Does Your Office Exercise Ergonomics?

As experts in Office Seating, we review ergonomic office chairs several times a year and and find so much with contradiction in what is written about ergonomics. 

 If you ask Ergonomist  for the proper keyboarding posture, proper ergonomics posture, and keyboarding postures and forearm angles you will get about 10 different answers.

 There seems to be so many conflicting details and misrepresentations in the industry who is to believe that an office chairs ergonomic adjustable tilt lock features can really help correct hunched back posture or for leg and low back pain relief the use of computer chairs with massage and heat has benefit.

From our most recent received inquires regarding ergonomic issues.

Here were the top ergonomic concerns/issues most listed:

1. upper back neck shoulder pain
2. muscle fatigue low back pain
3. causes of lower back and hip pain
4. arthritis back pain relief
5. leg and low back pain relief
6. posture correction
7. lower bilateral back pain
8. physical therapy low back pain
9. low back pain disk degeneration
10. arthritis back pain relief
11. injuries to sciatic nerve
12. back strain/sprain treatment 
13. correction back posture
14. lumbar back support
15. how to cure a sciatic nerve

Official guidelines like ANSI/Bifma or ISO standards does not provide much with which to evaluate the usefulness of new products on the market or how to correct these common health issues. Some big corporations with on-site health and safety professionals,to analyze new products and test benefits and recommend products to meet the needs and concerns of the employees.  But the most of SOHO companies (home based businesses) are left without and guidelines for an ergonomic computer desk or chair to help separate the beneficial ergonomic tools and products from "miracle cure" inventions.

The reality is that almost all companies tend to simply copy each other's office setups, furniture and computer safety practices of ergonomics.

However, many companies still provide the non-height adjustable wooden or metal square desk that was designed in 1899.   Our mind is to keep replacing and upgrading computer hardware but we don't do the same with the office furniture.  

Here are 8 strategies for office furniture and quality ergonomic office chairs set-up in a world of "suspicious" ergonomics. These strategies make sense when limited product research is available and when experts disagree.

1. Look at ergonomic chairs and office equipment as a whole.

Any attempt to set up ergonomics in the workplace consider at least three work surfaces in your process:

a) the monitor surface, angle and height

b) the keyboard surface, angle and height

c) the surface angle and height of your desks surfaces.

Office layouts need to consider all three. If poor ergonomic posture chairs are making proper arm positioning impossible, a good ergonomics posture keyboard tray is doing no good. 

2. Switch different postures often and use more than one product.

Because there is no certain standard, alternate between several options will be necessary. Every user has his or her unique body shape and size that needs to be taken into consideration. To keep promote better circulation and to keep the body from sitting in 1 positions for too long, it makes sense to alternate the angle in which your body sits about every 30 minutes. Some new workstations will allow changes between a sitting or standing position for computer inputing and word-processing. If your workstation does this, then definitely use that feature. 

3. Raise you body's awareness:

Pay attention on how various devices, such as mouse, keyboard tray, various ergonomic posture chairs affect your body. It simply is the basic strategies in stress management. Make conscious efforts to focus on how you feel while you sitting and working at your desk. Your body provides useful feedback by alarming us with pain.  Periodically shift your attention between the computer work task and your bodies comfort level to better evaluate ergonomics posture products and postural habits.

4. Lumbar support

An adjustable chair with lumbar support is recommended for any muscle fatigue low back pain.  If your chair has a lumbar adjustment, make sure it's properly adjusted to fit your body. If it's not adjustable, consider purchasing a lumbar support (or to make your own with a rolled towel or pillow). Plenty newly developed technical back supports are available for your options: comfort products motor massage cushion, heated massage chair pad cushion, Lumbar Lover, Hot chair massage, Hon computer chairs, deep tissue massage products, etc. 

5. Maintaining good posture

Make sure your chair is properly adjusted and your feet are supported.  Proper ergonomics posture is essential, and it helps minimize the strain on your muscles and joints and eliminate muscle fatigue low back pain. Dangling feet that don't reach the floor or a footrest can put strain on your lower back. They are the causes of lower back and hip pain. Adjust the chair height accordingly.

6. Taking a break

Stretches to help relax your muscles and improve circulation that allows nutrients to flow to the body parts that need them. Even getting up for a drink of water can help provide the relaxation your body needs to feel refresh again. 

 7. Adjust the task chair

If your chair has an adjustable backrest, office chairs ergonomic adjustable tilt lock, in/out seat pan, back pain relief tools, vibratory stress relief shafts and inserts, or lumbar support, make sure they're adjusted to correctly fit you and yield the benefits they promised. 

8. Don’t lean forward or backward

People who wear glasses often sit in awkward postures or lean forward to see properly, resulting in neck and back strain over time. Even those with naturally perfect vision sometimes adopt this position out of habit. Lower back and hip pain can be prevented using correct ergonomics posture and quality ergonomic office chairs.