er·go·nom·ics
noun: ergonomics
the chiropractic study of people’s efficiency in their working environment.
A common presentation to my office is pain derived from improper workstation setup. US companies spend millions of dollars each year trying to develop and implement ergonomic workstations, in an effort to increase worker productivity and decrease time lost as a result of injury.
The complexities of what constitutes a “proper” workstation vary dramatically- as much as we as a population vary. As we are comprised of all shapes and sizes, there is no perfect workstation for everyone. Additionally, workstation ergonomics may vary depending on prior and/or current physical complaints. The core of the workstation revolves around the relationship between your eyes and your computer screen.
The ideal situation is one computer screen, directly ahead of you, centered at eye level. This setup prevents excessive neck muscle activation from looking up or down- a problem if done for long periods of time. While establishing this, it is crucial to factor in actual working posture. Typical posture is slightly hunched down, with shoulders rolled slightly forward. Usually we see a gravitation of the head towards the monitor and forward over the body. Most concerning about this posture is moving the head forward, as this pulls the spine out of alignment and applies pressure to spinal nerves. Since you won’t be doing this because you know it is horrible for your spine, we look at the worker from the initial hunched and slightly rolled shoulder position. A good idea is to work steadily for an hour, and readjust the height of your monitor to your current position. This will typically be consistent with your standard posture.
Changes will need to be made if you are working with more than one monitor. Neck pain and carpal tunnel sometimes originate from poor working posture, where the worker’s body is facing straight ahead and the head is turned to the side for long periods at a time. For example, a worker with two monitors who primarily works on one monitor and neglects turning their body to properly face the monitor current work is on. In this situation, a rotating chair is absolutely necessary, to turn the body to face the monitor.
Proper alignment of other workstation components is just as crucial to preventing workplace injury. Improper keyboard height and/or placement, incorrect mouse alignment and poor telephone placement can all cause injury. These topics, as well as workstation seating arrangements, stand up desks and hands free devices will be addressed in next weeks blog. Until then, take a look at your workstation. Is your monitor properly aligned? Do you find your head moving forward over your body, toward your work?
Do you have other questions regarding your specific workstation? If you do, call me at my office, 303-651-7003, or send me an email at [email protected]. Until then work hard, work safe, and enjoy life!