Please allow me to introduce myself, my name is
Julie and I
recently joined
Duffy and Bracken, PT. I practiced as a physical therapist for
7 years in Seattle Washington before moving to Downtown NYC. One of my
specialties in Seattle was workplace modification and 5-hour return to work
testing. These included activities such as touring a sawmill to adjust a
workstation to accommodate an injured shoulder patient to modifying the
internal organization of a police car to accommodate a low back patient. While
the average New Yorker I currently treat is not in an industrial occupation,
workspace modification is no less important. You spend 8-10+ hours a day at
your desk and the more efficiently you set it up, the less stress you will
experience on your neck, back and arms.
Here is a little test – can you sit with your back straight
and feet flat on the floor for 5 minutes without fidgeting or adjusting and
without an increase in pain? If you cannot then your core musculature does not
possess the endurance for an 8 hour day in a chair.
Ergonomics strives to keep your joints in a neutral position
to minimize the stresses on the muscles and ligaments. People come in different
sizes so no two desks should look alike. Here are some suggestions for easy
adjustments to your desk:
Adjustable Chair
When you are sitting your knees should be bent at a
90-degree angle with your feet resting on the floor. If you are petite and can
lower your desk this is ideal but most desks do not have modifiable heights. If
your feet do not touch the floor, bring the floor up to your feet with a
footrest or even a small box.
The end of your seat should reach to four finger lengths to
the back of your knee. Any farther forward can pinch nerves in your leg and
make it uncomfortable to sit. Legroom under your desk should be at least 60 cm to allow
for easy foot movement.
The backrest should be adjusted so that there is a convex
surface supporting your low back. (If your chair does not have this I would
suggest an adjustable lumbar support, which we stock here at Duffy and
Bracken).
The arm rests should be positioned so that your elbows are
slightly forward and bent at near a 90-degree angle.
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| With Foot Rest |
I am asked a lot about therapy balls as chairs. While I
think this is good for watching TV, spending 8 hours a day on a therapy ball
requires a lot of core endurance. If you would like to sit on a ball at work I
recommend keeping a chair nearby for when your back becomes fatigued.
Keyboard
When you are typing your wrist should be supported and your
elbows should be at a 90-degree angle. Because your arm rests should also support
you at a 90-degree elbow angle it sometimes comes in direct conflict with your
keyboard. I would suggest table length arm rests (they are shorter and allow
you to push your chair up to the desk) on your chair or none at all if you are
mostly on the computer or writing while at your desk.
Mouse
A traditional mouse used to control your cursor can add
increased stress on your arm and shoulder because you have to elevate your arm
for long periods of time. I recommend a trackball mouse. Your hand rests on the
mouse and your thumb moves a roller ball that controls the cursor. They are
inexpensive and your neck and shoulder will thank you.
Computer Screen
When you sit upright at your desk your eyes should be level
with the top line of your screen. It is much easier for your eyes to track
inferiorly without affecting your neck posture than it is for your eyes to
track superiorly. If your computer screen is too high we tend to push our head
forward and angle our head upwards, which tightens the back upper neck
musculature. This is a good time to walk around your office and see your
co-worker’s computer posture.
If you have a laptop it is harder to modify. I suggest
putting it on a pedestal to raise the screen up and buying a wireless keyboard.
Divide Your Desk Into Angles
Items that you use constantly should be within a radius of
50 cm – which means you do not have to reach far or rotate your body to grab
them. Items you use less can be a short
reach away.
Standing Desks
If you do a lot of reading you can make yourself a standing
station at your desk. The optimal reading angle is with a 45-degree slanted
desk and if you are writing the optimal angle for your elbows is with a
15-degree slanted desk.
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| Unslanted Desk |
Breaks
Most importantly you need to get up and walk around to give
your body breaks from being in one position. Most people become so engrossed in
what they are doing that they forget so I propose setting your cell phone to go
off every 1-2 hours. A 5-minute walk around your office will help clear your
head and give your muscles a chance to relax.
If you have any further questions about how to modify your
workstation or you want a professional to assess your sitting ability, please
do not hesitate to see me here at
Duffy and Bracken, PT.
Julie Garner, DPT, COMT, CCI
