Common and Costly Health Problems Encountered at Work
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Stress:
The American Institute for Stress implicates stress as the cause of nearly 90% of doctors visits in the U.S. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, two thirds of reported cases of occupational stress are experienced by white collar workers. The average employee is assuming more responsibility and working longer hours, which contributes to increasing daily stress. Job stress is becoming an epedemic. Stress costs businesses over 30 billion dollars a year in turnover, lower productivity, health care costs and sick days. Statistics show 14 percent of workers attribute work related stress as the reason for quiting or changing jobs in the past two years, 50 percent of all lost work days are stress related, and 90 percent of all visits to a primary care physicians are stress related complaints.
Back Pain:
Americans spend an estimated $50 billion each year on back pain. Back pain is one of the most common reasons for missed work. One-half of all working Americans admit to having back pain symptoms each year. It is the second most common reason for visits to the doctor’s office, next to upper-respiratory infections. Experts estimate that as many as 80 percent of the population will experience back pain at some point in their lives. 31 million Americans experience low-back pain at any given time. Lower back pain represents between 20 and 25 percent of medical claims and exceeds $34 billion in annual direct medical costs.
Obesity:
Approximately 58 million Americans are considered overweight. Excess weight destabilizes and weakens the musculo-skeletal system and overall structure of the body. Excess weight can also lead to chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and stroke. Weight contributes to 300,000 deaths yearly.
Heart Disease:
Heart disease costs the United States about $304.6 billion annually. Major risk factors for heart disease include smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Companies spend 25 to 30 percent of their annual medical costs on employees with significant health risks, mainly because of their increased likelihood of experiencing heart disease and stroke.
Diabetes:
Diabetes affects approximately 17 million people (about 8% of the population) in the United States. In addition, an estimated 12 million people in the United States have diabetes and don't know it. The total annual cost of diabetes is estimated to be 98 billion dollars in the United States. Diabetes is a metabolic disease characterized by high blood sugar levels, that result from defects in insulin secretion. It also contributes to accelerated hardening and narrowing of the arteries leading which can lead to stroke and coronary heart disease. Diabetes is the third leading cause of death in the United States after heart disease and cancer.
Repetitive Stress injuries:
RSI causes as many as 1.8 million injuries per year across the United States, costing industries over $20 billion in annual revenue. An average expense exceeding $14,000 per company. Repetitive stress injuries are a family of muscular conditions that result from repeated motions performed in the course of normal work or daily activities. RSI are caused by uninterrupted repetitions of an activity or motion, unnatural or awkward motions such as twisting the arm or wrist, overexertion, incorrect posture, and muscle fatigue. Repetitive stress injuries occur most commonly in the hands, fingers, thumbs, wrists, elbows, shoulders, neck, and back. Common examples of RSI include carpal tunnel syndrome, bursitis, tendonitis, tennis elbow, trigger finger, and arthritis. Over time, repetitive stress injuries can cause temporary or permanent damage to muscles, nerves, tendons, and ligaments.
Head Aches:
Headaches are caused by the sudden restriction and then dilation of blood vessels to the brain. Most headaches arise from stress and muscle tension in the back of the neck. Neck tension is caused by the forward head position with rounded shoulders and curved upper back.
Neck and Shoulder Pain:
Most people will experience neck and shoulder pain at some point in their lives. Muscle strain or tension are usually the major causes of this pain. Problems usually occur due to overuse, and poor posture commonly from the workplace and long hours at a desk or computer.
Insomnia:
An estimated 30 to 50 percent of the general population are affected by insomnia, and 10 percent have chronic insomnia. Insomnia is a condition of difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep.This condition has a direct effect on energy level, mood, health, work performance as well as overall quality of life. The National Sleep Foundation (NSF), reported that people who suffer from lack of sleep are more likely than others to develop psychiatric problems and use health care services. Plus, sleep deprivation can negatively affect memory, learning, and logical reasoning. It is also highly associated with many common heath conditions such as hypertension, congestive heart failure, anxiety and depression, and obesity. Insomnia can be caused by stress, depression or anxiety, lack of regular exercise, pain, breathing problems, stimulants, and poor dietary habits.
Low Energy Level:
Continuous sitting with few breaks and limited physical activity promotes lethargy which can effect morale and overall work attitude.
Poor Posture:
Improper sitting and standing postures lead to stiff necks, hunched shoulders, restricted breathing, and tightness in the thighs, legs and ankles. Backaches, headaches, neck pain and other painful symptoms result.
Poor Concentration:
Long hours in front of the computer derails concentration which has a direct impact on productivity and work performance.
Physical Pain:
Physical pain is a common occurrence for many Americans. In fact, a national survey found that more than one-quarter of U.S. adults had recently experienced some sort of pain lasting more than a day. Back, neck, and shoulder pain are the most common forms of pain experienced.
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Research shows that yoga can reduce as well as alleviate the most common and costly health problems encountered at work
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Yoga Postures Work to Alleviate Common Health Problems
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Back Bends:
Reverses hunched position of the chest, opens lungs, throat and front of the body. Strengthens shoulders, neck, and legs. Tones and brings flexibility to the spinal muscles. Increases circulation to the spine. Massages heart, lungs, and thyroid and pituitary glands. Stimulates immune system.
Inversions:
Alleviates hypertension and regulates the heart. Massages and facilitates health of all organs and glands of the body, including the thyroid/thymus glands. Increases circulation to the brain, head, face, and neck. Stimulates the brain's nerve cells to increase vitality and improve brain function (intelligence and memory). Promotes a healthy nervous system and spine to increase vitality, build stamina, and rejuvinate. Stimulates relaxation and alleviates insomnia. Strengthens abdominals, hips, legs, arms and shoulders.
Intense Separate Leg Pose: Forward Bends
Mitigates the strain of continual sitting by opening, stretching, and increasing flexibility to hamstrings. Corrects curvature of spine and rounding of shoulders. Strengthens legs and hamstrings and lengthens the spine. Stimulates entire nervous system. Increases blood flow to the brain for clearer thinking. Stimulates internal organs to cure stomach ailments, relieve constipation, and release toxins from the body. Tones muscles of the waist and abdomen.
Twists:
Relaxes muscles and increases flexibility in the back, hips, and shoulders. Relieves backache. Promotes digestion by massaging internal organs. Trims waistline. Stimulates lymph flow and the immune system. Increases energy levels.
Warrior Pose:
Strengthens muscles in arms, legs and ankles. Opens chest and hips. Increases blood flow to the heart and chest. Alleviates pain in lower back and tail bone. Relieves stiffness in shoulders and back. Tones abdominal organs. Develops concentration, balance, and groundedness. Improves circulation and respiration. Energizes the entire body. Trims the waist.
Mountain Pose:
Fosters awareness of correct postural alignment. Tones and activates torso, back, abdomen and pelvis and stretches shoulders, arms, and wrists.
Tree Pose: Balancing Postures
Promotes balance and increases concentration. Alleviates knee pain and strengthens hips and thighs. Increases strength of abdomen. Aids in relaxation. Stimulates the nervous system.
Downward Facing Dog:
Strengthens wrists, stretches back of legs that tighten from sitting, and eases low back pain. Strengthen and stretches entire body. Increases blood flow to the brain for clearer thinking.
Forward Folds:
Relieves stiffness in legs and hips and stregthens them. Aligns, massages, and lengthens the spine. Corrects curvature of the spine and rounding of shoulders. Tones abdominal organs, such as the kidney, bladder, liver and pancreas. Creates grounding of the body. Soothes adrenal glands. Stabalizes blood pressure.
Triangle:
Expands chest cavity. Stimulates the nervous system. Tones core muscles. Strengthens hip muscles.
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