Discount Ergonomic Office Chairs

Research has established the connection between certain repetitive job tasks and stress injuries in the last 20 years. As early as the 18th cenury, doctors noticed that worker whose jobs required them to maintain certain body positions for prolong periods of time developed musculoskeletal problems.   

Two elements contribute to the problem: “uneven distributed load” and “static work.”

1. “Uneven distributed load” is the amount of tension our muscles generate by tilting your head forward or backward from a neutral, vertical position.  It quadruples the amount of force acting on our lower neck vertebra. This increase of uneven distributed load is due to the increase in muscular tension necessary to support your head in a tilted position.

2. “Static work” is the repetitive musculoskeletal effort required to hold a certain position. When we sit and work at computers, keeping our head and torso upright requires certain amounts of static work depending upon the efficiency of the body positions we choose. By sitting on ergonomic back chair with hot and cold gel pack therapeutic massage lumbar support, your body reduces the amount of unnecessary muscular force they are applying to their bodies.

Guide to Office Chairs

Office chairs are often overlooked. No other business equipment has a greater influence on how we feel at work. The wrong chair can cause lower-back problems which is one of contributors to lost productivity in the workplace. Fancy office chairs start at about $700, but you can often save a lot of money on the expensive models by doing a little Web searching. Lower-end models can be poorly designed and  are bad news to your back. We could do some research on line and find medium price chairs just as comfortable and ergonomically correct as those $1000 chairs.

Things to look for in an office chair:

1. Adjustable height, depth and tilt

2. Lower-back support

3. Arm rests,

Step 1 Check out the big names in chairs

The brand name manufacturers have informative and interactive sites.

Start your window shopping at Herman Miller, Hon, Knoll and Steelcase. Once you know what you want, you can often find bargains at sites like eBay. You can also scan online liquidation sites like Liquidation.com for deals.

If you don’t have back pain issue and you want to consider lower-priced options Office superstores sell serviceable and relatively inexpensive chairs. Just be careful not to get something too cheap – you may regret it later.  And avoid chairs designed for conference-room use: They're typically not designed for prolonged sitting.

Moderately priced office chairs are available at Staples, Office Depot, Ikea and CB2.

Research quality ergonomic office chairs guidelines

The U.S. Department of Labor publishes guidelines on setting up an ergonomic workstation. You can find ergonomic guidelines at eHow and the American Chiropractic Association.

Consider ergonomic alternatives

If you're really concerned with ergonomics and preventing repetitive-strain injuries, there are a number of alternatives to the standard office chair.  Kneeling chairs transfer some of the weight to the knees as you sit.   Exercise-ball chairs promote proper posture and strengthen the back and the abdomen.

Check out SitInComfort for information on kneeling chairs and exercise-ball chairs.

Helpful advice for making the most value of your money

• Chairs are all about how they feel when you sit in them, but you can get better prices online. Try researching your options in stores but making your actual purchase on the Web.

• Watch the classified ads in your local paper for notices of upcoming office-furniture liquidations.

• Contact the purchasing departments at local corporations to find out about upcoming office-equipment sales. Companies often sell used chairs they no longer need.

• Look for public-auction notices in the business section of your local newspaper. Often, you can find good deals on great chairs from bankruptcies.