Workstation Ergonomics

Pain and Your Workplace

Physical therapists treat many patients each year for neck and shoulder pain, low back pain, and wrist/forearm pain.  Many times it is related to overuse of muscles in the same  positions (repetitive use injuries). Moreover, it can be due to the setup of a person’s workspace. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports 1.8 million workers have to deal with some sort of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) each year.

The Cost of Ergonomic Injuries

Ergonomic injuries cost an average of 15 billion to 20 billion annually for workers compensation.  Costs are 30 billion to 40 billion in other expenses such as medical care. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (2008) indicates over a million nonfatal injuries/illnesses involving days away from work occurred in private industry. These statistics are over a one year span. Of those one million incidences, 26% of them required the worker to miss 31+ days of work. Additionally, 38.6% of them were due to a strain or sprain.

Prevention Methods

Many strains and sprains are preventable. Maintaining proper positioning and posture at workstations, taking breaks when performing repetitive tasks, and staying active with strength and stretching exercises specific to a  person’s line of work are some of the ways to prevent these occurrences. Specifically for  people who use a computer workstation, there are key positioning points of which to take note.

Proper Computer Positioning:

• Ears, shoulders and hips should be in line with each other to ensure proper posture.  Adjusting the back support of your chair is also beneficial if you cannot align your ears, shoulders, and hips.
• The best positioning includes, relaxed shoulders, elbows bent to a 90° angle (or slightly more) while typing, as well as hips bent at an angle slightly more than 90°.   Having your feet flat on the floor at all times after these alignments are in place is also beneficial.  A chair that is adjustable for height will help to achieve this position. If your feet are still unable to reach the floor after making adjustments, you can use a foot rest fashioned. This can be fashioned from a small piece of wood or a phone book to support your feet.
• Position your eyes level with the top 1/3 of the screen, about 18-24″ away from the screen.  This helps to avoid improper neck positioning and eye strain.
• The computer keyboard should be an inch or two lower than the level of the elbow to maintain proper bend at the joint.  When using a laptop, use a laptop stand to achieve proper screen position according to eye level.  To prevent carpal tunnel or other repetitive writs/forearm injuries, use a seperate keyboard and mouse (positioned appropriately).
• Take breaks and move around!  When performing tasks that require you to maintain either a sitting or standing position for long periods of time, take rest breaks. You can also perform stretches to keep your muscles from getting strained.

When to Contact a Physical Therapist

If you begin to notice and ache or pain that lasts more than a day and it is an area of the body that can be strained by your work duties, don’t hesitate to contact a physical therapist before it gets worse. Repetitive use injuries can take a long time to heal when they are ignored for too long. Your physical therapist can offer suggestions for workstation adjustments, exercises and stretches specific to your situation, and tips and tricks to keep your body healthy and pain-free