Watch your posture when painting folks

[Universal Head]

I’ve mentioned a few times that I stuffed my neck up when I was painting the Age of Sigmar: Soul Wars set (and the Malign Sorcery set, and the Kill Team terrain …) I don’t usually go into personal things but not only did I do serious damage to my neck, which has given me headaches and pain every day for almost 3 months, but the neck condition also brought on tinnitus, of all things.

I’m writing about this here (and will mention it in my next Action Points episode) because I never would have thought that bad posture during long hours of painting could have such a serious effect. Yes, I expected I might pay with sore muscles, but tinnitus? For almost 3 months I’ve had a piercing high-pitched tone and loud hiss in my brain, which has been pretty scary, I can tell you, especially since most tinnitus can be permanent.

Luckily, I haven’t had any hearing loss and the tinnutus is beginning to vary a lot – I even had a day last week where it was just a mild hiss, which was bliss – so health professionals have confirmed it seems to be connected to the neck damage. It will probably take quite a while to fade away though, as will the neck pain and headaches.

So basically people, please watch your posture and take frequent breaks, not only while painting, but while sitting at a computer. If someone had told me the possible consequences I’m suffering right now, I definitely would have given my posture more attention over the years. I’m now constantly aware of it, doing yoga again, meditating every day, and exercising regularly!

Healthy and happy painting people! 🙂

[8th]

Tinnitus is not fun and varies person to person. I had the loud heartbeat variant for a bit, but luckily it was due to inflamed ear and drops cured it in a week (after suffering for longer period of course).

[CK Lai]

Yikes. Posture can possibly affect your ears?

I’m recently suffering from tinnitus as well. Could it be…?

[8th]

I can just see the warning appearing on boxes of plastic….

“Warning: Painting your miniatures may lead to neck ache and tinnitus!”

[Soulsorcerer]

Regarding your neck pain and tinnitus..if you did not try it out yet I would strongly advice to see a specialist in osteopathy…worked wonders for me (troubles with the skeletal system since birth) in a short time that a normal orthopedics doc could not achieve in decades. Hope the terms are right…got them from a dictionary 🙂

Get well soon!!!

[Universal Head]

CK – I sympathise as only someone going through it can. The first thing to do is get a hearing check, as tinnitus is usually associated with hearing loss. It can have many, many causes, and the whole business is frustratingly mysterious. If your neck happens to be very sore and that started at the same time as the tinnitus, it may be related.

Thanks for the suggestion Soulsorceror, I’m glad an osteo helped you. I saw a recommended one about 6 times, and unfortunately it didn’t do me any good at all.

[Author]

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