Question
I am in charge of occupational health and safety in 20 clothes store all around venezuela. We have plenty of workers complyning of pain due to long lasting standing. It is forbbiden to have chaires. Especcially girls have troubles with varicouse veins. The cashiers stand for more than 5 hours in the same position. what could I do?

Answer
Hello Anton:

This problem creates quite a dilemma.  I constantly recommend that patients change positions frequently.  For example, for every hour standing they should sit for approximately 5 minutes.  Our postural muscles, the ones that are most active when in one position, over time will fatigue and become hypersensitive.  This causes people to feel the pain at shorter durations of standing.  

My recommendations would be to make sure that the workers are wearing shoes with good support for their feet.  Another tip would be to elevate one foot on a box or small or platform which would reduce some tension on the hamstring.  Lastly, I would recommend compression stockings to help with the varicose veins.

Not sure how feasible any of these answers are....

Regards,
Dr. Raymond Infanti, D.C.