GOOD POSTURE AT YOUR DESK......

....AND HOW TO AVOID NECK AND SHOULDER PAIN!


The day started well. I had nothing planned that would get in the way of ploughing through the enormous pile of paperwork I had to do.

Sitting at my desk, well more of a dining room table, with a chair that despite being made for the table is actually slightly too low, I set to. Keen to achieve my goals for the day I soon became totally engrossed in my work. The hours rushed by and the pile reduced. After a couple of coffees and a very short break for lunch, I finally resurfaced about 8 hours later, slightly achey around my shoulders but thrilled that I'd made such progress. All was well.

That was, until I woke the next morning!

Not quite so lively this morning. I struggled to lift my head off the pillow and turning it more than a couple of degrees was agony. I resumed my seat at the table and laptop and quick realised this position was the cause of my pain! Taking the decision that I would steer clear of any computer orientated work for the day I went to work. After a couple of hours of work and despite best efforts with good posture and light exercise etc I soon realised I needed some treatment! So off to physio I went! Yes, I know, it was funny and I was teased mercilessly! A physio with neck and shoulder pain due to using a laptop and not sitting well!

The following day, I awoke with more range of movement and started to look at the positives of this experience! I can now empathize fully with people who work at a workstation that's not well set up, use laptops for hours at a time and suffer with neck and shoulder problems as a result. My advice is don't struggle with it. If you're working from home and it's up to you to make sure your workstation is set up well, why not get hold of the HSE workstation assessment guidelines. If you work within a company who has workstation assessors and your desk hasn't yet been looked at, give them a call. Finally, if you have had/done all these things and are still suffering, consider the frequency of the breaks you take - are they at least hourly? Consider your eye sight - is it ok, when did you last have your eyes tested? How is your posture in the chair you're using - can you get your bottom back fully in the chair and still with approximately 3 fingers width between the back of your knee and the front of the seat? Is your chair at the right height for your desk? Do you need a footstool? Is the lumber (low back) support in the right place, level with your low back curve? What height is your screen at? Using a laptop for any length of time is not ideal - using either a separate keyboard and screen raise or separate screen / desk top may well be worth considering.

I hope this offers some help in getting your problem sorted but for more information I recommend logging onto the HSE website and looking at their relevant publications. Whatever happens don't struggle with aches and pains. In my experience, if they're posturally related and worse when you're at your desk, it's worth getting someone to have a look and see what can be done to help both you and your workstation.

If you have questions about this or would like some advice about any postural/work related aches and pains you're experiencing, do email me - jemma@thephysiplace.com