Everybody has to do some work whether for living or fulfilling some need. This work may be at home or in the office or field. Whatever may be the nature of work but the human body and limbs are used as tools for executing the work. Man has developed his skills immensely since the dark ages and has created many useful things for his use and comfort. But along with these comforts, many health related problems have also emerged which are chronic. Many of these problems can be prevented by adoption of correct working postures while working. The premier and most common problem encountered is backache more so in middle years and after. Age related stiffness of the back is of course one of the reasons for this pain. But there are many other factors which if corrected can prevent backache. Since man uses his 2 limbs for walking and walks against gravity, as such the back is subjected to stress. Now when people use it like a spring bending and twisting it in any direction, it is subjected to further stress and result is back pain. Solution to prevent it is very simple. A person has to keep his back straight all the time. If one has to lift something fallen, it is ideal to sit on knees, keeping back straight and then stand up straight. While sitting, straight back chairs should be preferred over sofas where one slumps the back. Very thick mattresses should be avoided on the bed, as with them the alignment of backbone is disturbed, leading to pain. If it is necessary to lift a heavy weight, a person should hold it with both hands and keep it straight in the front. This minimizes the strain put on the back. Eye problems have been rising with development and easy accessibility of computers and electronic entertainment. Children wearing thick eye glasses are a common sight in developing and developed countries both. They need to be taught the importance of avoiding watching T.V. and computer screens for long time continuously. Watching T.V., particularly those with a big screen, from very close is strainful for the eyes and should be avoided. If one gets slight pain in the eyes after working for a long time on the computer, it is better to close the eyes for few moments and cover them with both hands to allow the eye muscles to relax. Similarly while reading, one should see that there should be adequate light and its adjustment should be such that no shadow should fall on the page been read. This helps ensure that eyes are not subjected to undue stress while reading. There are other set of health related problems generated by the use of computers for a long time continuously. Cramps in the fingers and hands are one of them. To avoid this, it is necessary that one avoids typing continuously. In between work, pause of few minutes is needed to aid the muscles of hands get some rest. Another problem which comes due to computer use is pain in the upper back and neck. To prevent this, it is necessary that one keeps the machine at level with eyes. It should be placed such that during working, the head and neck should be level and not unduly bent or stretched. Using cars has become a necessity in today’s city life where time is scarce and distances are much. But for driving a car also it is important to follow certain precautions to avoid strain on the back, neck and legs. Otherwise people suffer from neck pain, cramps, pain and abnormal sensations in the hands, arms and legs all parts which are put to use while driving a car. One needs to ensure that the back is not unduly stretched while driving. If after adjusting the seat, one still feels that back is being stretched, he/she should put a cushion behind to support it. Seat also should be adjusted to see that legs are not stretched much, while pressing the accelerator or break. Rear view and side mirror have to be placed in a position that one can look anywhere comfortably without stretching or turning the neck. Along with these precautions it is necessary to take a balanced nutritious diet to keep the body healthy. Regular physical exercise keeps the body and limbs supple and capable of bearing some strain. E-mail-rachna212002@yahoo.co.uk
