Thrive Magazine 2022 - A Guide to Your Health and Wellness

PHYSICAL THERAPY

Workstation ergonomics for home offices

By Derek Fogle, DPT

Physical Therapy Manager Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many changes into our lives. One of these major changes is the increasing number of companies utilizing telework as the primary option for full-time employees.

Although the telework option allows for social distancing and reduces the risk of exposure to COVID-19, there are some drawbacks of working out of a home office. In general, working in an office environment allows you access to well-designed office furniture and equipment that promotes good posture and ergonomics. In most cases, if you have an issue with your workstation, your employer has access to ergonomics experts who can assess your needs and provide modifications, if necessary.

When working from home, most people use whatever home office setup they have. This varies from a complete home office, to sitting at the kitchen table on a hard kitchen chair, to sitting in bed using a laptop. Although most people will adapt and make it work, over time these less-than-ideal workstation setups can cause an array of injuries.

The most common complaint with most home office setups is improper height for the computer screen, desk and chair. This causes the body to adapt and alter posture, which over time can cause low back pain, neck pain, joint stiffness and even headaches. Other common physical problems experienced by those working from home include elbow pain and shoulder pain from having the keyboard and mouse at the wrong height.

Ideally, when sitting at a computer, your eyes should be level with the top of the computer screen, shoulders back, and back resting firmly against the back of the chair. This allows you to keep your spine upright, like a stack of building blocks, which prevents your muscles from working harder to keep your body upright. When sitting at a kitchen table, or on a sofa with your laptop resting on your legs, the tendency is to lean forward to see the computer screen, causing your neck and back muscles to work overtime. For a short period of time, your body can adapt, but attempting to sit with poor posture for an entire workday can cause increased pain and symptoms.

Take breaks, stretch often

If you find yourself in a situation where you are working from home in a less-than-ideal home office setup, what should you do to reduce your chances of feeling these aches and pains? The two most important things to remember are to take frequent breaks and stretch often. Taking regular breaks to get up, take a walk or simply change your body’s position has been proven to reduce muscle and joint pain. In a simple sense, motion is the lotion for your muscles and joints. Stretching those overworked muscles regularly has also been shown to reduce pain and symptoms related to muscle tightness.

At Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics, Parkway Division, our expert staff of highly educated physical therapists are your movement specialists. We are here to evaluate your needs and develop an individualized treatment program designed to reduce pain, restore motion, and optimize your functional ability so you can live your best life.

Dr. Derek Fogle is physical therapy manager at Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics, Parkway Division, 13 Western Maryland Parkway, Suite 204, Hagerstown, Md.

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