Create a Healthier Workspace with Ergonomics in Mind

Is Your Workspace Causing You Pain?

Our work-life balance is becoming painful, as the effects of long hours in front of the computer in the office or at home — and continued use of tech devices — adds up tremendously each day. The cumulation of sitting at desks with improper ergonomics and staring down at our smartphones has created a perfect storm of pain and discomfort.

You’ve likely felt the pains of a neck in need of alignment, or felt your toes or legs go numb during the day. Maybe your lumbar region is tight and uncomfortable, making it difficult to get into and out of vehicles. Or perhaps you’re struggling with the start of carpal tunnel symptoms.

Understanding Ergonomics

Ergonomics is the study of people’s efficiency in the work environment. When applied to an employee’s workspace, it means that the materials and equipment you use, like chairs, keyboard, the mouse, and the computer screen, are set properly for you to operate in the safest and most efficient manner.

What does that look like in a real-life application? Well, to start, the chair you sit in should allow you to sit comfortably, with little to no stress on your body, in proper postural position with your feet on the floor. Your computer needs to be set to the proper eye height and should be no more than an arm’s length away. Your mouse and your keyboard’s arrangement on your desk should be in such a way to prevent muscle strain.

The benefit of having an ergonomically correct workstation is less stress on the various structures of your spine, the neck, the shoulders, and the lower back. When you’re slouched over a computer, it’s going to affect not just your aches and pains, but also how you breathe. It can affect your energy levels, and even your heart!

Additional Tips to Help You Heal

We want our patients to be healthy at home and at work. Chiropractic can help restore alignment to the spine and alleviate the symptoms, but we also want you to fix your environment. When you’re standing or seated, remember your head should be stacked over the shoulders, and the shoulders stacked over the hips.

When you’re in the seated position, your arms should be loose, with elbows at a 90-degree angle, with the wrist relaxed, not bent. Our team also recommends getting up and moving at least every 30 minutes, and when possible, investing in a standing desk. Ideally, moving from the standing desk to a regular seat position back and forth throughout the day is the best for keeping your body healthy.

Add Chiropractic to Your Tool Box

Chiropractic is an important tool to use on your road to recovery. Dr. Stackis will check to find any particular patterns of imbalance, looking for subluxation and misalignments that may be causing you symptoms of pain or discomfort and adjusting them back into alignment.

We can also detect things before they become symptomatic, and we can also give people recommendations for how to change their workspaces to complement the work we do during their visits.