Solutions: Back Pain

Repetitive Stress Pains

While sitting, we think of ourselves as being at rest. However, while we are sitting at a computer we are fighting gravity to stay erect, stressing our neck and eyes to focus on the monitor, and often lifting our shoulders up to type.  This causes a lot of repetitive stress, and because there is little movement associated with sitting, lactic acid, ".a product of muscle action that's usually flushed away by the blood- can build up, producing aches and sores." (Page 18. 25 Steps to Safe Computing, Don Sellers, Peachpit Press 1995.)

Movement is the solution.  A small break taken periodically, to stretch and relax, and adjusting the chair periodically to a new position alleviates the stress associated with sitting for protracted periods. The ability to rock in your chair improves circulation and moves lactic acid away from the muscles.  The rhythm of rocking also seems to alleviate pain. (You may remember President Kennedy, who injured his back in WWII, pictured in the Oval Office in his rocking chair.)

A good chair provides back support with adjustability, which provides a more neutral posture, and alleviates pressure by better distributing weight over several surfaces.  As fundamental to good ergonomics as a good chair is, it is only part of the equation, when caring for your back.  The rest of the equation has to do with positioning of the worksurface and it's components.

Adjusting the working height can be accomplished by several means. For instance, in you are exceptionally tall you may find the conventional desk height of 29" too low, causing you to bend over while writing or typing Traditional desks may be raised using blocks, like the deskalators (www.deskalator.com).  Modular furniture can be adjusted, with some effort, to the proper height.

If you have a back injury, such as disk injury or sciatica, even the best chair will not alleviate all of your discomfort.  People with these problems report that standing while working provides relief.  Shifting to a standing by using adjustable worksurfaces provide the needed change of position while allowing you to continue working.  There are electric adjustable worksurfaces, mechanical versions and sit/stand keyboard trays.  The flexibility of these solutions is especially beneficial in multishift workplaces or multi-user workstations

When standing you will need to adjust the monitor to avoid having to bend your head down to see the screen.Monitor arms are available for CRT, and LCD monitors.  Alternately elevating one foot on a footrest also helps alleviate stress while standing by providing a more neutral posture.