Office employees who sit at their computers for eight or more hours daily report frequent aches and pains, ranging from stiff necks to lower backaches to numb wrists. Add to that list "BlackBerry thumb," the throbbing sensation many users feel in their digit from too much typing on the hand-held device.
The good news is a few small adjustments to your workstation and your daily routine should alleviate, or even prevent, the pain.
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The most important thing office workers can do, according to those who study ergonomics, is to take short breaks every 30 minutes. That might seem frequent, but you don't even need to leave your desk. Just stand up and roll your shoulders back a few times. Holding the same posture for hours and repeating the same activities--typing and clicking a mouse--puts strain on muscles over time. Taking breaks eases that tension.
"There's a lot of social pressure to sit at your desk all day," says Deborah Quilter, the author of two books on repetitive strain injury. "Managers worry that their employees lose productivity, but [they] will gain productivity in the long term. If your employees are healthy, there's less downtime and fewer workers'-compensation costs."
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Another way to incorporate these breaks into your day is to take "walking meetings" with colleagues instead of gathering in someone's office or the conference room. Use a hands-free headset or the speakerphone and stand at your desk while you're on the phone. This will greatly reduce injuries that occur when users bend their necks to hold the phone between their shoulder and ear.
As for desk setup, look at the monitor level. Its display should be on par with your eyes or five to seven degrees lower. Those who wear bifocals or trifocals should keep the top of their monitors 20 to 30 degrees down from eye level.
While sitting, your neck and shoulders should be relaxed--don't lean forward. Elbows should sit on top of the chair's armrest and naturally come close to your body. Wrists should be neutral, so don't bend them one way or the other.
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The mouse can contribute to injury, too, since it's used so frequently. Computer users move or click the mouse up to seven times more than their fingers make keystrokes. While using the mouse, keep your wrist neutral by placing a gel pad under your palm. "If you rest your wrist on there, you're doing more damage than good," says Kenneth Suttorp, manager of the computer support tools product line at the office furniture company Steelcase.
Your feet should be flat on the floor and knees should be slightly lower than your hips. (Ladies, take those heels off when you're sitting at your desk, they're terrible for correct seated posture.)
Of course, most office workers will find this posture impossible to maintain all day--and that's fine. If you just lean back in your chair as though it were a recliner, you can take up to 30% of the load off your lower back. Don't go too far back, though--allow yourself to lean back about 15 to 20 degrees. "The one posture we don't recommend is leaning forward," says Suttorp.
Another common discomfort is eye strain. It mostly affects people age 40 and over, since they require up to 40% more light than others, according to Suttorp. The strain occurs when there's a combination of dark print and a white or contrasted background. The result of staring at it is fatigue. A task light placed close to the computer should fix the problem.
If you're already experiencing pain, don't wait until it becomes debilitating to see a doctor. Warning signs that a problem is brewing include numbness or tingling in the hands, arm or elbow, or soreness or a heavy feeling in the arms. Frequently dropping things like paper or cups is another sign of repetitive stress injury.
Remember to readjust your desk--and your posture--in conjunction with treatment. If you don't, the problems will persist despite seeing a specialist.
And, of course, use the computer minimally after work hours. Ever consider breaking out a deck of cards to play solitaire instead of doing it online? Just a thought.
