Easing Pain from Office Work

Baseline recently published a slideshow based on an American Osteopathic Association study of pain among office workers. The leading causes of pain for office workers were:

• Sitting for extended periods: 64%
• Posture at the desk: 61%
• Uncomfortable seating: 58%
• Extended computer screen viewing: 46%
• Extended mouse usage: 38%

The study also suggested several tips to help office workers ease some of the causes of physical pain that come from office work:

• Stand up and move every 30 minutes or so. Set a calendar or cell phone reminder if you aren't remembering. When youneed to talk to people in the office, stand up and walk over.
• Excercise 30 or more minutes per day. Find an exercise routine that fits your schedule and life so that you will be able to maintain it over the long term. Even things like using the stairs instead of the elevator, parking a long way away, or taking a lunchtime stroll can make a big difference over the long term.
• Make sure you have a comfortable seat. Some companies will provide an improved seat with a doctors' note; others may allow you to bring in your own seat.
• Adjust your monitor so that the top of the monitor is at eye level when you are sitting up straight.
• Develop good posture. Sit up straight. If you keep your feet flat on the ground, the rest of your body will tend to follow.
• When you mouse, keep your elbows close to your body and try not to flex your wrist. You may need to adjust your seating area to make proper mouse usage easier.