What can I do to ease my lower back pain when I stand and work?
Here are a few things that I was told to during my ergonomic evaluation and it has helped take away my back pain when I stand:
Wear comfy shoes! Sneakers or soft soled shoes are great. Make sure they have good arch support.
Get yourself an anti-fatigue mat if you stand more than 2 hours a day.Last but not least, get yourself a foot rest and alternate between standing on both of your feet, resting one foot on the foot rest (which relieves pressure in your spine) and switch and rest your other foot.
What can be causing
pain on the outer part of my elbow
when I type (and sometimes mouse)?
Elbow pain related to typing and mousing is very common. In fact this is the number one complaint associated with typing and mousing. Tendons at your elbow can get sore and cranky if you type or mouse with your wrists bent back (a big culprit) or twisting from side to side.
Does anyone’s eyes get tired after
staring at your screens all day?
Help!
One of the best ways to avoid eye fatigue at work is to check your vision. Poor vision is the fastest way to strain your eyes and also contort your posture by craning your head and neck forward to see your screen.
Make sure the lighting around your work area is bright enough for you to see without strain. This includes making sure the contrast on your monitor(s) is set bright enough for clear viewing and that your don’t have glare on your screen.What is Repetitive Strain Injury and what are the warning signs?
Simply put, Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI), also known as Repetitive Motion Disorder (RMD), Cumulative Trauma Disorder (CTD), Overuse Syndrome (OS) and Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) falls into the category of soft tissue injuries, primarily associated with muscles, tendons and nerves.
Over the course of your work day, the most common RSI warning signs often show up in your hands, wrists, fingers, arms, neck, shoulders and back. If you feel any kind of pain, strain, weakness, numbing, tingling, fatigue, headaches, eye stress, coolness of the hands or muscle tension, this is your body’s way of letting you know something is not right!I keep hearing I should take stretch breaks.
How often should I do that and what stretches should I do?
We were not designed to sit or stand in one position all day long. So, the best practice is to stretch every 60 – 90 minutes for a few minutes. Our Ergo and Wellness Videos have great stretches for you to do.
I know I should sit with good posture
but inevitably I find myself sinking way down into my chair or slouching and by the end of the day, my neck and shoulders feel really sore… What can I do to improve my posture?
First, check your chair. Do you have adequate lumbar support? Is your chair set up so that your knees are level with or slightly lower than your hips? Are you sitting on your sit bones with a neutral pelvis?
Last but not least, make sure to do some tummy toning exercises. This will strengthen your core which in turn will help you sit and stand with better posture.