The Heavy Toll of Being Too One-Sided: Beware of Uneven Shoulders
Shoulder and neck muscle strain is not an issue exclusive to physically demanding industries. Even office assistants who juggle both administrative tasks and fieldwork can be at risk. In addition to supporting departmental activities, they often have to transport heavy bags of mail multiple times a day. It is no surprise that they suffer from shoulder and neck muscle strain.
Most spine problems are caused by repetitive improper movements or incorrect working posture. One such cause of spinal subluxation is the long-term use of a shoulder bag or handbag when performing fieldwork. Concentrating the weight of the bag on one side increases the pressure and load on the cervical spine and shoulder and neck muscles, leading to uneven shoulders and prolonged muscle tension, which can easily result in cervical subluxation. The misaligned vertebrae can compress the surrounding nerves, causing muscle soreness, hand numbness, and weakness. If not treated, it may develop into chronic pain and even lead to serious problems such as bone spurs, radiating pain, paralysis, and muscle weakness.
Plus, field workers who always rush around to save time have a higher chance of developing knee arthritis. The knee joint is the largest joint in our bodies, and our legs bear the entire body weight when we stand and walk. So, long-term physical labour can exert excessive pressure on the knees and accelerate the wear and tear of the cartilage, causing knee joint degeneration and bone spurs. Knee arthritis patients experience long-term pain and swelling in the joint, making it difficult for them to stand for long periods, walk long distances, or climb stairs, and sometimes the pain can even affect their sleep.
According to the Labour Department’s Guidance Notes on Manual Handling Operations, the weight of the mailbag should be limited to 16 kg. So, field workers should consider their physical abilities and should not increase their spinal burden for the sake of saving a little time. Besides, they can use a backpack-style delivery bag instead of a shoulder bag to evenly distribute the weight on both shoulders. If the company requires the use of a shoulder bag, workers can alternate sides to balance the weight. During fieldwork, workers should take a short break every hour and do simple stretching exercises while waiting for the recipient or travelling by car. It is also a good idea to wear shoes with thicker soles and shock-absorbing insoles to ease the pressure on the knees and reduce friction between the shoes and the soles of the feet.
