Ergonomic tips to avoid pain while working at your desk
Q: I have been working at home because of the COVID-19 pandemic. My work requires me to be on a computer much of the day, and over the past few months, I’ve noticed more frequent headaches and pain in my lower back and sometimes my neck. Could my workspace be contributing to my pain? If so, how can I fix it? A:
The number of people working from home has increased significantly during the pandemic. With this came an increased number of people reporting neck pain and back pain.
Sitting and working at a desk is one of the most common causes of this type of pain. Taking time to review and redesign your workspace can alleviate discomfort, whether you work at home or in an office.
First, take notice of your computer or workstation. Often, I find that people try to accommodate to the technology rather than the other way around. For instance, many people strain to see a monitor that is too far away, too low, too high, too small or too dim. This compromises good posture.
The average human head weighs almost 12 pounds — the equivalent of a bowling ball. When your neck is bent to 45 degrees, your head exerts nearly 50 pounds of force on your neck. In addition to straining joints and muscles in your neck and shoulders, the pressure affects your breathing and mood.
To alleviate this stress, redesign your workspace to encourage well-aligned posture. You can improve the ergonomics of a typical workstation in many ways.
Is your monitor positioned so you can see it well without straining? Raise or lower the monitor or your chair so your eyes are level with the top of the screen. If you wear bifocals, you may need to lower the monitor another 1 to 2 inches.Move the monitor closer or farther away so you can easily read the screen. Increase the font size. If using a laptop, link to a larger monitor.
Are your mouse and keyboard positioned so you don’t have to reach up to use them? Lower your desk height or raise your chair so your forearms are parallel to the floor or pointed slightly downward and your wrists are not pointing either upward or downward.
Do you keep frequently used tools within close range to minimize reaching? Use a headset if you talk on the phone frequently. Find shortcut keys you can use while typing. Use a document holder so you don’t have to look down frequently.
Does your chair allow you to maintain the normal curves in your spine?
Raise your chair so you’re not sitting straight up at a 90-degree angle, but rather with an angle of 115 to 120 degrees between the torso and thighs. When you’re seated, do your feet touch the ground? Consider using a stool if you’ve elevated your chair and your feet no longer reach the ground. Also, maintain a couple of inches between the back of your knees and the chair. If your chair has armrests, do they allow your shoulders to relax? Consider lowering or getting rid of the armrests so your neck and shoulders can relax downward.
Have someone take a picture of you at your workstation and check to see if you are in a wellaligned posture, which means:
Your eyes are looking straight.
Your neck is not bent. Your forearms are parallel to the floor.
Your low back is in its natural curve.
Talk to your employer to see if additional items can be provided to assist you, such as a standing workstation or a sit-stand desk. The latter setup allows you to raise and lower the height of your computer.