With the increasing prevalence of “desk jobs,” most of us sit for over 10 hours a day. While it is important to make sure we get up and move throughout the day, it is also important to make sure our desk set up does not cause any additional problems. Spending most of our time seated and performing the same movements repeatedly can lead to unwanted aches and pains. Here are a few ergonomic tips and adjustments that you can make to your desk set up to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injury and pain.

  1. Adjust your Monitor/Computer Screen: Try to always have a relaxed line of sight while looking at your computer. Your monitor or laptop should be at eye level, which means you likely need to raise it up. If you are looking out straight in front of you (and not at an angle up or down) it will reduce the strain on your neck and allow you to have a more upright posture throughout the day. Your monitor should be positioned anywhere from 18-30 inches away from your body, if it is farther away the visual strain on your eyes will increase which could cause increased muscle tension or headaches.
  2. Adjust your chair: When adjusting the height of your chair make sure your feet can rest flat on the ground and that your thighs are fully supported on the chair. If your feet are dangling, this will increase the pressure on the back of your thighs and can predispose you to sciatica or other pain related to the lower back and hip. You may need to adjust the height of your armrests to make sure your shoulders are relaxed when your arms are resting on them. As much as you can, try to rest your elbows and arms on the armrests of your chair, this can help reduce pressure through your back.
  3. Support your back: For those of you who experience low back pain it can be helpful to put a pillow or “lumbar support” in the small of your back. If you slightly recline your chair this will also help reduce pressure throughout your spine. While it can be tempting to lean your body forward, this position increases the pressure through your spine so try to avoid leaning forward for long periods of time. If your chair has a tilt feature it can be helpful to lean back a few times throughout the day, as this reduces the pressure through your spine and gives your postural muscles a break!
  4. Avoid prolonged awkward positions: If you are someone who frequently talks on the phone be sure to wear a headset or headphones so that you are not holding your neck in an awkward position. Similarly, try to keep your “workspace” close to your body so that you are not frequently twisting or reaching from your seated position. Repetitive twisting or reaching to lift something away from your body will increase the pressure through the spine and can increase the risk of musculoskeletal pain or dysfunction.
  5. Take frequent breaks! While all these adjustments are incredibly helpful to reduce the risk of injury and pain, the best thing to do is get up from your chair and move around briefly every 30 minutes. You could also consider varying your workspace or alternating between a sitting, standing, or walking desk if it is available to you. It has been shown that sitting for long periods of time increases the risk of obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stroke, and heart disease so be sure to make movement throughout your day a priority!

 

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  • eTools : Computer Workstations – Checklists – Evaluation | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (osha.gov)