Healthy Computer Habits

Doctors and occupational therapists are being inundated with people coming to them complaining of pain in their wrists, shoulders, backs, legs, necks and eyes. What is the common element to all these ailments? Most of these individuals spend long hours working in front of a computer or sitting behind a desk. There are even new medical conditions, such as carpel tunnel syndrome, which are said to be caused by repetitive wrist and hand motions during typing. Moreover, the condition is deteriorative, meaning that if not treated properly, it can become more serious over time, to the point of requiring surgery.

Unfortunately, until recently there wasn’t much office workers could do to change the situation. The age of computers is upon us and one can’t work on a computer without sitting, often for the greater part of a workday. Making matters worse is has been the fact that most stylish office furniture does not allow the human body to be properly aligned while sitting. Many people sit for hours in a hunched or slouched position. Facing a glaring computer screen also wreaks havoc on the eyes and causes headaches and fatigue. Many workstations are not set up properly, meaning workers must awkwardly reach for their mouse, telephone, or files. And if their monitor is not positioned properly (i.e. too high or too low), they find themselves having to crank their neck all day at work, only to collapse in pain when they get home at night.

Fortunately, help has arrived in the form of ergonomic office furniture and computer ergonomics. The first thing it does is provide essential back support, helping you maintain ideal body posture while sitting. Since the furniture is designed so that your legs can stretch, your elbows are not overly bent, and your arms and hands rest naturally, you feel energized all day, your blood circulates more freely, and worker’s fatigue is prevented. To add icing on the cake, ergonomic office furniture looks good, feels good, and spells comfort on the job. In fact, office workers who sit in ergonomic office desk chairs vouch for their comfort and claim they will never use another office chair again.

What makes ergonomic products so special and successful? According to ergonomic specialists, the answer is adjustability. Every ergonomic chair and ergonomic computer desk, is adjustable, meaning you can configure it to your body’s height and width so that it creates a perfect fit. Ergonomic office chairs feature adjustable heights, an adjustable tilt mechanism, and adjustable armrests and head rests. By adjusting to the natural contours of your spine, the back of the chair provides essential upper and lower back support. Similarly, you can adjust the height of an ergonomic desk so that no matter how tall or short you are, you have room to stretch your legs out while you sit, thereby preventing cramped leg muscles, poor circulation, poor sitting posture, and pain at the end of the day. Proper office ergonomics also means having an adjustable keyboard shelf so that your arms and wrists fall naturally, rather than having to work in a strained position. Finally, the height of your monitor shelf should be adjusted so that it is at eye level and at about 20 inches from your face.

From your head to your toes, you can now work in comfort on your computer all day or all night long!