...Studying Hurts...
This is worse now, because it's the end of the day, but it's bothering me enough (aka PAIN) that I want some general pieces of advice.
Studying is giving me back injuries.
More specifically: the little place behind my right shoulderblade (or, between shoulderblade and spine), where all those muscles join up, is super inflamed and has been, on and off, for let's say a week. I am blaming it on posture from all this reading. It gets a little better when I recline my desk chair, but also sometimes feels better when I slouch, which seems very contradictory to me (and may be my body being misleading, since I'm sure slouching is more of a problem than sitting up straight). Also the problem is that when I recline my desk chair, there is no comfortable place to put a book. Also, I am usually pretty conscious about my posture when I read and try not to slouch!
I blame it on posture also because aikido makes it way, way better - exercise, warm muscles, and all that - and let's face it, what am I really doing other than sitting and aikido?
OK folks - I'm less concerned with short-term pain relief, since I can do ibuprofen and get myself a heat pack very easily. But what do I do to keep grad school from killing my back in the long term? Learn how to do handstands and take periodic upside-down breaks? (That's only half kidding... you can't slouch doing a handstand...)
Studying is giving me back injuries.
More specifically: the little place behind my right shoulderblade (or, between shoulderblade and spine), where all those muscles join up, is super inflamed and has been, on and off, for let's say a week. I am blaming it on posture from all this reading. It gets a little better when I recline my desk chair, but also sometimes feels better when I slouch, which seems very contradictory to me (and may be my body being misleading, since I'm sure slouching is more of a problem than sitting up straight). Also the problem is that when I recline my desk chair, there is no comfortable place to put a book. Also, I am usually pretty conscious about my posture when I read and try not to slouch!
I blame it on posture also because aikido makes it way, way better - exercise, warm muscles, and all that - and let's face it, what am I really doing other than sitting and aikido?
OK folks - I'm less concerned with short-term pain relief, since I can do ibuprofen and get myself a heat pack very easily. But what do I do to keep grad school from killing my back in the long term? Learn how to do handstands and take periodic upside-down breaks? (That's only half kidding... you can't slouch doing a handstand...)