YOGA FOR COMPUTER

PROFESSIONALS

Dr. MEERA NANDAN

1ST YEAR M.D
 CONTENT
• Introduction
• Risk Factors
• Yogic management for
 Repetitive strain injury
 Computer vision syndrome
 Migraine
 Technostress
• Exercise for office workers
• Yoga for computer workers
• Conclusion
 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
• 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
• 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

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

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

• breaks during working hours

• Modifying the computer location

• lighting and reflection

• Modifying the indoor environment

• 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
 YOGIC MANAGEMENT

• Eye exercises
• Trataka
• Meditation
• Relaxation technique
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.
 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.
 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.
 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.
 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
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.
 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
 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.
• 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.
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
• 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.
• 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.
 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.
Yogic manifestation of aadhi and vyadhi
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."
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
 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
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)
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.
 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
 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.
EXERCISE FOR COMPUTER USERS
--- Stretch Out The Stress
 Why yoga is effective therapy?
• Self practice
• Less expensive
• Moral concept
• Preventive therapy
• Tells about rules and regulation of life.
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.
 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
Pranayamas
• Kapalbhati
• Nadishoddi pranayama
• Chandra bedana
• Brahmari
Relaxation
• Deep relaxation
• Yoga nidra
Meditation
• Om chanting
• Cyclic meditation
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
• 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.
 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.
.
• 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
 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 .
 REFERENCE
• Google scholar
• Combating technostress through yoga-Dr
Yogacharya Ananda Yogi Bhavani
• Pubmed
• Google search