Sit with your feet flat on the floor or on an inclined footrest. Don't hunch or lean over while working at your computer. Your lower arms should be almost horizontal, parallel to the floor, while your hands are resting on the keyboard. According to a recent study at MCP Hahnemann University in Philadelphia, some people seem to be genetically predisposed to develop disc herniations that can produce sciatica. Scientists in the study found a gene mutation that alters a key disc structural protein, making the disc less resilient to everyday wear and tear.
More research is needed to unravel the complex pathways that signal pain.
Differences in levels of chemicals that produce pain and those that suppress it can mean that one person doesn't notice any problem while another is in agony. Anita Srikameswaran, M.D., is a medical writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.