Tired eyes? Aching back? Sore neck? Painful wrists and hands?
Do these issues bother you while working from home in your home office setup? If you answered yes to all these questions, then you need to change your office ergonomics. Ergonomics plays a crucial role in keeping you healthy while you work. First and foremost, change the work setup at home or office, including equipment to maximize function and capabilities.
Let’s look into how you can prevent work-related injuries and promote health and safety.
Stretch Breaks
Just get off your work station and do some stretching. Stretching helps in preventing repetitive injuries. Make it a routine, every two hours, stretch your arms, neck, shoulders, wrists, waist, and lower back. Stretch breaks are like a short recess that prevents muscle fatigue can give you a break from the stress and strain of working on your computer.
Posture
Posture plays an important role while working in a home office setup. Right body positioning is important to prevent any kind of injury. Hands, wrists, and forearms should be in-line and parallel. The head needs to be level or slightly bent forward and in-line with the torso. Shoulders should be relaxed. Elbows bent at 90° to 120° and kept close to the body. Feet supported by the floor or a footrest. The back should be fully supported by lumbar support. Thighs and hips parallel to the floor and supported by a well-padded seat. Knees at equal height with the feet slightly forward. Frequently change your position while working throughout the day.
Desk and Work Surface
Keep the monitor or laptop on the desk and it should be at least 20 inches away from your face.
Desk height needs to be at elbow height with feet flat on the floor or footrest.
Computer Eye Strains
Spending seven hours a day on the computer and personal time staring at phone screens, eye strain has become a common injury for office workers. Common symptoms of computer eye strain are frequent headaches, dry eyes, blurred vision, eye twitching, physical fatigue, and an increased number of work errors. The best way to prevent these injuries or strains, can
- Cover the windows or keep the blinds closed to reduce excessive bright light coming inside the room
- Use fewer light bulbs or lower intensity bulbs to reduce excessive indoor brightness
- Position computers to the side of a window rather than in front of or behind it
- Adjust the brightness of the computer display & alter the text size and contrast for less eye strain
- Take some time off from your computer to avoid eye fatigue.
Are you looking for physiotherapy in Barrhaven? Get 50% on the first consultation at Care2Cure Physiotherapy & Rehab Centre.
For appointments, call: 613-695-7733 (Prince of Wales) / 613-440-6600 (Barrhaven) or email us at Info@care2curephysiotherapy.com
We care to cure.
