TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:RE: Ball chairs and their kin From:Lynne Wright <Lynne -dot- Wright -at- tiburoninc -dot- com> To:"Cardimon, Craig" <ccardimon -at- M-S-G -dot- com> Date:Mon, 8 Aug 2011 18:26:40 +0000
Its not a question of brands/types; what you want is to find a pad that creates the correct inward curvature of your lower spine. So it depends on your body size and how you position the pad on your chair.
My physiotherapist also mentioned that when people try to sit with the "correct" posture without lumbar support (and I imagine this would apply to ball chairs), they tend to curve the lower spine in too much.
-----Original Message-----
From: Cardimon, Craig [mailto:ccardimon -at- M-S-G -dot- com]
Sent: Monday, August 08, 2011 2:16 PM
To: Lynne Wright; 'McLauchlan, Kevin'
Cc: 'techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com'
Subject: RE: Ball chairs and their kin
Anyone using a lumbar pad they'd recommend?
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+ccardimon=m-s-g -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+ccardimon=m-s-g -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of Lynne Wright
Sent: Monday, August 08, 2011 2:12 PM
To: McLauchlan, Kevin
Cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: Ball chairs and their kin
My feeling is: why spend money on a weird ball chair that, aside from whether it works over the short to long term, will probably set you up for odd looks and probably a fair amount of semi-justified teasing. And that, appallingly, doesn't allow for height control, which is key to preventing repetitive strain muscle injury to your hands, wrist, and arms.
The key to back health (and preventing all types of working-at-a-keyboard-all-day injuries) is, as Kevin says, using exercise to undo/prevent damage, making sure that you position yourself correctly at your workstation, and not overdoing it. Regular office chairs work just fine, although you may want to add a lumbar pad to ensure the correct lower-back positioning. You can consult a physiotherapist or workplace ergonomist for details, although I'm sure you can find all the info you need online.
And realistically, even though I try to sit properly most of the time, over the course of an 8-hr day, sometimes I need to take a little break from the utilitarian posture and maybe lean back in a sprawl, or sit cross-legged on my chair for a little while... with a ball chair, its one position all day all the time. Sounds a bit too unrelentingly virtuous to be practicable in the real world.
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+lynne -dot- wright=tiburoninc -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+lynne -dot- wright=tiburoninc -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of McLauchlan, Kevin
Sent: Monday, August 08, 2011 1:53 PM
To: Gene Kim-Eng; Dan Goldstein
Cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: Ball chairs and their kin
I haven't used either of those ball chairs, but I did use a ball as a chair for about two years.
Like many things that are hyped, it did some good, but not as much as the hype would suggest.
And you have to wear jeans all the time...
For somebody who has a lower-back problem, for which they want to try a ball-ish chair, I recommend getting an exercise ball, instead. Most lower-back problems (those that aren't an already-ruptured disk, in which case no chair will reverse that...) are problems of a TIGHT lower back coupled with a relatively looser, sloppier abdomen.
I'm not recommending the ball as a chair.
Instead, a couple of times a day, do a "plank" exercise, using the ball.
That is, your toes are on the floor, your elbows/forearms are on the ball, and you attempt to keep a straight line from the top of your head to the soles of your feet (no sagging of the hips, and no butt raised toward the ceiling).
While in that position, stir with your forearms. That is, roll the ball (which is supporting the upper half of your
body) in little circles, controlled by your forearms.
Maybe a six-inch-diameter circle of movement - the top of the ball wobbles a bit, with you on it, in controlled fashion.
You will find this surprisingly ... um... engaging for your triceps, but the main target is your core, which must struggle to help you stay balanced on the ball while your forearms are stirring it around.
Your lower back is already strong-ish and, no doubt, tight, so your frontal and lateral abdominal stabilizers are worked disproportionately, until they begin to catch up. As they get stronger, they begin to offset the constant clench of your lower back, which in turn begins to release and to take pressure off your sciatic nerve and others.
It's not the magic bullet for everybody with back pain, but it's widely applicable and quick and easy to do.
Have the big, friendly ball beside your bed to remind you to plank it when you rise, and plank it again just before you retire.
My chiro has been recommending that I do versions of the plank for years, and it helped a little when I remembered (or bothered) to do it. But since a very athletic (mid-50s) co-worker suggested the variant that uses the inflated exercise ball (a.k.a. Swiss ball), I've had much more impressive results. So has he, since somebody in one of his coaching seminars made the suggestion.
Worth a try. Less expensive than a ball-top chair.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Gene Kim-Eng
>
> Among others. It also made the arthritis in her hips worse at the
> same time it was helping her back recover.
>
>
> On Mon, Aug 8, 2011 at 8:39 AM, Dan Goldstein <
> DGoldstein -at- riverainmedical -dot- com> wrote:
>
> > Were her issues with the Gaiam the same as mentioned by Bill
> > Swallow, i.e. height adjustment and typing?
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Gene Kim-Eng
> > Sent: Monday, August 08, 2011 11:36 AM
> > To: Dan Goldstein
> > Cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> > Subject: Re: Ball chairs and their kin
> >
> > My wife used a Gaiam chair several years ago when she had a back
> problem
> > and it helped, but it was not usable for her as an everyday chair
> once
> > the problem had passed.
The information contained in this electronic mail transmission may be privileged and confidential, and therefore, protected from disclosure. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by replying to this message and deleting it from your computer without copying or disclosing it.
Create and publish documentation through multiple channels with Doc-To-Help.
Choose your authoring formats and get any output you may need. Try Doc-To-Help, now with MS SharePoint integration, free for 30-days. http://www.doctohelp.com
---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as Lynne -dot- Wright -at- tiburoninc -dot- com -dot-
Create and publish documentation through multiple channels with Doc-To-Help.
Choose your authoring formats and get any output you may need. Try Doc-To-Help, now with MS SharePoint integration, free for 30-days. http://www.doctohelp.com
---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as ccardimon -at- m-s-g -dot- com -dot-
Information contained in this e-mail transmission is privileged and confidential. If you are not the intended recipient of this email, do not read, distribute or reproduce this transmission (including any attachments). If you have received this e-mail in error, please immediately notify the sender by telephone or email reply.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Create and publish documentation through multiple channels with Doc-To-Help.
Choose your authoring formats and get any output you may need. Try
Doc-To-Help, now with MS SharePoint integration, free for 30-days. http://www.doctohelp.com
---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-
