Ergonomic is defined as “relating to or designed for comfort and efficiency in the working environment.” The idea is to improve productivity and comfort by applying design concepts that reduce chronic strain and the risk of injuries. With COVID-19 and the necessity of working from home people are discovering that their home office space, or dining table, is not comfortable and causes aches and pains when used for many hours per day.
I am seeing many people with injuries resulting from chronic musculoskeletal strain that is aggravated by improper support from seating, poor lighting, repetitive motions, and improper positioning of keyboards and monitors. This is an area of special interest for me and I offer effective treatment for musculoskeletal problems, headaches, pain and stiffness resulting from chronic strain and injuries as well as guidance on how to apply ergonomic concepts in your workspace whether at home or at your place of work.
Tips:
- Don’t rely on websites alone to choose office chairs. I have checked out chairs advertised online as being supportive and comfortable and they turned out to be neither when I sat on them in the store. Let your butt and back decide, not the cheap price online or the cool looks.
- Like your mother said, “Don’t slouch!” This stresses the low back and gluteal muscles.
- The same principles for comfort and to reduce stress apply to your leisure seating as well.
- Choose computer monitors that are large enough and have a high definition screen to reduce eye fatigue. Have adequate lighting in the room, preferably lamps providing local light and not overhead fluorescents that promote eye strain due to glare and a lack of contrast. Monitor and keyboard position and height is important as well.
- Stretch and move about frequently to keep muscles loose and improve circulation.