Pain-free Work Advice Inspired by The Beatles
By: Dr. Gina Kim, Pt Dpt
Tags: Back Pain, Work From Home, Physical Therapy, Wellness, Beatles

Four “Gear” Work from Home Tips from the Fab Four.

Photo by Fedor on Unsplash

I am a long-time fan of The Beatles. I may have just missed Beatlemania, but I’m old enough that I heard their breakup announced on the radio while my mother was driving me to preschool. But my love for the boys from Liverpool was ignited by our music teacher on the last day of sixth grade at Ridgewood Elementary. Our field day had been rained out, so Plan B involved all of us pre-teens gathered around the record player, singing along to The Beatles Greatest Hits: 1967–1970 (the “Blue Album”). Each kid clutching a mimeographed lyric sheet.

It only took one listen to “I am the Walrus,” and I was hooked. Goo goo g’joob.

In life I am a Doctor of Physical Therapy, a movement expert. I specialize in treating back pain without drugs or surgery. Cut to 2020, and it’s my profession and passion to keep folks moving — working, exercising, living life — to their full potential, pain-free and empowered to manage pain. And still, I adore The Beatles, after all these years.

(How exited are you by Peter Jackson’s sneak peek at his upcoming film Get Back?!” Email me at drgina@maitri.physioif you’ve seen it!)

Let’s have some fun. What can we learn about working from home and staying pain-free from John, Paul, George, and Ringo?

1. Ringo and Why You Should Stand Every Hour

Let’s start with Ringo. Poor Ringo. Picture his workstation — I mean, drum kit. While the other three Beatles could stand and walk around — heck, even dance — while playing their guitars, Ringo kept the Mersey Beat with his butt in the seat. Even if his drum throne was comfy (probably not), we all know what sitting does after hours and hours. You start to feel drowsy as the circulatory system has a much harder time returning blood to the heart and lungs. Your back starts to ache despite your best efforts at maintaining that good posture you know you should have. You can’t help it: your back and shoulders slump, placing more pressure on your spinal nerves that control all your sensation and movement. This leads to back pain.

George Martin could have encouraged Ringo to stand up every hour to go walk and get a cuppa tea. Or, Ringo could have stood up, held his drumsticks in both hands over his head, and leaned back into a good stretch. That would have done the trick after a Hard Day’s Night. (Were you aware Ringo came up with that line?)

2. John and How You Can Decrease Neck Pain

John was extremely near-sighted. It wasn’t until later in their career that he started wearing his signature granny glasses. You can see in early performances that John is straining to see, squinting and pushing his head forward. It was also the posture he adopted while he played guitar and piano.

It’s similar to what happens when we’re working at our computers and reading emails Eight Days a Week. We’re leaning on our elbows, and our heads move forward of our bodies. This places strain on the back of the neck. Think about it: your head weighs as much as a bowling ball. Holding it in front of your neck can not only lead to pain, but also numbness in the arms and hands.

The fix: if you’re straining to see, first get your eyes checked. I need to wear my reading glasses while working on my laptop. Next, perform two mini exercises that strengthen the upper back. Begin by sitting up tall in your chair with your shoulders back. Then hold a finger in front of your nose. Draw your head back away from your finger as if your head is on a rail. Give yourself a double chin. It should feel like a good stretch on the back of your neck. Relax, then repeat 10 times. Finally, squeeze your shoulder blades together and down, like you’re trying to put them into your back pockets. Relax and repeat 10 times.

3. George and How to Fix Your Tight Hips

We know George as the spiritual one who played a part in The Beatles traveling to Rishikesh, India, to sit at the feet of the founder of Transcendental Meditation, the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. We know George as the spiritual Beatle. He was instrumental in convincing the other three to travel to Rishikesh, India, to study at the feet of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. (Did you know the MMY developed the techniques of Transcendental Meditation? Yes, that TM practiced by people like David Lynch.) He was also a student of Ravi Shankar, the beloved master of the sitar. So many photos of George sitting cross-legged in meditation or learning how to play his sitar. Leading to tight hips — so much so that it can become difficult to put on socks and shoes!

Static hip stretching after immobility is so Yesterday. Dynamic movement is more effective in getting blood to those tight muscles and nutrition to your joints. Here’s what you can do: stand up, place a hand on the back of a chair for balance, and lift your right leg with your knee bent. Then slowly sweep your leg in a large circle. Go clockwise, then try count-clockwise.

4. Paul and How Movement is Medicine

Of all The Beatles, Paul is the one on the move. He’s riding a horse. He’s swimming in the ocean. He’s walking. He’s jogging. He’s wrangling sheep (check out the cover to his second solo album, Ram).

The lesson from Paul: to feel better and more energized, take a walk around the block. Find a secondhand treadmill or stationary bike for your home. Turn on the TV and find a YouTube music video and dance along to it. The research has been in agreement for years that your heart and body benefit from moderate exercise that raises your heart rate and gets you sweating if you do 30 minutes per day, five days per week. Bonus: there is no minimum time for a bout of activity, so you can scatter this throughout your day. As long as it all adds up to 30 minutes, you’ll have a Good Day, Sunshine.