Okay, so today I’m writing this post at my desk, with my head tilted up, and to the side—the only semi-comfortable position I can find. I really shouldn’t be complaining about this predicament. The warning signs were all there for me.
Over the last few years I’ve had alignment problems with my back. It’s not all that uncommon. In fact, I bet many of you have, or know someone with the same problem. When it gets bad, my back starts to ache and I know I should have it taken care of. Over the last several weeks, my back has been aching. It’s has been especially bad when I write with my laptop, away from my desk, in a comfy chair. I have found it harder and harder to write in this extremely comfy chair without my neck aching too. Then a few days ago, this aching turned into a stiff neck. Yuk! I hate those. Last night, it got worse and I woke up several times during the night with sharp pain shooting from my neck to my upper back. It got so bad I could not turn in bed, like at all, or even shift my pillow. It was all I could do to get myself out of bed and into a steaming hot shower this morning.
The shower helped a little, as did ibuprofen, and standing up. Though now I’m tipped sort of sideways when I walk. Yeah, this is fun. 😦
And so now at 11:00am I am off to see my chiropractor. Yes, I have a chiropractor and he is amazing. And hopefully he can do amazing things to fix me up. You’d think I would have just listened to my body and all those screaming warning signs and gotten in to see him sooner. But I didn’t.
I know exactly what he’s going to say. He has said it to me before. “Writing on a laptop in comfy chair is very bad. The neck position necessary to do so, is very bad. You need to write at your desk, with your head and neck and back aligned in its proper position.”
My bad. 😦
And I have no one to blame but me. But that chair is just so comfy!
So please, my writing friends. Check your writing posture. Be sure it’s proper. I’m no doctor, so look it up on line if you need to know what proper posture actually looks like. Get up every half hour to stretch. Better yet, go outside in this beautiful fresh air and walk, or run, or bike. Stretch out your back and neck. Do yoga. I’m a big fan of all of the above—except for obviously the writing at a desk with proper posture one.
But this is the last straw. I will not do this to myself again. I’m only hurting myself, and taking time away from my writing. So what do you say? Join me in making an effort to take care of yourself. Our stories and words are waiting, but we can’t write them, if we are tipped sideways, looking up in an awkward position! Wish me luck. Hopefully I’ll be good as new in no time! 🙂
swirl and spark 