[Jewelry making - Article 00684] - Re: [Orchid] Bench height

[Kate Wolf]

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    Hi, Years ago I had major neck/ shoulder pain and TMJ.  The doctor
    wanted me to see a chiropractor before considering surgery. The
    chiropractor wanted to sign me up for 3 visits a week.  The day I saw
    the chiropractor, a friend who works for a large Workman's
    Compensation Insurance firm stopped by. Her job is going to work
    sites where there are many claims and  helping them reduce injuries.
    Her advice helped me immensely. Within a week of making her suggested
    adjustments 1 &1/2 years of serious pain were gone without any
    chiropractic help. She said: Chair height is extremely important. Your
    feet should be flat on the floor and  90=B0 to your calves, your calve=
s
    90=B0 to your thighs, your thighs 90=B0 to your back. You don't want y=
our
    butt higher or lower than your knees.   Now, our heads weigh 10-12
    pounds, if our bench pin is too low we have all this weight
    cantilevered off our spine, and this can cause major strain and
    sometimes permanent damage. If our bench pin is too high we'll be
    working with our elbows above our shoulders and that is equally bad.
    With her suggestions in mind, I got a good chair (what a blessing!)
    and set the height of this chair properly. Then I figured my bench
    pin height (I like mine to hit 1 inch below my collar bone). I raised
    my bench height 4 inches. It made an outrageous difference. Before you
    go out and raise your benches, consider this. For those of you using
    the Benchmate System, buy the  adjustable height bracket and use that
    to raise or lower the bench pin. Or- get a piece of hard wood (I use
    a 2 1/2 x 3/4 x 6" piece of oak) and attach it to the front of your
    bench and mount your bench pin on that to get the right height. The
    bench height isn't as important as the bench pin height. Her other
    suggestions helped with hand fatigue. I now mount my custom carving
    tools in fatter dowels and  put  foam pencil grips that you buy in a
    stationary store on them. I got a foam grip for my flex shaft. Got
    handles for the needle files I use the most and handles for my large
    files. Before working I rub my hands together briskly to warm them
    up. I vary the tasks I am doing often. Now I don't have hand fatigue
    and can be more productive. Breathe!!!!!  Many of us have the tendency
    to hold our breath when we concentrate. That starves our muscles of
    oxygen and causes muscle soreness and stiffness. Breathe deep and
    often. There's my 2 cents. I hope this helps someone. (Thanks again
    Carol Romano for your help!). Kate Wolf in spectacular Portland, Maine
    - come take a workshop sometime! http://www.katewolfdesigns.com

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