Ergonomics is the study of workstations, tools, and equipment and how they physically impact the human body. The purpose of these principles is to apply as little stress to the human body as possible in order to achieve the most efficient results. Due to poor designs in the areas named above, many people suffer from repetitive strain injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, as well as neck and low back strain. This occurs when the actual task puts the employee in a poor position for a prolonged period of time.

A common example of poor work-space design is a person's computer set up. Everything from the computer monitor, to the keyboard, mouse and telephone play a key role in a person's posture. Use these descriptions as guidelines to see if your work space measures up!

Starting with a person's chair, we can see how this one system can increase stress throughout the body. When looking at a person's seated posture the rule of 90's applies. The knees, hips, and even elbows should all rest at 90 degrees. Ideally, a person should have a chair with a sturdy base of support. A five caster wheelbase assures that the person has enough stability while sitting as well as increased room for leg swing. The seat height should be at a level where the person can sit firmly against the backrest with the thighs fully supported (without the back of the knees cutting into the edge of the seat), and with their feet flat on the floor. The backrest is ideally adjustable, and should have horizontal curve to support the lumbar spine as well as vertical curve for proper sitting posture. If armrests are present, the forearms should be able to rest comfortably without the shoulders being elevated. This is a point I can’t stress enough. Many people have increased tightness with associated pain throughout the shoulder and neck regions in part because of this inefficient posture.

Another major issue of concern is the placement of the computer monitor and keyboard. Again, in a perfect set-up the monitor would be directly in front of you (angled monitors cause extreme neck strain, both spinal and muscular). The distance of the monitor from your eyes should be approximately 18 inches. This will help avoid a forward head carriage, which also increases muscular tightness around the neck and shoulders. Over time, this position can permanently change the orientation of the spine. Along the same lines, if the keyboard is resting on top of the desk, there will most likely be an increase in tightness in the same muscle groups named above. The keyboard should be at a height so the shoulders are in a relaxed position (NOT up into your ears!), and the elbows are flexed to 90. This is important to keep in mind if you have a chair with adjustable armrests. If you have a chair with armrests that are not adjustable and are too high, it's better to give up the chair altogether for a chair without armrests at all.

We can't forget about those wrists! A wrist-guard is a good idea to ensure that you decrease the chance of developing carpal tunnel symptoms. This long piece of gel or foam material rests just in front of the keyboard to prevent you from having to hold your wrists up for an extended period of time. It also keeps your wrists in a nice straight position. This will help decrease fatigue of the muscles around the wrist. More importantly, it ensures that the carpal tunnel remains open, and that the associated nerve does not get irritated and give you annoying feelings of pins and needles, numbness or pain!

A couple of other odds and ends to look at are the mouse and telephone placements. The mouse should be at the same level as the keyboard. It doesn't make much sense to have the mouse at a location on top of the desk where you have to elevate your shoulder and reach for it! The best solution for someone who is on the phone for more than a few minutes at a time (especially if that person is multitasking), is to have a head set. Just imagine that stressful phone call where you are trying to pull together a lot of information in a short amount of time. You are on your computer and trying to write things down all at the same time. The phone is crunched between your ear and your shoulder, you turn your head and all of a sudden you feel a splitting headache coming on. Well no wonder!! Your neck and shoulder muscles were tightening up on you to hold that phone in place, not to mention the impact that stress has on those muscles. Now your in one big knot --literally!! Do yourself a favor and ask the boss for a headset. Keep those shoulders relaxed, take a few deep breaths and remember these simple tips to get through your day!!