Desk Ergonomics Tips to Prevent Neck And Low Back Pain

Hi guys, Eric Finger here with Move Empower Concierge PT. Today I want to offer you some easy tips to prevent neck and back pain when sitting at your desk for long periods of time.

Tip number one, the proper chair — get one! The ideal chair has roller wheels, adjustable armrests, and lumbar support. Many folks I treat tell me that most of the time they catch themselves sitting on the edge of the chair. This isn’t good. The problem is that to support your itself when sitting at the edge of the chair you increase the engagement of the muscles in the front, the hip flexors. These muscles are attached to the spine, and when constantly contracted they can compress the spine. So to eliminate that stress, sit all the way back into your chair.

Next, armrests– adjustable armrests are key. What I suggest is elevating the armrests just enough where you have some support underneath the arm- just a little bit- and to keep your arms at approximately a 90-degree angle.

Your 3rd tip is foot placement — have your feet touch the ground! If your feet are elevated when you’re in your chair or if you’re sitting cross-legged, over time this can be quite stressful to the lower back, ultimately setting you up for back pain. For the folks whose feet do not touch the ground when sitting, I suggest purchasing a foot riser or use a simple box to rest your shoes on. Supported feet = happy back!

Next, for you folks using laptops, get a laptop stand! A stand will bring the monitor height up to eye level. Stands also allow you the ability to adjust the computer to the appropriate distance from you, which is about eighteen to twenty-two inches.

Lastly regarding the desk, if you’re a laptop user, get a remote keyboard. This will prevent awkward positioning of the wrist and the arms which over time puts a strain on the neck in addition to sensitive structures in the elbow and wrist.

I hope these tips were helpful! If you have any questions and would like to learn more about how Move Power Concierge helps folks with neck and back pain, contact us for a FREE discovery session or give us a call at 512-659-5615.