Back to Work Ergonomics - Reset Your Workspace for a Pain Free Year
Returning to work after some time off, like the Christmas and New Year break, sitting at a desk again for long hours you may be experiencing pains or strains that have returned. It’s time to take notice and review your work setup. Poor ergonomics is very common in work related aches and pains. The neck, shoulders, elbows, back, knees and wrists all suffer. By addressing these issues and making small changes, you can prevent discomfort and pain and work comfortably.
Ergonomics is about ensuring that your workspace works for you, not forcing yourself to work with a setup that causes you pain or discomfort.
What To Assess
Comfort and support is the main aim of office ergonomics, designing a workspace that allows for maximum efficiency and productivity. In order to achieve this effectively, it’s important to understand the individual, no one-size-fits-all approach. A full risk assessment should be carried out so that these risks can be addressed properly. The is key to reducing strain and injury. This assessment may look like:
Desk height
Seating
Monitor Placement
Keyboard and Mouse Arrangement
Lighting and Glare Control
Organised Workstations
Environmental Factors
It’s important to remember that workspace ergonomics is not just about the physical environment but also the environmental factors. Physical factors include stresses on joints, muscles, nerves and tendons. However, environmental factors are just as important to assess, these factors include:
Lighting - Can cause eye strain or glare on the screen
Temperature - Uncomfortable temperatures affect comfort levels, which in turn affects your performance
Noise levels - Excessive noise can affect hearing and concentration
All these contribute to vision, hearing, comfort and overall wellbeing.
Common Strain - Lower Back Pain
One the most common workspace injuries we see here in the clinic is lower back pain. Ignoring this pain increases the likelihood of musculoskeletal issues. The main ways we have seen to reduce this injury are; reducing repetitive movements, awkward postures and prolonged static positions. By keeping these factors in mind, you can protect your lower back from strain and reduce the probability of suffering a long term injury.
Laptop Use
We have seen an increase in the use of laptops for work rather than static desktops. This can be particularly challenging, especially if you are on the move with it and don’t have a fixed work space. Here are a few tips:
Raise laptop screen - Using books or what ever you have on hand, or the use of a laptop stand (Lightweight collapsible stands are available if you are on the move)
Use a separate keyboard and mouse - Allowing you to position your hands comfortably while keeping the screen at eye level.
Taking regular breaks - Stand and move around to relieve any tension and promote circulation in the body
Take note of your posture - It’s very easy to slowly slip into bad posture, try to take note of your posture often and adjust if needed.
If you’re experiencing pain related to your workstation, contact us today. Our physiotherapists can provide ergonomic assessments and physiotherapy treatment to help you work more comfortably and pain-free.
Physiotherapy
We specialise in the treatment and prevention of injuries and conditions. If you are suffering with any health aliments that you feel we could help you with, get in touch today. We provide treatment for a wide age range from 9 years to 90 years old.