Why your desk setup matters
Notice that after a few hours at your desk, at the office or at home, your neck and back hurt, or an old injury flares up? It may have a lot to do with how your desk and chair are set up. Office ergonomics is essential for posture and musculoskeletal health: the average adult spends more than half their working time, 50 to 70 percent on average, sitting. These static, prolonged positions can be detrimental to health, causing all sorts of work-related injuries. Overuse injuries like back pain, neck pain, and even wrist pain can appear seemingly out of nowhere from simply typing away at a computer.
What is office ergonomics?
Ergonomics refers to the science of fitting workplace conditions and job demands to the capabilities of the working population. Static, prolonged positions easily cause overuse injuries that are largely preventable with the right setup and movement patterns. With the right office design, ergonomic desk setup, and awareness of your current posture habits, you can do a lot to prevent injury, and physical therapy can play a key role in improving your workplace setup to reduce that risk.
How physical therapy improves your posture
An ergonomic assessment from a physical therapist can improve your office setup and track your progress over time, with exercises and tools to monitor performance and improvement long term. During the assessment, your therapist will test and screen your posture (how your back aligns with your workstation and the position of your head), your strength (whether muscle weakness is contributing to a hunched sitting position, and how your total body strength and stability hold up), your flexibility (your upper body posture and hip range of motion), and your balance (your spine health and general ability to move, since balance says a lot about overall function).
From there, your physical therapist can give you the tools to improve your current routines so you’re not putting yourself at risk in the workplace.
A quick posture check you can do right now
Posture plays a major role in preventing injury from prolonged positions. It’s not realistic to maintain perfect, neutral posture at all times, but regular “posture checks” go a long way toward keeping you from sliding back into a slouched position. While seated, run through these tips: keep your head upright over the base of your neck without craning forward; keep your feet flat on the floor to support your lower back and core; use an armrest for your elbows; leave space between the back of your knees and the chair; and position your computer screen at eye level to avoid prolonged neck bending, which also helps reduce eye strain and the potential for headaches.