What's the best workstation set up?

Work station setup

Many times when I do see patients after they have suffered acute neck or back pain, one of the main reasons they are in distress is due to their work stations set up or ergonomics. Our spinal columns or backs were never designed to stay in one position for prolonged time periods never mind 12 or 16 hours at a stretch. Having poor work station set up, increases the amount of stress exponentially on our neck, shoulders, wrists and lower back.

The most common posture people with neck pain present with, is forward head posture. As the head goes forward in relation to the shoulders there is an increased load placed on the neck and upper back. Some studies say that for every inch forward our head is this places an additional strain of 35% on the neck and upper back. If the average head weights 10lbs this is adding an extra 3.5 lbs of stress over a 10hr day. Forward head posture with computer use almost go hand in hand. It is extremely important to make sure the your computer screen is eye level and if most of your information is usually on the bottom half of your screen raise the screen up close to eye level.

Wrist pain is also a common complaint with computer use. The angle between your bicep and forearms should be greater than 90 degrees somewhere between 100 to 110 degrees. A lot of times people believe the angle of the key board should be 90 degrees and this angle causes increased stress on the top of shoulders and wrists. This 90 degree position places undue strain on the muscles, tendons and nerves of the wrist (carpel tunnel). The shoulder muscles will start to tighten due to the increased stain and this transfer’s muscle tension into the neck and the base of the skull. Proper keyboard position is essential in preventing repetitive stress injuries.

Proper chair support is also important for the upper and lower back. Having a chair with good lumbar support will help your entire spinal column. The area just above your belt should have firm but comfortable support to the lumbar spine. There are a lot of fancy lumbar supports out there, but sometimes just a simple lumbar roll seems to work the best. The base of the spine, the lumbar region, supports the entire upper body and accordingly is under constant stress. Only sitting on the edge of your seat, places additional strain on your lower back, sitting all the way back deep into the seat will help save your lower spine. Having an adjustable seat angle will also reduce strain on the lower back. Changing the angle of the seat angle throughout the day will vary the stress on the lower back. Proper work station set up is a essential key in the prevention of neck, wrist and back pain.

Poor posture combined with incorrect ergonomics will place additional stress on the spine and related structures. Spinal strain will and can lead to spinal misalignments causing additional stress and irritation to our nervous system affecting the body’s ability to heal or recover. Chiropractic helps restore normal spinal motion and alignment which reduces stress and irritation to the spinal nerves and supporting muscles.