Ergonomics is the study of products and postures that allow the human body to be more productive and healthy. You may have heard this term in the workplace before, because people who sit for 8 hours a day are particularly prone to damage from poor posture. In addition to eye strain and carpal tunnel syndrome, the biggest discomfort caused by sedentary work is back pain. Incorrect postures put too much strain on the spine, irritating the nerves and causing muscle pain. There are many things you can do to adjust your desk position and make sure you sit in a healthy way. This article will tell you how to sit at work if you have back pain. Keep reading.
Steps
Step 1. Be dynamic at work
While you can make your desk ergonomically correct, one of the main causes of back pain is muscle atrophy caused by lack of movement. Get up and go to the printer, take a few steps to the office or walk to other departments every 30 minutes.
Step 2. Consider working out using the Swiss ball 3 times a day for 10 minutes when at your desk
Make sure it is at the same height as the chair when you sit on it. By awakening the muscles during these intervals, you can strengthen those in the trunk and relieve back pain.
Step 3. Choose a chair that can be adjusted to a reclined position
Also, make sure it has lumbar support. Make sure the chair has a 135 degree recline angle.
Radiologists from the University of Alberta, Canada, found that the back is less stressful when leaning against a reclining backrest at this angle. MRI scans were done of people in different sitting positions to determine the angle. A well upright sitting position, even though it was once thought to be the best, can actually cause muscle fatigue, especially if the core muscles are not very strong. The worst position is bent forward
Step 4. Sit in the chair so your thighs are flat, parallel to the floor
This is the height at which your chair should be. Keep your feet on the floor.
Step 5. Bend your elbows until your forearms are parallel to the floor
The desk should be slightly lower so that your forearms are flat when you type on the computer. Ask a colleague to measure your height when you are sitting correctly, so you can get an exact value.
If the desk cannot be adjusted, it is preferable that it is taller rather than too low. For a desk that's too high, you can always adjust the chair so that your elbows are parallel to the floor. In this case, also put a footrest under the desk, so that the thighs remain parallel to the floor
Step 6. Sit fairly close to your desk so that the monitor is as far away from your face as an arm's length
With good eyesight, you shouldn't need to lean forward, which would create poor posture for your back. Keep the monitor at a suitable height so that you don't have to move your head up or down to see the screen.
Step 7. Buy a headset if you need to talk a lot on the phone
Stretching your neck towards a cellphone or having to hold the phone between your chin and shoulder is extremely harmful to the spine in the cervical area and will result in neck pain or a repetitive stress injury.
Step 8. Adjust the armrests of the chair so that they raise your shoulders slightly
These should not stay too high, but if they are slightly raised they allow you to stretch your body a little and give more support to your wrists.
Step 9. Position your wrists so that they are exactly parallel above the keyboard
Make sure they are neither pointing down nor up.
