Did you feel great over the holidays, while you were moving around, relaxing and not sitting at your desk? Once you returned to work did that neck pain, headaches or other aches and pains return? This may indicate that your work environment may be contributing to your complaint. At Osteo for Families we see this all the time.

Office workers often come for treatment due to the long periods they sit at a less than ideal desk. 

Here are some simple tips and things to think about when you are sitting at a desk which may help reduce the impact of your work environment on your body. 

THE SCREEN

Your eyes should be looking at the top ⅓ of the screen. If you are using a single screen it should be directly in front of you. If you are using 2 screens for equal time between both, set them up so that you are sitting facing directly between them and are turning your head equally to the left or right. If you use one main screen, sit directly in front of that with the other screen off to the side.

THE CHAIR

Have your chair seat in a neutral line and not tilted too far forwards or backwards. Have the chair high enough that your elbows can comfortably rest on the table without bringing your shoulder up towards your ear. Sit back into your seat with a slight recline of about 10-15 degrees. Use a seat where the backrest comes up to the height of your shoulder blades and has a curve which matches with the curve of your lower back. Have your legs straight down - don’t cross them or sit with your leg under your bottom

THE ACCESSORIES

You want to be able to put your feet flat on the ground, if due to seat height you cannot put them flat use a stool to rest your feet flat. Your keyboard should ideally be 15-25 cms from the edge of the desk with enough space to rest your forearms on the table in a relaxed and neutral position. Your mouse should be within arm's distance and as close to the keyboard as possible.

OTHER FACTORS

Keep your desk clean, have plenty of space and keep the things you use often closer to you and things that are used less frequently further away. Break up long periods spent sitting at a desk, set a timer for every 30 minutes to get up and move a little. Try and manage stress at work, if things are getting too stressful use the support of people at work and home to help. Enjoy a healthy and active life with hobbies and time for yourself outside of work

This advice is general advice, other modifications may be needed for individuals and for specific injuries. Speak to an Osteo at Osteo for Families or your ergonomic assessor for specific modifications.

Every occupation has different demands on the body, a labourer may be required to carry heavy items, a plumber has to get into small awkward spaces, a teacher has to bend down to small children and an office worker needs to maintain a seated position for a long time. Although you can’t always control what tasks are involved in your job you can modify the situation to improve it. 

There are many people that can help including an ergonomic assessor or workplace health and safety officer, or your Osteopath, all you have to do is ask. Osteopaths are trained to assist with tight muscles and joint restrictions that a desk posture may be contributing to. We can discuss your desk ergonomics and aides that may assist in your particular condition. 

 If you have any questions you can call us 0416 161 411, send us an email or book in an appointment https://osteo4families.cliniko.com/bookings#service to discuss some advice and help treat any unwanted musculoskeletal repercussions of your work tasks.