There is lots of common wisdom regarding how one must sit at work with the monitor at what height and the elbows at what angle, in order that the average office worker can feel physically comfortable during their workday and not develop any short or long tern injuries. Some of the advice commonly thought to be good is in fact right on, while other commonly accepted tactics for combating pain while seated at your desk sound good in theory but do not actually work.
Many people will have back injuries whether it’s in their youth or adulthood. This statistic alone should drive us to take as good care of our backs as we possibly can. Whether your job involves lifting and moving all day or simply standing or sitting, the risks to your musculoskeletal frame are the same. In fact, sitting and standing can sometimes be more difficult to do over prolonged periods of time. Though common wisdom supports the idea that they best position of the body when you must be seated is to “sit up straight”, studies have shown that a slouch will actually be more comfortable in the long run and will do less damage to the intervertebral discs. Reclining slightly is also healthier for your back as it parlays some of the pressure from sitting onto the chair and off the discs.
The chair itself can also play a big role in the comfort of the worker. Seat height and depth adjustability are key for comfort. The height adjustability is important because the worker’s feet should (ideally) be flat on the floor. If the chair is too high or too low they sitter is unable to accomplish this posture. Seat depth adjustability is important because it decides whether or not the sitter is able to make ample use of the backrest, taking even more pressure off the lower back of the sitter. Armrests aren’t often used, but can provide support to the shoulders and upper arms. Armrests mustn’t be too high however and can incite pressure on the undersides of the elbows and upon the forearms while the worker is typing.
The lumbar is the area of the lower back with which most people have problems when sitting for long periods of time. Many chairs have adjustable lumbar support to avoid the flattening of the lower spine. Most lumbar support in chairs has a slight curve, promoting a natural curvature of the spine and relieving pressure on the discs in the lower back.
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