Drawn! The Illustration and Cartooning Blog

I've had so many problems with neck and shoulder/back issues that I ended up selling my drafting table and buying a Wacom tablet.

My advice for anyone is this: Find a good physiotherapist. I'd been to half a dozen before I found a really good one. Most of them, I found, "patch the walls up" instead of "fixing the foundation" to use metaphors. With her, I've really improved posture through exercises and realigned my hips as well. It only takes a commitment of 10 to 20 min. three days a week to upkeep myself into the brand new man that I am.

My physiotherapist is excellent. She used to be a downhill competitive skiier and broke her back before. She doesn't move like someone who has broken her back. I think jocks make good physiotherapists as well because they know how to train and exercise efficiently. She's the only physio I've had where I've stuck with the exercises.

I used to not be able to sleep on a Greyhound bus without aching horribly afterwards. Earlier this month, I spent three days installing a new floor in my kitchen (really hard on the back). The last day I worked for 15 1/2 hrs. to get it done. The next day, I travelled on a bus for 6 hrs, slept for half the time, but I felt good afterward!

So, like I say, find a good physio. It's too hard to figure out what you need to do on your own. If your problems are minor, yes, you may be able to just do tai chi or yoga or stretches but, still, I think, for long term success, it's good to get SPECIFIC exercises and stretches for you.

Best Luck, Josh

I've taken up sitting on a Swiss Ball when at a lower drawing level (got an extra large one and blew it up tight so I am sitting at right desk level). You can bounce up and down and yippeedoodaa or roll about on the floor to get inspired. Oh, just make sure your feet can touch the ground! Otherwise the ball sits on you!:0) But it sure makes you sit up straight and you get to exercise all your muscles while you draw (cos you are always trying to stay on it).

Cheers Amigos

I hate to recommend something that costs money, but if your drawing table will go low enough to accomodate a high quailty office chair, you may find an ergonomic chair worth investigating.

I found a display model Steelcase Leap chair for around $400 (they usually retail for about $600, similar to an Aeron). It has made a distinct difference, though I do alot of my drawing at the computer. If you go that route, look up reviews on the web, find somewhere near you that you can sit in them, and don't be shy about saying you'll come back later and checking other chsirs elsewhere. I spend 12-14 hours a day in mine, so it was well worth the investment.

Kevin Kelly of Cool Tools, whose judgement many people, including myself, trust, recommends an inexpensive alternative, the Russell Exexutive Chair: http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000891.php which is about $250-$300 at Office Depot and elsewhere.

Also, using a portable drawing board propped in your lap, rather than leaning over a drawing table, can allow you to sit up straighter, as can a portable board propped at a higher slant on a drawing table left at a shallower angle, allowing a best of both worlds scenario.

I second the drawing bench option, obviously.

I also have been practicing T'ai Chi for many years and find its emphasis on a comfortably vertical spine is excellent for you back. The image suggested is of imagining your body weight suspended by a thread from the top of your head, as though the spine was hanging vertically, rather than stiffly holding your weight up like a pillar.

I too suffer the heartbreak of Sciatica. It got to the point where I missed 6 weeks of work when my disk exploded. I didn’t have to get surgery, but I DID have to make a lot of changes!
Stand up straight, no more slouching.
Exercise-I do Pilates, very good for your core and you can learn and teach your body what proper posture is.
Sleep right, on back, knees elevated, or on your side, pillow between legs.
Learn about proper ergonomics and follow through.
Most important, ALWAYS strive for neutral spine, working, sleeping, sitting, etc. Don’t do the things that can damage your tender disks, and do the things that nurture your stronger, healthier, SPINIER life.
Oh, and for god’s sake don’t lift heavy stuff! Ooh! or do yard work, any and all yard work is the devil!

A great stretch, that I find really useful, is when you are lying in bed pull your right knee up and as close to your left nipple as possible. Hold it there for a minute then let go. Do the same with your left leg, but go to the right nipple. This will release some of the tension in your spine and helps to get the blood moving in your back and legs.

My drawing table is tall enough that I can switch between sitting and standing while working, which seems to help.

As a sufferer of lower back pain, I sympathize with my fellow artists. Sitting at a desk for days at a time is torturous for anyone who suffers from sciatica like I used to.

From this website: http://www.spine-health.com/topics/cd/d_sciatic...

"The term sciatica describes the symptoms of pain and possibly tingling, numbness or weakness that travels from the low back through the buttock and down the large sciatic nerve in the back of the leg. Sciatic pain is caused when a nerve root in the lower spine is pinched or irritated, and is commonly caused by a lumbar herniated disc, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease or spondylolisthesis."

Meaning there are lots of potential reasons for back pain, but you can alleviate the symptoms in most cases without anything drastic. Generally, the stronger your core muscles (back and abs) the better your body can support you to prevent bad posture and then prevent sore, inflammed muscles.

Here's some things you can do.

1. Take breaks. I know, I know, it's tough when you're in the groove (and really, most artists tend to OCD when drawing) to do that, but try to break up the drawing with a coffee, a light stretch, stand up to look at the art work, stand up to answer the phone. etc. And OFTEN.

2. Exercise. I cannot stress how important this is for back health. For me it was kickboxing but whatever you enjoy, do it. Anything is better than nothing. After 6 months of learning how to fight my back pain disappeared. Face pain increased exponentially, but that's another story. Remember how much you exercised as a child and didn't have back pain? Try and get back to that point.

3. Stretch often. Yoga's all over this aspect.

4. Lots of water, we tend to dehydrate and not realize it. That makes the muscles stiffer than they should be. Plus those pee breaks will get your butt out of the chair.

Hope that helps,
Rod Salm
www.quintopus.com

Get or make a drawing horse. These things are great for prolonged sitting/drawing.

http://www.linesandcolors.com/2007/06/23/the-dr...

My back got to the point where it just ached constantly. Three years ago, I began to train tai chi at YMAA (www.ymaa.com). I love it and it's helped my back greatly. They have books & videos, too. I find that exercising once a day just isn't enough for the back. I try to get up and stretch often, at least once every two hours. Hamstring stretches are important for me.

Also, pay attention to your posture, when you're not paying attention to it. Do you catch yourself leaning forward? Get your body structure correct. Look into classes on The Aleander Technique if you're not sure what proper alignment should look or feel like.

At my school, I've learned to bow my spine and shoulders back and forth and also to control a gentle spinal wave. Practice with a tai chi ball is also very healthy for my back. Good luck!!

I made myself a drawing board for long streches of drawing so I wasn't hunched over and that helped. Taking a break to stretch is good advice for any prolonged activity.

Watch your diet and exercize (even if it is just walking). Strong stomach muscles will help support your lower back. Take time out for your self one hr every couple of weeks to get a Massage can help relax all the tight muscles in your back,neck,shoulders. Get up once in a while stretch your legs. "MOVE!"