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Artists: Four Ways To Reduce Back & Neck Pain

Artists: Four Ways To Reduce Back & Neck Pain

Artists experience a great amount of eye, back, neck and shoulder strain as they tend to sit in fixed, sometimes uncomfortable positions over long periods of time (is this you??).  Some sit this way purely out of habit and as a result, simply don’t realize the uncomfortable positions they are forcing their bodies to accommodate. At CraftOptics, we often hear from artists who experience pain while working, so much so that they no longer enjoy their craft.

 Neck-Pain

What can be done??

1.   Be aware of your work environment and pay attention to pain

leaning

Artists can be so engrossed in their work that they simply don’t realize where the pain points are until it’s painful (again, is this you??).  Pay attention to the position of your body, the location of your tools, the height of your chair, and your lighting when you start to notice strain. Adapt your equipment to your ideal posture, rather than compromise your posture to adapt to your equipment. Sometimes just being aware of the sources of strain will help you make modifications and eliminate them when they arise. See photos of how various artists work with comfortable posture here: ARTIST POSTURE

2.  Sit up straight

HumanEvolution

Use an adjustable, ergonomic chair with adjustable lumbar support and armrests to support your back and the weight of your arms. You would be amazed at how much a chair with armrests helps reduce the stress on your shoulders. In addition, a minor adjustment to the height of your chair can make a world of a difference in your comfort. Again, adjust your equipment to your most comfortable posture.

armrest drawing

 3.   Wear your complete prescription when working (distance plus reading correction)

Why?  Because it helps you sit at a comfortable, ergonomic working distance.

good-computer-position-1

Many nearsighted people take off their glasses to read or work. As a result, they have to lean over to see. Can they see clearly? Probably, but they don’t make the connection between taking off their glasses to read and the resulting back and neck pain they get from having to hunch over to see. Sometimes artists take off their glasses when they do detail work because they can’t get comfortable with the near zone in their progressive or no line bifocals. In some glasses, the near lens portion is quite small. Consider using a standard bifocal for your creative work, as they provide a large near viewing area.

silhouette man computing

In addition, added eyestrain can occur if you work without your vision corrected. Trying to work around your actual prescription typically leads to eyestrain, headaches and hunching.

4.   Finally, use proper lighting

If you use the same light bulbs you used 20 years ago, it’s time to try some brighter bulbs. As we age, our requirement for light increases (see blog post here: YOU NEED MORE LIGHT). That task lamp that worked for you years ago is likely not bright enough for your work today. It may be forcing you to lean in to see, in turn creating shadows and adding to back and eye strain.

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This light may have been OK at one time, but it may not be enough now. 

Comfortable, upright posture with razor sharp magnification and powerful light, directly where you need it.

 

Incredible, high-resolution magnified vision and bright, shadowless-light allow you to see amazing detail, eliminate eye strain, improve posture and create with precision and confidence.  Whether your passion is quilting, jewelry-making, beadwork, needlework, sewing, miniatures, woodwork or any fine detail activity, CraftOptics magnifying eyeglasses will help you see amazing detail, eliminate eye strain, improve posture and give you confidence to pursue precision projects you love.

 

 

 

Questions? Give us a call at 888 444 7728 or learn more in our FAQ section here: FAQs

Learn more about CraftOptics Magnifying Eyeglasses here: MAGNIFY