Workspace Ergonomics and Back Health
If your bedroom, kitchen, or a designated corner of your living space has been your office for the past year, it’s possible your body is feeling the effects, especially your spine.
We have now been working from home for over a year. And, as many of us know, that takes quite a toll on the back. In fact, in 2020, reported injuries to the back, hands and wrists have increased.
One healthcare network management company and provider for the workers’ compensation industry, compared claim data from 2019 to 2020 and found:
10% increase in wrist or forearm sprain, strain, or contusion
13% increase in pain in hand or finger
16% increase in cervical radiculopathy, inflammation, or damage to a nerve root in the cervical spine
118% increase in carpal tunnel syndrome
25% percent increase in lower back pain
We looked at injuries believed to be consistent with the types of injuries that could be incurred when working at a desk with a poor ergonomic setup.
Here are the most common causes found for the injuries and complaints:
Posture
sitting in a slouched position with a flattened low back curve, forward head, and rounded shoulders
using a keyboard or mouse with hands in a non-neutral posture, which can up risk of hand or wrist discomfort
using a laptop with prolonged bending of the neck, overstretching muscles in the back of the neck, shortening the muscles in the front of the neck and chest
Static Position
sitting without changing positions for extended periods
working at non-traditional workstations, such as dining table, couch, bed, floor, or household items stacked up
Contact Stress
forearms resting on edge of desk
resting wrists on a wrist rest while keying or mousing
chair arms that are too high
seat pans pressing into the back of knees
chairs too high that feet dangle pressing the seat pan into backs of thighs
Our muscles are tense. Our breathing patterns change. And these stress-related physical changes shift our spinal alignment. With this shift, a vicious cycle occurs where poor spinal health impacts our physical health and increases our stress level. This increase in stress will now have an impact on our spinal health.
So, what can you do to improve your work surroundings and make your body a bit happier as a result? There are ways to make your workspace more comfortable.
1. Align your body
When sitting up straight, relax your shoulders and keep your elbows at level with the keyboard.
If you have bifocals and view the screen from the bottom of the lenses, when using a laptop, consider adding a riser to raise the laptop screen to eyebrow level, and add an external full-sized keyboard and mouse.
Keep your eye-level aimed at the center of your computer screen.
2. Pay attention to your arms.
When you’re typing on your keyboard, your arms should be at your sides and elbows bent to 90 degrees.
If your chair has armrests, adjust them to allow for relaxed shoulders. Only use the armrests and wrist rests when you are taking a break.
3. Support your lower back.
A good way to support your back is to make sure your buttocks presses firmly against the back of your chair.
If needed, use a small cushion or roll up a towel to keep it pressed against your lower back.
4. Take vision breaks
Staring at a screen for hours isn’t good no matter where you work, but since there are no water cooler breaks at home, Despres suggested making it a point every 15 to 20 minutes to focus on a distant object in the room for a few seconds before bringing your gaze back to the monitor.
5. Move around and stretch.
Get in the routine of standing up and stepping away from your computer every 20 to 30 minutes.
Practicing compensatory stretching can help too. This is achieved by stretching tight muscle groups, such as your chest, back, wrists, shoulders, hips, and legs.
One way to ensure you change positions is to attach positional changes to a task. For example, every time you hit send on an email, stand up and then sit back down.
When proofing an email, stretch. Take meals away from your workstation, and if on a conference call where you do not have to be at the computer, consider a brief walk in the yard.
6. Invest in equipment.
If your chair and desk are contributing to your discomfort, look for ergonomically-friendly equipment options at a lower cost. And, yes, quality chairs can be expensive.
Your best way to comfort, and ergonomic success, is seeing a professional who can help you with your equipment or discomfort as soon as you feel symptoms.
Full article: https://www.healthline.com/health-news/6-simple-solutions-to-improve-the-ergonomics-of-your-home-workspace?fbclid=IwAR3INkLXO3JDHgYkO3sKivy1tDuBEYTI7aXiHJDJdPAjyZ_JHTW-vAj4pt4#6.-Invest-in-equipment