yoga , alternative therapy for computer related health hazards

1. YOGA FOR COMPUTER
PROFESSIONALS
Dr. MEERA NANDAN
1ST YEAR M.D

2. CONTENT
• Introduction
• Risk Factors
• Yogic management for
 Repetitive strain injury
 Computer vision syndrome
 Migraine
 Technostress
• Exercise for office workers
• Yoga for computer workers
• Conclusion

3. INTRODUCTION
• World is becoming more and more dependent on
Information technology
• Over the past decades, using computers has become an
integral part of many occupations
• Th introduction of computer data processing change the
character of the office job

4. • According to an article in Computer World magazine there
will be over 5.2 million software professionals in India by
2018.
• The predicted rate is higher than the US, where it is believed
there will be 4.5 million.
• Increases in number of software professionals means increase
in health problems

5. • Occupational health hazards are common among the
computer professionals now a day.
• Computer work is almost entirely cerebral.
• Most of the time, we are in our heads thinking about what’s
happening in the screen, oblivious to what happening beyond
our brains.
• We can go on like for hours, ignoring the body signals

6. WORKING HOURS
Among 600 IT surveyed, 54% said they work more than 40
hours per week. At the high end of the overtime group, 18% of
respondents said they work more than 60 hours per week, and
17% said they top 50 hours per week. The average workweek
among all respondents is 52 hours

8. Computer disease….
• Related to the quality of equipment, working conditions and
the use of preventive measures as well as to personal
predisposition and other factors in the workplace.
• Prolonged compute use exposes workers to a high visual and
sensory load and using a mouse and a keyboard implie
repetitive movements of the upper extremity.

9. Too much junk food, too
little exercise and a 24/7
tether to technology?
Friends, Let us count the
pains….

10. RISK FACTORS
)Musculoskeletal (55.8%)
Ocular (27.3%)
Mental disorders (7.1%)
• overtime work
• negative working atmosphere
• awkward posture at work
• the presence of vibrations, noise, dust and chemical pollution
in the workplace.
• Smoking

12. REPETITIVE STRAIN INJURY
• Repetitive strain injury (RSI) represents a group of conditions
associated with the overuse of computer.
• It is an occupational overuse syndrome affecting muscles,
tendons and nerves in the arms and upper back and is also
known as work related upper limb disorder (WRULD).
 Tightness, discomfort, stiffness in the hands, wrists and
fingers
 Tingling or numbness in the hands
 Loss of strength and coordination in the hands
 Constant pain in the upper back, shoulders or neck
 Feeling the urge to massage your hands, wrists and arm

13. • The disorder can actually affect multiple parts of the body,
including eyes, neck, shoulders, forearms, thumbs, upper
back, hands, wrists, fingers and arms.
Incidence and Prevalence
• Research shows that 60% of IT professionals, who spend more
than eight hours a day on the computer, are likely to suffer
from the symptoms of RSI at some point.
• Symptoms of RSI are extremely difficult to cure and can
occur even in the young and physically fit individuals. In fact,
people are often forced to quit their computer-dependent
careers due to this disorder.

14. CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME
• Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common condition that causes
pain, numbness, and tingling in the hand and arm.
• The condition occurs when one of the major nerves to the
hand — the median nerve — is squeezed or compressed as it
travels through the wrist.

16. • Symptoms of median nerve compression include pain,
numbness or tingling on the anterior surface of the
index,middle or radial half of the ring finger.
• It is often associated with weakness of handgrip
• Nocturnal symptoms including hand or arm pain and
numbness

17. Computer Professionals and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Mohamed Ali , Sathiyasekaran
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is an important problem
among computer professionals. 648 subjects were selected
from 4,276 computer professionals from 21 companies with
a simple random sampling method. CTS was diagnosed based
on clinical features.The prevalence of CTS was found to be
13.1%. Subjects with over 8 years of computer work, over 12
hrs of work per day and system administrators were at a
higher risk for CTS. Flexed or extended hand position had
higher risk for CTS.Higher risk for CTS was found with
higher exposure to computer work.
• International Journal of Occupational Safety and
Ergonomics (JOSE) 2006, Vol. 12, No. 3, 319–325

19. Wrist splints
wrist splints and braces immobilize and limit wrist
movement to not aggravate inflammation in the
carpal tunnel.
Splints made at night for a few weeks relieve mild
to moderate symptoms of CTS. When the wrist is
relaxed and the joints in a neutral position, pressure
to the median nerve is at its lowest.
One study by Gerritsen (2002) showed 34% of CTS
patients treated with splints not needing any other
surgical or non-surgical intervention within a year of
observation

21. Vitamine B6- a pain fighting food
• Vitamin B6 acts as an analgesic. The vitamin triggers the pain
receptors to raise their pain threshold. Some content as well
that B6 somehow becomes a diuretic.
• Swelling and inelasticity in bodily tissues are said to be
caused by B6 Deficiency.
• Many healthcare providers recommend Vitamin B6 intake for
patients with nerve compression injuries like CTS, RSI, and
arthritis to postpone hand surgery as much as possible.
• Some statistics even suggest that around 90% of CTS patients
admit to be cured by Vitamin B6 – a pain fighting food.

22. Yoga-Based Intervention for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
A Randomized Trial
Marian S. Garfinkel, EdD; et al
JAMA. 1998. Nov 11
• Subjects assigned to the yoga group received a yoga-based
intervention consisting of 11 yoga postures designed for
strengthening, stretching, and balancing each joint in the upper
body along with relaxation given twice weekly for 8 weeks.
Patients in the control group were offered a wrist splint to
supplement their current treatment
• yoga groups had significant improvement in grip strength
(increased from 162 to 187 mm Hg; P =.009) and pain reduction
(decreased from 5.0 to 2.9 mm; P =.02), but changes in grip
strength and pain were not significant for control subjects. The
yoga group had significantly more improvement in Phalen sign (12
improved vs 2 in control group; P =.008), but no significant
differences were found in sleep disturbance, Tinel sign, and
median nerve motor and sensory conduction time.

23. Yoga module
• Sitting with extension of the trunk (dandasana).
• Hands in prayer position (namaste).
• Arms extended overhead (urdhva hastasana).
• Arms extended overhead with fingers interlocked
(parvatasana).
• Arms interlocked in front of the body (garudasana).
• Chair twists (bharadvajasana).
• Standing, mountain pose (tadasana).
• 90-Degree forward bend to wall (half uttanasana).
• Arms extended overhead with palms together in prayer
position (virabhadrasana 1, arms only).

24. BACK PAIN
• Postural back pain is a major public and occupational health
problem, especially in the information technology
• Eight out of ten people working more than 8 h in front of
computers have back pain
• Yoga may offer an alternative approach to the treatment of
low back pain.
• The benefits of yoga may be greater than those of exercise
alone because yoga offers a combination of physical exercise
with mental focus and patients are taught good posture, self-
awareness, and self-care along with relaxation

29. Effect of yoga on musculoskeletal discomfort and motor
functions in professional computer users
Telles , Naveen, K.V.
The self-rated musculoskeletal discomfort, hand grip strength,
tapping speed, and low back and hamstring flexibility were assessed
in 291 professional computer users. They were then randomized as
Yoga (YG; n=146) and Wait-list control (WL; n=145) groups. Follow-
up assessments for both groups were after 60 days during which the
YG group practiced yoga for 60 minutes daily, for 5 days in a week.
The WL group spent the same time in their usual recreational
activities. At the end of 60 days, the YG group (n=62) showed a
significant decrease in the frequency, intensity and degree of
interference due to musculoskeletal discomfort, an increase in
bilateral hand grip strength, the right hand tapping speed, and low
back and hamstring flexibility. In contrast, the WL group (n=56)
showed an increase in musculoskeletal discomfort and a decrease in
left hand tapping speed. The results suggest that yoga practice is a
useful addition to the routine of professional computer users.

30. THE IMPACT OF MODIFIED HATHA YOGA ON CHRONIC LOW
BACK PAIN: A PILOT STUDY
Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine
Galantino et al evaluate a possible design for a 6-week modified hatha
yoga protocol to study the effects on participants with chronic low
back (CLB) pain. Twenty-two participants (M=4; F=17), between the
ages of 30 and 65, with chronic low back pain (CLBP) were
randomized to either an immediate yoga based intervention, or to a
control group with no treatment during the observation period but
received later yoga trainingPotentially important trends in the
functional measurement scores showed improved balance and
flexibility and decreased disability and depression for the yoga group

31. TENSION NECK SYNDROM
• Tension neck syndrome is a term that encompasses a variety
of disorders involving the neck and shoulder areas,
collectively called "cervicobrachial" – cervico (neck) and
brachial (shoulder or arm)

32. • Tension neck syndrome is related to both physical and
psychological factors.
• Using a computer mouse is related to increases in the risks
for neck pain as well as shoulder pain, and may be associated
with tension neck syndrome.
• A study found the risk for tension neck syndrome for those
who use a mouse over 25 hours per week was four times
greater than those with minor or no use.
• Another study found women at risk for tension neck
syndrome with computer work about 4 hours per day.

33. Randomized-controlled Trial Comparing Yoga and Home-based
Exercise for Chronic Neck Pain
Cramer, Holger
The Clinical Journal of Pain
Patients were randomly assigned to either yoga or exercise. The
yoga group attended a 9-week yoga course and the exercise
group received a self-care manual on home-based exercises for
neck pain relief. After the study period, patients in the yoga
group reported significantly less neck pain intensity compared
with the exercise group [mean difference: −13.9 mm (95% CI,
−26.4 to −1.4), P=0.03]. The yoga group reported less disability
and better mental quality of life. Range of motion and
proprioceptive acuity were improved and the pressure pain
threshold was elevated in the yoga group

34. Computer vision syndrome
• Focusing the eyes on a computer or other display device for
protracted, uninterrupted periods of time and the eye muscles
being unable to recover from the strain due to a lack of
adequate sleep
• A national survey of doctors of optometry found that more
than 14% of their patients present with eye or vision-related
symptoms resulting from computer work.

35. SYMPTOMS
.
• Eyestrain
• Headaches
• Blurred vision
• Dry eyes
• Neck and shoulder pain

36. Reasons for this injury
• Bad monitor resolution, flickering, or glare at the monitor.
•
• Poor lighting conditions in the computer room.
• Electromagnetic radiation emitted by the computers (UVA).
• Staring at anything for a long period of time will cause
blurred vision.

37. MANAGEMENT
• breaks during working hours
• Modifying the computer location
• lighting and reflection
• Modifying the indoor environment

38. • According to the American Optometric Society, in order to
avoid computer (or any digital) eyestrain, you should follow
the 20-20-20 rule
• Taking a 20-second break to view something 20 feet away
every 20 minutes.
• In addition, it's a good idea to rest your eyes completely for
fifteen minutes after two hours of continuous computer use

39. YOGIC MANAGEMENT
• Eye exercises
• Trataka
• Meditation
• Relaxation technique

40. Effect of yoga on self-rated visual discomfort in computer users
Shirlly telles, Naveen K.V
Two hundred and ninety one professional computer users were
randomly assigned to two groups, yoga (YG, n = 146) and wait
list control (WL, n = 145). Both groups were assessed at baseline
and after sixty days for self-rated visual discomfort using a
standard questionnaire. During these 60 days the YG group
practiced an hour of yoga daily for five days in a week and the
WL group did their usual recreational activities also for an hour
daily for the same duration. There was a significantly decreased
score in the YG group, whereas the WL group showed
significantly increased scores.

41. Infertility And IT: Is There A Connection?
• Information Technology industry employs a significant chunk of
the population and provides ample opportunities to people for
growth in many dimensions.
• However, the job profile has also given rise to various
psychological and physical issues including male/female infertility.
• Long term exposure and excessive exposure to computer radiation
and heat are known to cause many health issues, including fertility
issues.
• There is a rise in the number of couples from IT industry seeking
fertility treatments even in their prime fertile age. This trend is
evident in the 30 to 40 percent growth in the IVF industry.

42. The Role Of Traditional Diet And Yoga For Infertility: A Blent
And Balance Of Traditional Knowledge And Modern Medicine
Indian Journalof Traditional Knowledge
Kochhar KP, Oberoi AR
Yoga boost the funnctioning of female reproductive system.
There are certain yoga asanas and yoga postures that especially
target the reproductive organs and the pelvic area.People with
infertility problems often report feeling better, stronger,
,morepowerful after yogic practice.

43. MIGRAINE
• A migraine is a primary headache disorder characterized by
recurrent headaches that are moderate to severe.
• Typically, the headaches affect one half of the head, are
pulsating in nature, and last from two to 72 hours.
• Associated symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, and
sensitivity to light, sound, or smell.

44. Causes of Computer-Related Headaches
Muscle Spasm
Prolonged use and strain of any muscle will lead to spasm. This
can cause diffuse pain along the length of the muscle and even
referred pain to a site nearby.
Most cases of headaches in general is due to muscle spasm of
the neck, upper back and head. The same occurs with many
cases of computer-related headaches.
The head is held in one position for long periods of time as a
person stares at a computer screen and this strains the relevant
muscles

45. Flickering Lights
Computer screens actually flicker at a very high rate although
the eye sees it as one continuous image. This flickering, is also
known as the refresh rate.

46. Too Much Computer Work
Causes Insomnia, Depression
• A new study has revealed that people who work in front of a
computer even just for five hours a day run the risk of mental
illness such as depression and insomnia.
• The study conducted on 25, 000 people has found that those
working for hours in front of the computer complained of
feeling depressed, anxious and reluctant to get up for work in
the mornings.
• This result suggests the prevention of mental disorders and
sleep disorders and this requires the restriction of computer
use to less than five hours a day

47. TECHNO STRESS
• Technostress is the negative psychological link between
people and the introduction of new technologies.
• People experience technostress when they cannot adapt to or
cope with information technologies in a healthy manner.
• They feel compulsive about being connected and sharing
constant updates, feel forced to respond to work-related
information in real-time, and engage in almost habitual
multi-tasking.

48. • They feel compelled to work faster because information flows
faster, and have little time to spend on sustained thinking and
creative analysis.
• Craig Brod, a leader in the field of technostress research,
states that technostress is "...a modern disease of adaptation
caused by an inability to cope with the new computer
technologies in a healthy manner
• It is dependent on gender, age and computer literacy. Women
experience lower technostress than men, older people
experience less technostress at work than younger people and
those with greater computer literacy experience lower
technostress.

49. The causes of technostress amount to:
• the quick pace of technological change
• lack of proper training
• an increased workload
• lack of standardization within technologies
• the reliability of hardware and software

50. • Four Aspects of Technostress:
• Physical aspects are eye strain, backaches, headaches,
stiff shoulders, neck pain, joint pain, dry mouth and
throat, muscle tension, stomach discomfort, keyboard
related injuries, chest pain, rapid heart rate, irritable
bowel syndrome, increased blood pressure, difficulty in
breathing, and others.
• Emotional aspects like irritability, loss of temper, having
a high state of anxiety when separated from a
computer monitor, feelings of indifference, frustration,
lack of appreciation, depression, guilt, feeling fearful,
paranoia that leads to avoiding computers, negative
attitudes and others.

51. • Behavioral aspects consists of feeling overly comfortable with
computers, overspending on computers, insomnia,
uncooperativeness and unwillingness, using computer terms
in non-computer conversation, smoking, social withdrawal
in favor of terminal time, cruising computer stores, drinking
alcohol, and so on.
• Psychological aspects are composed of information overload
in order to find, analyze, evaluate, and apply it in the right
context with resources, underwork and routine jobs lead to
frustrations when underemployed or when the work done
involves only routine operations, job security, where people
have a fear that computers may replace human roles,
professional jealousy produced by technological competency,
de-motivation due to prolonged periods of any technological
activity, uncertainty about job role caused by an increased
time working with technology.

52. Aathi – Vyaathi – Yogic Concept
• In Anandamaya Kosha, a man is healthiest with perfect
harmony and balance of all his faculties.
• At Vijnanamaya Kosha, there are movements, but are
channelized in the right direction.
• In the Manomaya kosha, the imbalances starts. These
imbalances amplify themselves resulting in mental illnesses
called ” Adhis “.
• At this stage there are no symptoms at the physical level.
Prompted by the perpetual growth of desires, these mental
diseases concealed in us, begin to manifest themselves
externally and gradually they percolate into the physical
frame through the Pranamaya kosha imbalance.

54. Yogic manifestation of aadhi and
vyadhi

55. Annamaya Kosha:
• • Neuro - endocrine imbalances. e.g. diabetes
mellitus,Peptic ulcer, irritable bowel syndrome,
essential hypertension, coronaryartery disease,
obstructive lung diseases and tension headaches
Pranamaya Kosha
• Emotional disturbances. e.g. road rage, mood
fluctuations
• Breathing difficulties. e.g. bronchial asthma, COPD
• Energy imbalances. e.g. lethargy and the feeling of
being "down in the dumps."

56. Manomaya Kosha
• Mental problems and various psychiatric disorders such as
depression,schizophrenia, hysteria, bulimia, mania, anxiety
neuroses.
• Decreased quality of life
• Increased amount of worries

57. Role Of Yoga In Preventing And Managing
Technostress
YOGIC CONCEPTS:
Vasudeiva Kudumbakam –
The whole world is one family. This is an excellent concept
which helps one to understand that division on the basis of
class,creed, religion and geographical distribution are all 'man
made' obstruction towards oneness. One can then look upon all
as his own and can bond with everyone irrespective of any
barriers

58. Pancha Kosha –
The concept of our five sheaths or bodies helps us to understand
how all our actions, emotions and even thoughts can influence
our surroundings and that "No man is an island". The concept of
“Nara” or psychic disassociation helps us to be aware of why
things happen to us and others in our daily life
Chaturvidha Purusharthas –
The four legitimate goals of life tell us how we can set
legitimate goals in this life and work towards attaining them in
the right way, following our dharma to attain Artha (material
prosperity), Kama(emotional prosperity) and finally the
attainment to the real goal of our life,Moksha (spiritual
prosperity)

59. Yoga as a “way of life”:
The regular practice of Yoga as a 'way of Life‘ helps to reduce
the levels of physical, mental and emotional stress. ThisYogic
‘way of life’ lays emphasis on right thought, right action, right
reaction and right attitude.

60. Ergonomics / Human Engineering
Ergonomics (from the Greek word ergon meaning work,
and nomoi meaning natural laws), is the science of refining
the design of products to optimize them for human use. ...
Computers and related products, such as computer desks
and chairs, are frequently the focus of ergonomic design
Primary areas
- Monitor location
- Keyboard location
- seating

64. Effect of Body Mass Index on work related musculoskeletal
discomfort and occupational stress of computer workers in a
developed ergonomic setup
Jasobanta Sethi1*, Jaspal Singh Sandhu2 and Vijay Imbanathan3
• A descriptive inferential study has been taken to analyze the
effect of BMI on work related musculoskeletal discomfort and
occupational-psychosocial stress.
• Work related musculoskeletal discomfort and occupational
stress of the subjects was assessed by Cornell University's
musculoskeletal discomfort questionnaire (CMDQ) and
occupational stress index (OSI).
Results:
• A significant association (p < 0.001) was seen among high
BMI subjects with their increase scores of musculoskeletal
discomfort and occupational stress.

65. EXERCISE FOR COMPUTER USERS
--- Stretch Out The Stress

70. Why yoga is effective therapy?
• Self practice
• Less expensive
• Moral concept
• Preventive therapy
• Tells about rules and regulation of life.

71. The health benefits of yoga
The potential health benefits of yoga include:
• Stress reduction. A number of studies have shown that yoga
may help reduce stress and anxiety. It can also enhance your
mood and overall sense of well-being.
• Improved fitness. Practicing yoga may lead to improved
balance, flexibility, range of motion and strength.
• Management of chronic conditions. Yoga can help reduce
risk factors for chronic diseases, such as heart disease and
high blood pressure. Yoga also help to alleviate chronic
conditions, such as depression, pain, anxiety and insomnia.

72. Yoga Module For Computer Professions
Loosening Exercise
• Hand Movements: clockwise and anticlockwise
• Elbow Movement: in and out
• Wrist Rotation: clockwise and anti-clockwise, in and out
• Hip rotation: clockwise and anti clockwise
• Neck Movements: Up and down, right and left, rotation-clockwise
and anti-clockwise
Asanas
• Padahastasana
• Shashankasana
• Setubandhasana
• Shalabhasana
• Bhujangasana
• Suryanamaskar

73. Pranayamas
• Kapalbhati
• Nadishoddi pranayama
• Chandra bedana
• Brahmari
Relaxation
• Deep relaxation
• Yoga nidra
Meditation
• Om chanting
• Cyclic meditation

74. Effect of an office worksite-based yoga program on heart rate
variability: A randomized controlled trial
Birinder S , Paul W Marshall
Chronic work-related stress is a significant and independent
risk factor for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases and
associated mortality, particularly when compounded by a
sedentary work environment. Heart rate variability (HRV)
provides an estimate of parasympathetic and sympathetic
autonomic control, and can serve as a marker of physiological
stress
Participants randomized to the experimental condition will
engage in a 10-week yoga program delivered at their place of
work

75. • Participants randomized to the control condition will be
given education about the benefits of physical activity and
relaxation training but will receive no specific instructions
about yoga practice for the 10-week intervention period.
Physical Functioning
• Upper-body and abdominal muscular endurance will be
evaluated using the standardised push-up test and partial
curl-up test, respectively, according to procedures outlined
by the American College of Sports Medicine
Result
The results of this study will help determine the efficacy of
worksite-based yoga practice on HRV and parameters of
physical and psychological health status. These findings may
assist in implementing practical interventions such as yoga into
the workplace to mitigate stress, enhance health status and
reduce the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

76. Fifteen Minutes of Chair-Based Yoga Postures or Guided
Meditation Performed in the Office Can Elicit a Relaxation
Response
Evidence based complimentary and alternative medicine
This study compared acute (15 min) yoga posture and guided
meditation practice, performed seated in a typical office
workspace, on physiological and psychological markers of
stress.
Twenty participants completed three conditions: yoga,
meditation, and control (i.e., usual work) separated by ≥24 hrs.
Yoga and meditation significantly reduced perceived stress
versus control, and this effect was maintained postintervention.
.

77. • Respiration rate was reduced during yoga and
meditation versus control . Domains of heart rate
variability (e.g., SDNN and Total Power) were
significantly reduced during control versus yoga and
meditation.
• Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were reduced
secondary to meditation versus control only .
Physiological adaptations generally regressed toward
baseline postintervention.
• In conclusion, yoga postures or meditation performed in
the office can acutely improve several physiological and
psychological markers of stress. These effects may be at
least partially mediated by reduced respiration rate

78. CONCLUSION
• As we all know the fact that Computers became one of the
most important tool in our life style.
• At the same time we ought to know the disadvantages and
effects of the computers over the health .
• Use the technology but not at the cost of the health.
• The above scientific papers proves that practice of yoga has
good benefits among computer users .

79. REFERENCE
• Google scholar
• Combating technostress through yoga-Dr
Yogacharya Ananda Yogi Bhavani
• Pubmed
• Google search