When you hear the phrase “workplace injury”, the first thing that probably comes to mind is an accident involving factory machinery or from working outside at risk from the elements. However, a poor ergonomic environment at an office desk can negatively affect your health and have the potential for injury as well. The combination of long hours sitting at a desk and repetitive motions can wreak havoc on your body. The good news is that a good ergonomic environment may help avoid injury and protect your health.
The most important piece of ergonomic equipment is, basically, all of it! Every piece of equipment you use, from your chair to your desk, to your monitor, keyboard and mouse, all need to be adjustable to the point where you can sit (or stand) and work in a position that properly aligns your body. Proper equipment is designed to be adjustable to facilitate proper posture and typing position for many different body types. It should adapt to you, not the other way around. If you work for long hours over many years with equipment that doesn’t adjust to suit you, injuries will eventually happen. Some common injuries include nerve compression (i.e., Carpal Tunnel Syndrome), bulging discs in your spine, and tendinitis, as well as many other aches and pains that may negatively affect your health and lifestyle. Don’t learn these lessons the hard way. Below are some tips and guidelines to help you set up a good ergonomic environment at home or in the office to help protect your health.
A Properly Designed Ergonomic Chair Facilitates Good Posture
The first place most people start is the office chair. This is likely because it is the piece of equipment where you’ll find the most discomfort if you can’t adjust it to fit your body. You must be able to adjust the height, tilt, recline, and armrests so that your body is in perfect alignment. Perfect alignment means sitting up straight with your ears, shoulders, elbows, and hips all aligned in a straight vertical line. The height of your chair also needs to be adjusted so that your knees are not bent further than a 90 degree angle and your wrists should be slightly above your keyboard. Lastly, don’t fall for the fancy chairs that are more form than function. The ever-popular Herman Miller Aeron chair is a perfect example of designing for form over function. I’ve tried quite a few of the Aeron chairs in different models and sizes. They are very difficult to adjust for good posture, are quite uncomfortable, and I would never recommend one to anyone. As an alternative, I have found chairs by BodyBilt and Steelcase to be the most adjustable and comfortable, and they both offer very nice looking modern designs. I would recommend either brand as a starting place.
There are also other popular alternatives to the office chair such as exercise balls, kneeling stools, and medical and work stools. I’ve tried all except the kneeling stool and have found them to be best used as a supplement rather than your primary chair. I use a medical stool when working from home which helps strengthen my lower back as I work. Medical stools are cheap and compact and the lack of a back rest forces you to use your core to keep good posture. The potential to strengthen your core while you work is the same reason some people use exercise balls to sit on. However, the exercise ball can move around side-to-side causing your spine to bend with it. If your core is not already very strong this can actually be very bad for your lower back. The medical stool is more stable so it provides the core strengthening benefit without adding extra risk of a lower back injury that an exercise ball might. I do recommend trying out an alternative option but you’ll probably still want a good ergonomic chair for your primary chair.
Ergonomic Keyboard and Mouse
Your keyboard and mouse are also very important for preventing wrist, elbow, and shoulder injuries. I have been using a Microsoft Sculpt Desktop Keyboard and Mouse for a while now and am very happy with how well it helps me keep all of these joints aligned properly. It makes typing much more comfortable and will improve your stamina if you need to put in some extra time. If you’ve never used an ergo keyboard and mouse, this will take some getting used to, especially with the somewhat strange design of the Sculpt mouse! It will feel awkward for the first couple hours of use, but I found that awkwardness went away once I really got to working. I now much prefer the ergo keyboard design over traditional straight flat keyboards. My favorite thing about the Microsoft Sculpt Keyboard is that the number pad is a separate piece of hardware. On a traditional keyboard, that number pad causes you to put your mouse further out to the right than you naturally would and that eventually leads to shoulder discomfort. I move the number pad off to the side now so I can keep both my shoulders aligned equally. The number pad really isn’t something I use much anyways, so I’m really happy with having it removed as a separate piece of hardware.
In addition to getting a good ergonomic keyboard and mouse, it may help to try a mouse pad with support for your wrist. This will help keep your wrist from dropping lower than your hand which can cause extra stress on your wrist and elbow tendons and ligaments. The main objective with all ergonomic keyboards, mice, and mouse pads is to keep your wrists in line with your hands and elbows so that you don’t cause extra stress on those joints.
Monitor Setup Can Help Reduce Neck Pain and Eye Strain
Ergonomics is defined as “setting up your work environment to fit the needs of your unique body”. There aren’t necessarily “Ergonomic Monitors” out there, but the practice of setting your monitor up right will help create a good ergonomic environment. When placing your monitor you should place it directly in front of you, not off to the side. The height for your monitor should be set so that your eyes line up with a point one to two inches below the top of the screen. When adjusting distance, the monitor should typically be at arm length away. Adjusting the placement, height, and distance of your monitor properly should help avoid neck strain and shoulder impingement. To avoid eye strain, you should set your text size and resolution so that text is easy to read on the monitor. Additionally, to help avoid eye and neck strain you can look into purchasing a curved monitor. I’ve been using a Samsung 27-Inch Curved LED-Lit Monitor for over a year and have found it relieves eye strain and also reduces neck pain since I can see a bit more of the screen when looking straight ahead. It is also advisable to talk to an optometrist about glasses with an anti-reflective coating for computer use, even if you don’t need a prescription.
To Stand or Not To Stand
Sitting all day long has additional health risks beyond the muscle and joint problems mentioned above. Extended periods of sitting may lead to lower overall daily activity which means less caloric burn. It also may lead to stiffness in certain joints and tightening of muscles that have been contracted for a long time while stretching the opposing muscles. This can lead to joints like the hips getting out of alignment. Additionally, research has linked sitting for long periods of time with a number of health concerns including high blood pressure and increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Standing desks and Sit-to-Stand desks are a good way to avoid such prolonged sitting. I have used a sit-to-stand desk for many years and love the freedom to be able to sit when I need a break, or stand when I want to stretch out. Some people prefer a desk that is always at a standing height, but I’ve found that leads to tiredness in my feet and ankles so it works best for me to alternate between sitting and standing throughout the day. Many companies offer the option to have a sit-to-stand desk, but unfortunately because of the high cost, they may require a doctor’s recommendation to get one. That means you basically have to already have an injury to get the very thing that can prevent injury! Hopefully more companies start to offer this option to anyone who wants it, rather than only to those who are already having issues. If you are buying your own equipment, it may be worth the cost if you know you will use the features regularly. If your company offers it, I’d highly recommend you take them up on it. Movement is life! Having a sit-to-stand desk helps avoid a mostly sedentary lifestyle and will help keep you healthier in the long run.
Maintaining Good Posture Takes Regular Tuning and Attention
When you slouch or lean forward, you will put extra pressure on your spine which can lead to bulging or ruptured discs. I’ve been through that injury myself and I can tell you it is extremely painful and takes a very long time to heal and could even require surgery. It is very important to pay attention to keeping an upright posture. If your wrists are below your keyboard, you may be setting yourself up for tendinitis or nerve compression in the future. If your knees are regularly bent more than 90 degrees, you’ll be contracting your hip flexors to the point that may cause hip injuries down the line. If this all sounds like a bit much, you are not alone. It is a lot to keep in mind and it requires regular tuning and attention to keep this good posture. It also requires training some of your core muscles to help keep you upright and prevent slouching. Trust me, it is worth it even if it takes effort to maintain.
Avoid Injuries From Office Work With Ergonomic Setup, Exercises, and Stretching
As mentioned above, a good ergonomic setup is essential to protect your health. Setting up your work environment for proper ergonomics requires equipment that adjusts to your individual needs, attention to ergonomic principles, as well as regular tuning and attention to your posture. Additionally, exercise and stretching can help alleviate pain and strengthen areas that are prone to injury. For example, you can focus on exercises that strengthen your core to help prevent back pain and spine injuries. You can also focus on forearm and triceps exercises to help avoid tendinitis and nerve compression (i.e., Carpal Tunnel Syndrome). Stretching can also help lengthen muscles that have been contracted for a prolonged time. Use the tips above to help set up a good ergonomic environment that can help prevent injury and protect your health. Also, please visit back soon for a follow-up detailed article on exercises and stretches for avoiding injury and also for alleviating pain caused by working at a computer.
Important Note: Consult a physician before beginning any new exercise program to determine your level of fitness. The information provided on this website is intended as general information; individual diagnoses and treatments can come only from a health care practitioner.