The Perils of PC Posture

By Deborah Rothberg  |  Posted 2006-06-02

The Perils of PC Posture


Are your shoulders hunched? Your wrists arched back?












Sit better





Next Page: Dont rely on external support.


Young does not recommend that people rely on external lumbar support except in cases where obesity or physical problems leave the individual no other options.

"A lot of newer chairs were designed to support the lumbar region in the lower back. But, the body is strong enough to support itself," said Young.

Young instead suggests that people sit all the way back in their chair so that their sacrum touches the chairs back.

"When you do this, your pelvis and back are aligned properly and it allows you to move easily in the chair," said Young.

Rogers approaches seating positions differently, dismissing the popular notion that elbows and knees should rest at 90-degree angles.

"Think it terms of open angles. Instead of sitting with your legs at a 90-degree angle, try a 110-degree angle. Keep your elbow at 110-degree angle to your hand," said Rogers.

While everyone sits at a computer differently, men and women tend to fall into gender-specific posture traps.

"Men tend to be low writers. They like their chairs lower, and to sit back in them, and they need to learn to sit higher. Men strain their arms and wrists when they sit too low. Women are perchers—they sit away from the backrests and at the edge of their seats. Women tend to slouch because theyre so far away from their back support," said Rogers.

Use Equipment Correctly

When most people think of ergonomics, they think of wrist rests. Yet, even these long pieces of padding that are nearly standard in office settings are widely misused.

"Wrist rest is a very unfortunate term because the general public thinks that it means theyre supposed to rest their wrist on it. Theres no protective fat under your wrist, and resting on this unprotected area could cause contact stress. I would be happier if they were called palm rests," said Read.

None of the specialists suggested that people throw their wrist rests out the window, however.

"Wrist rests were designed for resting between spells of typing, not during typing… The killer combination is lazy typing and cold hands, suggestive of a smaller carpal tunnel. These two factors together almost guarantee that you will get a wrist or arm injury," said Rogers.

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Each of the specialists referenced pianists when discussing the proper way to hold your hands and wrists when you type. Pianists use their fingers to hit keys, but keep their wrists raised and arms engaged, and hit the keys with their fingertips alone.

"The worst setup is the keyboard on the keyboard tray [and] the mouse up on the desk surface. It leads to reaching injuries," said Rogers.

Adjust Your Monitor

Most people have their monitor height set too high, or worse, lack the ability to lower it. Read suggested that people sit squarely in front of their computer screens with their feet flat to make adjustments.

"Your horizontal line of sight should hit the first one to two inches of the screen itself. When you need to look lower, you should use your eyeballs and not your neck."

Those that wear bifocals should keep their monitors even lower, so that they are always looking at them through the bottom of their eyeglasses, "without dropping their heads," said Read.

Next Page: Use special equipment.


Use Specialty Equipment Where Available

"Injuries tend to start with your upper back and neck," explained Young, "and one of the worst things you can do is cradle the phone to your neck with your shoulder."

Young said that there was little excuse for workers not to use a headset these days, considering that one can be purchased inexpensively at Radio Shack or office supply stores.

Rogers recommends that people who do even a little data entry or read from documents while on the computer buy an inexpensive document holder.

"Remember that your eyes lead your posture, and if the objects you are looking at are out of the way, your posture will strain. Put the document holder on the side of your eye dominance."

While trading in one keyboard for another that fits the user better is not always an option, Rogers suggests that people who can, should.

"A lot of narrow-shouldered women get in trouble with the standard keyboard. A keyboard should be the same width as your shoulders," said Rogers.

Move Around

"People go to the chiropractor and get massages and then go back to the same chair," said Young. "Unsurprisingly, their injuries return."

All of the experts emphasized the importance of moving around throughout the day, whether through simple stretches, programs that prompt people to take a break, or by refilling your water glass or standing to complete tasks when you can.

"One of the misnomers about repetitive strain injury is that the repetitive motion is at fault. The real evil is the static posture," said Rogers.

Rogers pointed out that although people have done repetitive work for hundreds of years without getting injured, the difference today is that we rarely move around when we work.

Read reminds people that not all "desk tasks" need to be done while sitting.

"Get your butt out of the chair as much as possible. You can talk on phone while standing; you can stand to read a document," said Read.

Young offered more specific tactics to ensure that people are getting enough blood flowing.

"People do not take enough breaks," said Young, who encourages her clients to drink a lot of water so, at the very least, theyll need to rise once an hour to make the trek to the restroom.

"Every 10 minutes or so, rest your hands for 10 to 12 seconds and give your wrists time to recover. People tend to stop breathing, or breathe shallowly from the chest when they are stressed. Put your pen down and let go of your mouth and practice deep diaphragm breathing," said Young.

Rogers shoots down the notion that all those breaks will affect work output.

"If you do shoulder rolls or simple stretches every 20-30 minutes and walk around for five minutes every hour, you keep your perspective fresh and your mind active. In the end, youll be more productive."


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