How to Setup Your Desk Ergonomically to Prevent Back Pain
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If you've read my post on Stretches for Lower Back Pain Relief or Stretches to Alleviate Tech Neck, then you've already learned some useful stretches that can help you reduce the severity of those problems or prevent those problems from occurring in the first place. Also, you would have learned that I believe that the most impactful thing anyone can do to get rid of back pain is to change the ergonomics of the activities that they tend to do for extended periods of time. Yes, I am a massage therapist, a Rossiter coach, a health coach, a life coach, a practitioner of neurolinguistic programming, a Qigong instructor, and a level 2 Reiki practitioner. But, I still know that no massages, bodywork, strengthening, or stretching will hold a candle to the power of good ergonomics and body mechanics when it comes to alleviating or preventing your aches and pains.
What does ergonomics mean? If you read the full definition, it's essentially the practice of designing and arranging things so that people can work in a safe and efficient manner. In this day and age, an awareness of the importance of ergonomics is more prevalent than ever before. One area where we need to improve ergonomics to reduce pain is unsurprisingly the category of computer usage.
What Causes Back Pain from Computer Work?
From what I hear from most of my clients, most people aren't aware that aches and pains from computer use come from muscles being overworked and possibly also over elongated. If you look at the picture above, it's a picture of the most handsome man that has ever existed, a man named Donny Podcast (I jest), that's me. As you see, I'm sitting in front of a laptop and using it under some pretty bad postural conditions.
What does bad ergonomics mean? It means that things are set up in a way that makes doing work excessively strenuous on the body and inefficient. In the picture above, my head is hung forward, my back is hunched forward, my shoulders are protracted in front of me, and I'm actually sitting at a comfy bar stool, not a computer chair at all. This slouched forward posture is a temporary forward head posture.
Forward head posture is, as the name implies, a posture in which one's head is held forward of the thoracic spine -- resulting in excessive workload on the muscles of the neck, back, and shoulders. In many chiropractic offices, you'll find a chart that illustrates how when the head is forward of the spine your postural muscles have to work exponentially harder to support you. Your neck and back could have to exert 42 pounds of resistance or more, just to keep your head up!
Aprints at Esty.com
So as you might have guessed, being in a bad posture and working with poor ergonomics will cause the muscles to overwork themselves. If computer work, for example, is what you have to do for hours per day, then this poor posture can cause those muscles to hurt from working too hard and never getting a break. Worse, these aches and pains could develop into permanent and debilitating injuries.
One could develop stenosis from chronically being in forward head posture (FHP) too long. Sometimes this stenosis could lead to cervical vertigo, which I wouldn't wish on anyone. Even paralysis can occur as a result of injuries that were sustained from working in a poor posture for too long.
How to Prevent Back Pain with Ergonomics
Video by Wall Street Journal on YouTube
Though a good computer chair with adjustable armrests will probably fit just right with a desk of normal height, you're better off with a desk that has adjustable height. For example, if your computer chair's armrests cannot be adjusted high enough to clear your keyboard tray, then you could bring down the desk to a height that won't cause you to sacrifice good ergonomics. You may think, "why wouldn't I just raise the seat higher?" That may be an option for some, but if your legs are in the most comfortable and healthiest position, you wouldn't want to sacrifice the ergonomics of your legs to try to help another area of your body. That is one silent benefit of a standing desk that nobody mentions, the ability to lower the desk to a better sitting height.
To prevent pain from working on a computer, you essentially have to find a way to work in a very good, tall, straight posture and do it effortlessly. What this usually means is you have to change your working environment to accommodate working comfortably.
How to Set up your Computer Ergonomically
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The two main components that are critical for setting up your computer in a way that will keep you comfortable and out of pain are the monitor and the keyboard. If you're using a desktop computer, you may have a monitor that can have its height adjusted. If you have an adjustable height monitor, adjust the monitor so that your eyes are level with the top of the screen when you're sitting in a straight and relaxed posture. If your monitor is not adjustable or if you use a laptop, you could stack your device onto some boxes that bring your screen up to an ideal height for you. Below is a picture of my messy desk where I do a lot of my computer work. It's not pretty, but it is pretty comfortable.
Another idea, if your monitor is not adjustable, is you can use an awesome adjustable spring monitor desk mount. If you added this desk mount to your ergonomic setup, I'd say you're living in comfort compared to simply having a monitor that has an adjustable height.
Adjustable Spring Monitor Desk Mount Available on Amazon
Use a Smart TV as a Computer Monitor
Yet another option for placing your monitor in an ideal spot for doing your computer work is to Bluetooth your computer's display to a smart TV. This can allow you to type from a very comfortable, reclined position while still seeing the screen very easily. Follow the steps below to see how to use a smart TV as a monitor for your computer.
- In the search bar on the bottom left of your PC's screen search for "Bluetooth"
- Click on "Bluetooth and other devices settings."
- Click "Add Bluetooth or other device."
- Click "Wireless display or dock."
- Wait for the list of available devices to populate.
- Click on the smart TV to which you want to connect.
- You may have to also approve the connection by using the remote for the smart TV.
- You will not be able to choose the smart TV unless that smart TV is powered on and it's set as "discoverable."
I often use a Web OS TV for good ergonomics when I need to be at the computer for long periods of time. Before you buy one of your own, make sure it has Bluetooth connectivity. Ask the seller if you can do screen sharing with your laptop to the TV you intend to purchase.
How to Setup Your Keyboard Ergonomically
Photo by Damian Zaleski on Unsplash
To set up your keyboard so that it's conducive to good ergonomics and comfort, place the keyboard where you can comfortably type without having to reach. Make sure that this is a location where, when you're sitting in an ideal posture, you can easily type and you don't feel yourself tensing any muscles to reach the keys. Experts recommend that your elbows be supported and bent at approximately a 90-degree angle.
Also, don't forget a wrist rest. It's ideal to have your hands effortlessly floating over the keyboard so that your fingers can easily hit all the keys without you having to lift your arms or hands to do so. Wrist rests support your hands in a good position over the keys so that you can accomplish this optimal positioning without getting aches or pains.
Don't worry, laptop users, I didn't forget about you. You can still position your keyboard in the perfect place while at the same time keeping your monitor in the perfect position. All you need to do is use a BlueTooth keyboard and mouse combination and you'll have the same ergonomic customizability as the desktop people. Below is an image of a really nice keyboard that even has its own wrist rest. This keyboard is designed with ergonomics in mind.
Best Chair for Home Office Ergonomics
When we talk about working comfortably, the chair is arguably the most important part. Many people may be able to alleviate pain by changing ergonomics. Even without doing stretches for the neck or performing stretches for low back pain, you'll probably begin to feel a lot of relief as soon as you switch to the right chair. A good ergonomic computer chair will address your whole body, not just your upper body. Look for adjustable armrests, something that can comfortably support your legs with the knees only slightly bent, a structure that supports the whole spine and the skull, lumbar support, neck support, the ability to recline, and an adjustable seat height.
Leg Support for Good Ergonomics
Keeping all the above details in mind, don't trust that a computer is ergonomic simply because the listing on the website says "ergonomic." If you have no means of supporting your lower legs, then you're going to be working with your knees bent at approximately 90 degrees, or maybe an even tighter angle. Working for hours on end with a run-of-the-mill computer chair can cause excessive pressure on the backs of your legs, especially where the seat ends near the knees.
A deep bend in the knees is not ideal for blood circulation. If you have a computer chair that offers a retractable footrest or if you have a separate footrest to use in conjunction with your computer chair, then you're not only reducing the amount of pressure on the backs of your thighs, but you're also allowing for the blood in your legs to circulate more efficiently.
Upper Body Support for Computer Chairs
I personally use this computer chair
Most "ergonomic" computer chairs tend to offer a bit of upper body support: they have armrests, and there are some contours to support the back. But that might be about all some chairs have to offer in regard to supporting posture. Many so-called ergonomic chairs don't support the upper back, the neck, or the skull. Some don't even offer the ability to recline -- at all.
It's good to have armrests, but make sure they're adjustable armrests. People all have different dimensions to their bodies and the only way for one type of chair to realistically accommodate everyone who might want to use it is for that chair to be adjustable in many ways. Adjustable armrests are key to allowing you to be supported in the perfect posture to comfortably type and use the mouse for long periods of time and without discomfort.
To support the spine, the chair I personally like to use, the GTRacing gaming chair, has a bolster for lumbar support and another bolster for neck support. Plus, the chair is high enough to support my head, and I'm 5' 11" tall. In addition, this chair can have its back up at about a 90-degree angle or you can recline it way down low to nearly 180 degrees. You can practically lay completely flat in this chair.
Personally, I find that if you sit straight up, that's good for posture. However, it will burn out the muscles in your core and your back, ultimately resulting in back and neck pain. Therefore, I prefer to work with the seatback slightly reclined. In this way, I can sit in an open and straight posture, but without such a heavy workload on my spinal postural muscles.
Best Desk for Ergonomics in Your Home Office
Though a good computer chair with adjustable armrests will probably fit just right with a desk of normal height, you're better off with a desk that has adjustable height. For example, if your computer chair's armrests cannot be adjusted high enough to clear your keyboard tray, then you could bring down the desk to a height that won't cause you to sacrifice good ergonomics. You may think, "why wouldn't I just raise the seat higher?" That may be an option for some, but if your legs are in the most comfortable and healthiest position, you wouldn't want to sacrifice the ergonomics of your legs to try to help another area of your body. That is one silent benefit of a standing desk that nobody mentions, the ability to lower the desk to a better sitting height.
The best desk for home office workers is definitely a standing desk. This is because, though it's very critical to have the right setup for working from a seated position, it's technically still not good to be sitting for hours on end -- no matter how good your chair is. It's recommended that people take a break and get to their feet at least once per hour when working in a seated position. Sometimes we find ourselves in working conditions that won't allow us to simply take a break and walk around a bit every hour. So, with the standing desk, you can still get to your feet, and at the same time, continue your work.
Work From Home Pain-Free
So now that you've learned many key points on how to improve the ergonomics of your desk, have fun making these changes to improve the quality of your time at the computer. In summary, the key points are:
- Use a chair that is very adjustable and supports your whole body.
- A standing desk will help you reach the keys very easily when seated and continue your work comfortably when you're standing.
- A Bluetooth keyboard gives you the ultimate freedom in regard to where you want to place your keyboard. It even makes it possible to type while using a smart TV as your monitor.
- Adjust your monitor up high enough that you can comfortably see the screen while sitting in a good straight posture. You can use a projector or a smart TV to give you a large display to work with in the most comfortable posture.
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Thanks for reading my blog. Feel free to add a comment or ask a question.
-Donny Podcast
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