitness Nutrition & Corrective Exercise.

Thought for the week – “On Friday 25^th May 2018, be my special guest at the 6^th Edition of THE FIT TO WALK CHALLENGE. Join the group exercise session. Take part in Pool Aerobics, Swimming, Medical Screening and many games. Starts at 6am at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel.”

References:

1. A Healthy Life Style Makes Sound Business Sense – Dr. Kojo Essel
2. Ms Jemima Van-Tagoe (physiotherapist)
3. Mr. Ebenezer Anobah (physiotherapist)
4. Fitness Therapy by Dr. Karl G. Knopf, EdD.