Desk Ergonomics: For comfort and pain relief
How to Set Up your Desk
Your computer set up whether sitting or standing should look like this.
Computer screen directly in front of you at eye level. Bring your computer to you. If you have to lean forward to see your screen it is either too small or too far away. Bring the computer closer or zoom in on your screen. Straining with the eyes will cause
tension headeyes and leaning forward will make that neck, shoulders, and back strain.
- Your hips at 90 degrees with your feet directly below your knees. If you are short you need a chair that lowers of need to get a booster where your feet can rest comfortably on the ground in support. If you are tall you need to raise the chair so that your hips are not in more than 90 degrees flexion.
- Ladies often sit with their knees completely together or with one leg crossed over the other. This is not ideal for the hips, pelvis, and spine. If you can wear clothing where you can sit with your legs a little wider apart and sit at a desk where people cannot see you from the front, this can allow you to sit in a more comfortable position. If you cross your legs frequently make sure to spend equal time switching which leg you are crossing. If you wear heels to work, try taking them off while you are seated at your desk, and don’t forget to do some extra stretching of those calf’s to prevent shortening of the muscles and fascia in the feet and lower legs.
- Your keyboard/mouse at elbow level with your arms resting comfortably at your sides. If it is higher than elbow level it will cause you to shrug your shoulders and contribute to neck/shoulder issues and tension headaches. Be careful not to death grip your mouse of excessively punch the letters on your keypad as this can lead to wrist or elbow pain.
If you are still all day there is truly no perfect posture. Get up and move around. Standing desks provide a good alternative to sitting, but you are still being still all day. Move around!! Follow the same guidelines for a standing desk with computer screen at eye level and keyboard at elbow level. Stand up straight, just because you are standing doesn’t mean you aren’t slouching.
Help break up the monotony of sitting with Bruggers relief position. Brugger was a Swedish spinal surgeon that eventually gave up his surgical practice because he found he didn’t have to do surgery if he just taught posture and exercise. Here is the brugger relief position.
Now get up and move! You wont regret it
