TerminalTraveler.com

- Leading physiotherapist identifies new medical condition

- Nearly two thirds of business travellers suffer from laptop shoulder

- More than half of business travellers don’t know how to alleviate pain and discomfort

- Crowne Plaza first hotel group to partner with physiotherapist to help guests

As leading physiotherapist, Diane Hunter MSc BSc (Hons) MCSP, identifies new condition, laptop
shoulder, research from Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts reveals
sixty-three per cent of laptop users suffer from severe pain and
discomfort while travelling on business.

Almost two thirds of business travellers are putting their
long-term health at risk according to Hunter who has teamed up with
Crowne Plaza to provide a guide to help laptop users beat the
condition.

Air travel,
driving and bad posture further add to the pain and discomfort in the
upper back and neck caused by transporting heavy laptop computers for
business travellers. This tends to result in referred pain into the
shoulders.

As business becomes more mobile, Crowne Plaza findings show that
nearly two thirds of laptop users are suffering increased pain and
discomfort in their shoulders, back or neck when travelling with laptops.

Crowne Plaza commissioned the research after hotel staff noticed a
large number of business guests were suffering from pain in their back,
neck and shoulders.

The findings also reveal that three quarters of laptop users carry
their laptop in the wrong type of bag exacerbating the symptoms. One in
two laptop users are oblivious to the ways that laptop shoulder and
other repetitive strain injuries can be avoided, and don’t know they
can relieve postural pain with straightforward exercises that can be
carried out in hotel rooms.

To help its guests overcome the pain of laptop shoulder, Crowne
Plaza has partnered with Diane Hunter, physiotherapy consultant, to
provide an exercise guide that is specifically designed for use in
hotels, as well as offering tips for guests to avoid laptop shoulder.

The guides are available in selected Crowne Plaza hotels across the
UK and may be made available for download from the Crowne Plaza website
depending on demand. Hotels include London Docklands, Glasgow,
Birmingham NEC, Liverpool, Dublin Blanchardstown and Manchester City
Centre. Additionally a number of Crowne Plaza hotels will offer free
neck massages for guests.

Diane Hunter MSc BSc (Hons) MCSP, Crowne Plaza Physiotherapy Consultant:

“I am treating an increasing number of patients suffering from
shoulder pain arising from carrying laptops. The symptoms include an
aching shoulder, sometimes accompanied with neck and upper back pain.
My colleagues and I refer to this condition as laptop shoulder. This
can be a chronic and debilitating condition if left untreated.

“Treatment involves taking steps to improve posture and a simple
exercise programme. Crowne Plaza staff have recognised the need for
this advice to be made available to their guests in order to maximise
the comfort of their stay. I hope this will contribute to the awareness
of the problem and encourage travellers to look after their posture”

Eleanor Conroy, Crowne Plaza spokesperson continued:

“A huge number of our guests are lugging heavy laptops around all
day when they’re travelling on business. They can end up in a lot of
pain. With simple in-room exercises our guests can avoid laptop
shoulder and get on with enjoying their stay”

Physiotherapy exercises from Crowne Plaza include the following:

- When you arrive in your hotel room, take ten minutes to lie on
your back on the bed, allow your arms to relax by your sides and take a
few deep breaths.

- Sitting upright in the chair, stretch your arms above your head,
lean back in the chair so you can stretch your upper back and take
three deep breaths without allowing your head to tilt forwards or
backwards.

- Rotating your upper body in the chair, grab onto the chair and
stretch round as far as you can. Do this five times to your left and
five times to your right.

- Sit upright in the chair and look straight ahead. Gently tuck in
your chin and pull your head back for five seconds. Repeat this five
times.

- Sitting upright in your chair, shrug both shoulders up and back
and drop them down to achieve a backwards rolling motion. Do this five
times.

- Look down at the front of your right shoulder until you feel a
mild stretch in your left upper neck. Slowly and gently, repeat this to
the left.