Due to COVID and previous lockdowns, as well as the shift towards more employees working from home, a lot of people now spend more time at home and fixed to the desk. As most individuals are unaware of proper desk ergonomics, this can often lead to postural issues, musculoskeletal injuries, stiffness and pain.
Here are 7 tips to help set up a more ergonomic desk which can address potential postural issues and reduce associated pain due to working from home.
- Ensure your desk is an appropriate height, approximately 75-80cm.
- Elevate your desk chair so that your elbows are about 90 degrees and positioned appropriately with the desk.
- Your feet should be flat to the ground
- If they are hovering over the ground, you should use a small stool or platform to rest your feet.
- As your feet act as the foundation for your body, if they are not planted in a nice and neutral position, this may cause troubles upstream and affect your hips and back.
- If your elbows are not at 90 degrees, your shoulders and wrists become involved and may overcompensate for your elbows.
- Find a suitable desk chair that has adequate lumbar support.
- If this is not possible, you can use a small rolled up towel and place that behind your lower back and the chair high back.
- Lack of adequate lumbar support in desk chairs often lead to poor posture in the lower back and may lead to low back pain.
- Position your monitor so that it is roughly arm’s length away from you. This will help to reduce any eye strain.
- Position the height of the monitor so that the top of the monitor is in line with your eyesight.
- Screens that are not aligned to your eyesight may cause neck and upper back issues as your head and neck are made to work more to look at the screen.
- If you are predominantly working with a laptop, use a laptop stand or a stack of books to align the screen at eye level and combine with a separate keyboard and mouse.
- Position your mouse and keyboard closer to the edge of the desk so that you do not need to reach for your mouse and keyboard.
- Ensure that you take regular breaks to prevent stagnation as well as to stretch areas such as your neck, back and hips.
If these tips are still not helping with postural issues or alleviating pain and/or discomfort when working at your desk, it may be time to see an Osteopath at Canterbury Health Hub for diagnosis, treatment and management.
Please contact the clinic to arrange a booking today!