Creating an Ergonomic Workstation

During National Chiropractic Health Month, chiropractors are promoting ways to live healthier, happier, more successful lives. Millions of Americans spend their days behind a desk or computer. Creating an ergonomic workstation can help reduce pain and stress and improve health, wellness, and productivity.

Creating an ergonomic workstation simply means adjusting your desk and workspace to suit your height and size and following proper postural habits while sitting at your desk. Below are tips on creating your special space.

Daily sitting, especially if conditions are not conducive to good posture, can cause a lot of strain and stress on the muscle, ligaments and bones of the spine and cause irritation to the nervous system. To eliminate strain and stress on the back and neck, avoid sitting at the edge of your chair and leaning forward. You should sit all the way back with your back against the back of your chair. Adjust your chair height so that both feet can touch the floor. If you do not have an adjustable chair or you want to adjust your chair higher to compensate for a higher desk, you can use a footstool, box, or large book to place under your feet. This will help your feet rest flat while sitting back in your chair. If your chair has lumbar support or if you add lumbar support, be sure that the support aligns in the small of your back and not lower at the tailbone.

Next, sit with your chair comfortably pulled up to your desk with your arms resting at your side at no more than a ninety degree angle at the elbows and wrists straight as they approach the keyboard. A wrist pad at the front of the keyboard can help cushion the wrists and keep them in alignment.

Now that your chair is in the right position, you will want to address the distance of the screen from your face. A good recommendation is to center your screen about an arm's length away from your face. This is a comfortable distance for viewing and will help you resist the urge to lean forward towards a screen that is adjusted to far away. Also, be sure that your screen is not too low or too high. Your eyes should meet the middle of the screen without you having to move your head to look up or down. If your screen stand does not have an adjustment for height, you can use a book or other flat object to place underneath your screen stand to lift it.

If you spend most of your day at a desk or computer, creating an ergonomic workstation and practicing correct posture can help keep you feeling healthy and stress free. For more tips on how to improve your health and wellness, contact your local chiropractor for a consultation.

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