Work Station set-up and how it affects your health

Are you in front of the computer all day? Do you constantly feel tightness in your neck or shoulders? 

Are you experiencing pain or numbness in your wrists or elbows?  The problem could be due to your work station set-up and habits.

With the technology age, pain due to our daily jobs, especially those involving computer work, is becoming more and more common.  There are several factors to consider when it comes to how your work station is set up. 

The first thing you want to consider is your chair height and position.  The best position is to be seated with your hips against the back of the chair with your low back supported.  The chair should not be a straight 90 degree angle, but rather reclined 10-20 degrees.  Your feet should be flat on the floor and the level of your knees should not be higher than your hip level.  The armrests should be adjusted so that the shoulders are in a relaxed position.  Bad chair positioning may lead to low back and hip pain.  Sometimes this can lead to shooting pains down the leg as well. 

The next thing to take into account is the keyboard and mouse set-up.  It is important to keep the keyboard close and directly in front of you.  Your shoulders should be relaxed with your elbows in a slightly open position, while keeping your wrists straight.  The mouse should be directly next to the keyboard and close as well.  Pads for the wrist can help keep wrists in a straight, neutral position.   Results of improper keyboard and mouse usage may lead to wrist, elbow, and forearm problems.  This may show up as shooting, burning, or an aching pain.  Sometimes, when the problem has been there for a long time, it starts to show up as numbness or weakness. 

Is your monitor too high or too low?  Ideally, the monitor should be directly in

front of you and at eye level.  The top of the monitor should be about 2 to 3 inches above eye level.  Keep the monitor about arms length away so that it isn’t too close or too far.  If the monitor is too far away, this may lead to neck and shoulder tightness or pain due to constantly leaning the head and neck forward to see the screen.  Eye strain and headaches are also common problems with bad monitor set-up.       

Self help tips:

• Take several breaks throughout the day, a break for your eyes and your body
• A good rule of thumb is the 20/20/20 rule - Every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds to rest your eyes
• No slouching or letting your shoulders or neck come forward throughout the day
• Take a 1 to 2 minute stretch break every half an hour to stretch your neck and upper back 

• Take a 5 minute break every hour to get up and walk around
• Reduce any glare on your monitor by adjusting it away from window and light reflection
• Eyestrain can also result from dry eyes – make sure to blink often to help lubricate your eyes  

If you have an existing problem, a good workstation set-up may help to decrease some of the symptoms.  It is also important to see if there are any underlying causes to your problem as well.  A Doctor of Chiropractic is specially trained to find and treat these types of symptoms.  If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at [email protected] or visit our website at www.vuchiro.com and we will be happy to help you.