Ergonomic advice for working or studying from home

Last updated on March 21, 2023

Since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, more and more of us seem to be working from home.

From experience in my practice since the start of the pandemic, more of my patients are reporting they enjoy working from home and when things go back to ‘normal’ if they could choose to do part of their work at home they would do it.

Therefore, with this changing environment is it crucial to ensure you have an ergonomically healthy and safe place to work.

MOVEMENT IS KEY

One big piece of advice as a professional chiropractor is the importance of not sitting or standing in one position for an extended time (home office or real office). Studies have shown that if we are still (seated or standing) for more than 30 minutes at a time deep core and spinal stabilising muscles switch off! We want to keep these muscles on and strong to help to protect and stabilise your spine and nervous system!

What to do then? Simply move positions every 30 minutes! It’s that simple.

One of the best recommendations I have for people working from home is to get a sit/stand desk, to avoid any back or neck pain. Set a timer on your computer, on your phone or on your smartwatch to swap between sitting and standing every 30 minutes.

Ideal sitting position

When you are sitting behind a computer when working from home or the office, your setup is very important.

Keep these 5 areas in mind when setting up the best ergonomic set-up for working from home.

1. Head and Neck – Your head and neck should be upright or in line with the torso.
2. Monitor – Your monitor should be positioned so the top of the scream is at or right below eye level.
3. Trunk – The trunk of your body should be relatively perpendicular to the floor.
4. Forearm, wrist and hands – Your forearm, wrist and hands should be in nearly a straight line parallel to the floor with your forearm at rest around 90 degrees.
5. Legs – Your thighs should be slightly sloped downward to approximately parallel to the floor with your lower leg perpendicular.

Remember, taking care of your spinal health is crucial for preventing and managing lower back pain. If you are experiencing any discomfort or pain, Ripple Chiropractic offers chiropractic treatments to help alleviate your symptoms and improve your overall spinal health.