How to know if your workstation is causing you pain

Are you sitting on your computer during the entire day? You enjoy your job but you feel ALL the sitting is not good?

Well, you’re right.

Sitting for too long can cause serious musculoskeletal changes in our bodies…and not in a good way. Looking at our workspace will not only allow us to stay focused and complete the work faster, it will help your body in the long run. When I sit at my desk, I often max out after a couple hours. My brain goes foggy, my eyes hurt, my fingers hurt, my neck, back, everything just gets achy. Forget focusing and trying to get work done when feeling this way.

So here’s how to evaluate your work station right now.

• Look at your chair height. Your knees should be at a 90 degree angle when flat on the floor. If not, adjust the chair to the appropriate height.
• Look at your hips. Are you slumped into a posterior pelvic tilt (when the back part of the pelvis is lower than the front)? If so, scoot your bottom back so your hips are equally aligned.
  Elbows. Your elbow should be at a 90 degree bend when utilizing the keyboard or mouse. If you find your are reaching too far forward for the keyboard, this can cause additional strain to the neck, shoulders, and work its way down to the hand.
• Wrists when typing. When typing, your wrists really should be at about 15 degrees of extension, or slightly extended. Why? This opens up the carpal tunnel. We’ve all heard of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. This helps keep the tendons gliding smoothly through the tunnel and prevent build up, which ultimately leads to carpal tunnel.
• Shoulders and neck. If you haven’t noticed by now, we are working our way up. Making sure the shoulders are slightly retracted as well as the neck. If you find your neck protruding forward to see the computer screen, you’re screen is too far away. Adjust the closeness of the monitor so your neck stays back.
• Height of your computer monitor. It’s important to not be looking down all day. If you’re one that sits on the couch with your lap top in your lap and you are there all day, please stop now. In the long run, your joints and muscles may become so deformed, there’s no turning back. Your computer monitor should be at a height that your eyes can look straight ahead and see the middle of the screen. Using books, or a stand to increase the height of your monitor can be very helpful.

Now that we’ve fixed you and what you look like, let’s take a look quick at lighting.

If you are someone who gets headaches, feeling eye strain, your lighting may be the problem. Are you working with giant fluorescent lights over head? That can be causing the problem. A small desk lamp near your computer can be all your need to balance out the light from the ceiling and the computer monitor.

Lastly, stand up. No, you don’t need to go and purchase a standing desk (but more power to you if you do). It’s important to realize just standing and walking or stretching every 30 minutes can alleviate a ton of pressure.

Listen to your body. If you find yourself rubbing your neck or rolling your shoulders often throughout the day or at the end of your day, it’s time to look at your workstation. Rubbing your neck and shoulders is a temporary fix, and frankly, may not even be a fix at all because as soon as you stop it aches again.

So dig deeper, look at your work station and how your positioned. Find the cause of your “end of the day” pain and nip it in the butt!