With most people working from home, one of the most common questions I hear at our clinic has to do with ergonomics. Specifically, how to set up your at home office.
If you are used to working in an office and are lucky enough to have a good work chair or even better a stand up desk, you may be wondering what you can do at home to remedy your current situation. In any case, most people were not set up to work from home and now may be working from home for the foreseeable future. It is important to set up an at home work space following proper ergonomics guidelines.
Setting Up Your Work Space
First, you want to assess your current situation. What kind of desk and chair are you working on? Maybe, you don’t even have a desk to utilize and are resorting to a laptop desk on your bed. It is very important to have a setup that is conducive to your body frame and allows you to be productive.
Here are some tips:
- Your desk should be at a height which allows for your arms, when bent at the elbow, to be parallel to the floor.
- Your chair height should be setup so that your feet are flat on the floor and not hanging.
- Whether you are using a laptop or desktop, the computer screen should be placed in a position where the screen is at eye level.
- The chair you use should have an adjustable lumbar support so that the convex surface fits nicely into the curvature of your lower back.
- The mouse should be the same level as the keyboard.
Do not get discouraged as it will take time for your body to get used to the changes.
You may have to start using the lumbar support for a short time and increase the time each day. In the long run, your back will thank you.
How PT Can Help
If you are noticing that you are having increased back pain since working from home, you can always call the office and have an evaluation with a therapist.
We can go over your home-work setup and educate you on proper ergonomics and the appropriate changes you need to make to fit your needs. In addition, we can prescribe exercises to increase your core strength and improve posture to ensure you do not have to deal with the back pain again!
By Devin Wurman, DPT
