Self-Care for CME Writers: 10 Simple Exercises to Reduce Injuries and Discomfort
Learn how to care for your body and mind after a day at the keyboard
Spending hours at your desk typing away frantically is part and parcel of being a continuing medical education (CME) writer. But the aches and pains that inevitably seem to follow don’t have to be a part of your writing routine!
In this article, we explore where and why you may be experiencing pain after a day of writing, some easy fixes to apply immediately, and 10 simple exercises you can incorporate into your daily routine to reduce injuries and relieve pain.
Causes of Wrist and Neck Pain for CME Writers and How to Practice Self-Care
As a CME writer, you likely often experience discomfort or pain in your wrists, hands, arms, elbows, shoulders, back, and neck from working on a keyboard. In fact, most office workers these days report these symptoms and 50% of the adult population in the United States have a musculoskeletal condition. Trauma, back pain, and arthritis are the top three reported causes of musculoskeletal discomfort.
CME writers may be more likely to develop musculoskeletal conditions as a result of trauma in the form of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). Given that we often perform the same actions repeatedly (e.g. clicking the mouse, typing on a keyboard) while maintaining a relatively static posture, we open ourselves up to injuries due to exertion and overuse of a limited set of muscles. Additionally, we may not always maintain optimal posture or technique, take sufficient breaks, and lack regular exercise or activity.
The result? Pain that is often localized and limited to the upper body, particularly concentrated in the hands and arms, neck and shoulders, and back. Other symptoms can also include fatigue, weakness, numbness, tingling, lack of control or coordination, and hypersensitivity, all of which can lead to burnout without proper self-care.
Luckily, being medical writers, we are already more conscious of the negative impacts these circumstances have on our health. And the good news is, there are fairly simple steps we can take steps to reduce the likelihood of developing such conditions and even avoid them altogether.
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." - Benjamin Franklin
How to Prevent Wrist and Neck Pain From Computer Use
It may seem like a cliché, but I’m a big fan of avoiding pain rather than trying to find relief for it down the road. Body maintenance is an essential part of being an effective CME writer — when your body is in its optimal condition, your brain is more able to focus on creative and complex tasks.
Ergonomic Workspaces are Essential for Writers
One key thing that can help prevent hand, wrist, arm, neck, shoulder, and back pain while working at the computer is establishing an ergonomically designed workspace. Consider the height of your desk and your chair, support for your back and wrists, as well as the position of your screen when setting up your workstation. You may even explore using a standing desk, walking on a treadmill while at your desk, or using a balance board to keep your core active as part of your self-care for writers practice. Even a small misalignment can compound over time and result in discomfort or pain.
Take Breaks Regularly: Go For a Walk or Call a Friend
No matter how perfectly your workspace is set up, incorporating regular breaks into your work schedule is also a must. Stretching, taking a short walk, hydrating, calling a friend (not texting — we don’t want to switch one screen for another!), or doing simple exercises are some examples of breaks that can help prevent muscle fatigue and overexertion while working.
Nurture Your Body By Building Strength and Resting
We can also practice body maintenance by building strength to counter prolonged sitting and cultivating joint flexibility and mobility. Regular exercise is a key part of self-care for writers' routines to help combat the sedentary lifestyle that being a CME writer naturally prescribes, and stretching can help increase our flexibility. Rest is also a foundational part of pain prevention — getting sufficient sleep and allowing the body to recuperate from intense spurts of work is key to preventing neck, wrist, and other pain from computer use.
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Techniques to Improve Functionality and Productivity, Prevent Burnout, and Release Tension
As part of your self-care for writers routine, you can employ techniques to ease tension in the body and improve form and function. Some of these activities can even be performed while seated at your desk, making them perfect for incorporating into your workday.
Stretching
In our bodies, fascia is the connective tissue surrounding everything (muscle, organs, nerves, etc.) and keeping each in its place. We can picture this by imagining an orange slice. We can think of the fascia as the pulp. It encases the juice and gives it a sense of delineation and also allows for things to glide smoothly past one another.
When we maintain static postures like working at a computer for hours, the fascia tightens up and becomes stiff over time. Stretching can help loosen and lengthen connective tissue, allowing us to regain some of that mobility and movement.
Myofascial release is another great way to keep these parts gliding freely, which helps with optimal loading and movement. Think of it as a side door or adjacent tool to stretching to create more “freedom” or “ease” in movement and the body.
Strengthening
Part of the cause of aches and pains in medical writers is improper alignment and posture in the body. One way to address this is by strengthening and re-educating the core muscles of your body responsible for proper alignment and posture.
Some activities or exercises that can help are:
Yoga: Certain yoga styles and sequences allow you to focus on developing the upper body, PSOAS, and core muscles.
Pilates is a full-body workout that targets the core muscles. It can help improve your posture and alignment.
Alexander Technique: Specifically designed to relieve tension in the body, this technique can help ease stress and promote healing and ease.
Feldenkrais Method: This is a style of somatic education that incorporates movement and attention to improve flexibility and coordination and increase range of motion.
Breathing
Stress and computer use can disrupt our natural way of breathing. We tend to take shallow, constrained breaths while seated at a desk instead of long, deep breaths. This can heighten feelings of stress and anxiety.
Smooth, rhythmic breathing can quickly reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. Research shows that breathing techniques, particularly SKY Breath Meditation, help to manage anxiety and stress, improve sleep, boost the immune system, and restore energy. When we slow the breath and lengthen the exhale, the body and mind move from the highly agitated 'fight or flight' state into the relaxed 'rest and digest' state. This helps us feel calm, engaged, and alert.
10 Simple Exercises to Relieve Discomfort
If you want relief from your neck and wrist pain after a day of writing, these simple yet powerful exercises can help. The following is a sequence I use regularly to assess and ease points of tension in my upper body. Each step can be repeated several times as necessary.
1. Pause and check in: Take stock of your posture and body position. Notice where your head is in relation to your neck and your shoulders. Observe if your body is in a position that increases tension and discomfort.
2. Ground your feet and sitting bones: Create a strong, stable foundation with your feet. Feel the weight of your sitting bones pressing into y.
3. Lengthen your spine and relax your shoulders: Lift up your ribcage away from your pelvis and gently lengthen the back and spine. Find a parallel line between your chin and the earth. Shrug your shoulders up to your ears on an inhale and relax them down your back on the exhale.
4. Find movement in the spine with a seated cow-cat: Keeping the spine long and shoulders relaxed, put your hands on your knees. Draw your hands up your thighs, elbows towards the ribcage, and lift the sternum as you inhale. Exhale and tuck your chin towards your chest, rounding the back and extending your arms to the knees again. Repeat the movement in rhythm with your breath.
5. Stretch the muscles at the sides of the neck: With a long, relaxed spine, tuck your chin toward your neck. Tilt your head to draw your right ear to your right shoulder. Slowly move your chin forward and back, noticing any tight spots and maintaining the position to stretch out any tender areas. You can intensify the stretch by allowing the opposite arm to hang low and drawing the opposite shoulder down. Repeat on the other side.
6. Myofascial release via massage or compression: You can use your fist and knuckles, a recovery round ball, or a tennis ball as part of your self-care for writers routine. Massage or press the ball into the front of your shoulder joint, rolling around the area to find any tender spots. Press in and hold for a few breaths. You can move your shoulder around to uncover other tender spots. Note: This is not a gentle practice and can feel quite intense, but you can control what feels good to you. Repeat on the other side.
7. Circles with the wrists: Bend your arms at the elbows and make gentle fists. Move your first around in circles to relax the wrists and switch directions after a few breaths.
8. Forearms stretch: Bring your arms out to the sides and make fists. Draw your fists down towards the ground and hold for 30 seconds to a minute. Release the fists and press the backs of your hands against the sides of your ribcage. Hold for 30 seconds to a minute.
9. Myofascial release of the forearms: Fold your arms with palms facing your chest and your thumb pointing up to the sky. Walk your hand along the radial bone (forearm) and use your thumb and fingers to massage the forearm and work any tender spots. Repeat on the other arm.
10. Breathwork: Rest your hands on your thighs with the palms facing up. Exhale and curl your fingers in to form a fist. On the inhale, extend your fingers out into a starfish. Repeat for several breaths, paying attention to the flow of air in and out of your body.
Self-Care is Essential for Writers and Now You Can Practice It Effectively
These simple exercises can help you maintain your physical health to continue producing high-quality work as a CME writer. Coupled with preventative techniques that promote proper posture and alignment while keeping you strong, you will be able to reduce or even avoid injuries that often plague writers. Learn more about how comprehensive wellness can support your writing practice as you continue your CME writing journey with WriteCME Pro, a guided experience to build your CME writing business, and the Write Medicine Podcast.
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