N E W S L E T T E R
Discovering Proper Ergonomics for Your Home Office
MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR WORK-FROM-HOME DAYS Proper ergonomics are essential for pain-free work at the office or at home. Check the height of your desk chair to ensure that you are sitting up straight with your feet flat on the floor. Your chair should also have enough lumbar support to promote proper sitting posture. You should be sitting on your sit bones, not your tailbone. There should be a small gap between the back of your knees and the chair. Your elbows should be bent and arms close to your side while typing. Your wrists should be relaxed and resting on a forearm support pad (or small towel roll) at the base of the keyboard. The mouse should be next to your keyboard and you should be able to use it with your arm near your side. Your monitor should be at eye level and a vertical document holder should be next to the monitor.
With more people working from home, the therapists at Carlson ProCare are seeing more patients with neck and back pain due to poor home office ergonomics. It is important to make sure that your workstation is set up correctly to avoid developing aches and pains. When working from home, pay attention to how you sit at your desk. Do you catch yourself slouching or crossing your legs? Do those last couple hours of the workday leave you achy and ready to call it quits? Poor posture is often to blame for desk-related aches and pains, especially in the neck and back. Fortunately, these problems can be addressed with changes to the position of your chair, monitor, and keyboard.
It is also important to make sure that you get up every 30 minutes or so and walk around, even if it is just for a minute or two. This will keep your muscle and joints from getting stiff and will promote improved circulation. We also recommend getting at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise most days of the week. Exercising before or after work is a great way to improve your energy levels and overall well being.
For more information on home workstation ergonomics or additional tips to address aches and pains, contact Carlson ProCare today.
www.carlsontherapy.com
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