It is vital to ensure that you have proper seating postures, especially when your job requires you to sit in front of the desk for extended periods. Ensuring proper seating postures should reduce unnecessary strain on your muscles, ligaments, and tendons, alleviating any back aches or pains.
With that being said, some back pains and aches are caused not because of poor seating postures but by medical conditions, such as sciatica. Sciatica is a pain in the sciatic nerve, which is located at the bottom of your spinal column. It is usually due to an irritation or a trauma in the region. As a result, it can cause the individual to develop numbness or a tingling sensation in the butt or back, which may often spread down to the legs.
In such a situation, having a proper seating posture is imperative. And in fact, there are certain desk ergonomics habits that you can adopt to help reduce the pain and aches. That aim is to ensure that you are in a position that prevents you from slouching forward, which puts unnecessary pressure on your sciatic nerve.
1. Using an ergonomic office chair
There are many chairs for office use that are not ergonomically friendly, resulting in many shifting their positions constantly to find the most comfortable position, which often results in them slouching forward or crossing one of their legs. Such positions often place their spine in an awkward position, resulting in an imbalanced posture and putting unnecessary pressure on the nerves.
A crucial aspect of good desk ergonomic habits, especially if you are suffering from sciatica, is to use an ergonomic chair that provides complete support to your arm, buttock, shoulder, and back. Additionally, you might want to consider getting one that offers additional adjustable lumbar cushioning that should be positioned strategically at your sciatica nerve region, alleviating any strain on your lower spine when seated.
2. Positioning the monitor at eye level
On top of ensuring that your office chair provides adequate support, you should also ensure that your monitor is positioned at eye level. Whether it be adjusting the height of your chair or the monitor, you should ensure that your monitor is at most 30 degrees below your eye level. One ideal method to achieve good monitor ergonomics is to get a monitor arm.
Straight out of the box, our monitors will come with their own monitor stand. More often than not, they offer limited viewing and ergonomic options. You can raise and lower the monitor height and tilt angle. However, it might not be sufficient for healthy ergonomics. Monitor arms offer a greater deal of flexibility and versatility in terms of adjustments. Not only can you raise and lower the monitor height and tilt angle more effectively, but you can also adjust the distance of the screen from you, bringing it nearer and farther from you, whatever your tasks require.
3. Ensuring everything is at arm’s length
Repetitive stretching to reach your items places stress on the sciatic nerve. Hence, keeping everything you need within arm’s length is key. Your mouse and keyboard should be directly in front of you such that your forearms and wrists are in line, allowing your shoulders to relax. While you are typing on your keyboard, your wrists must be kept straight with your upper arms as close to your body as possible.
Keep items you often use, such as any printed materials you might need for the task, stationeries, and phone, close to you to avoid having to stretch. If you have to reach for your desk items, we recommend standing up to reach them rather than sitting down.
Conclusion
Ensuring that you have a proper workstation setup is crucial to prevent the development of back aches and pains. It is even more essential when you struggle with medical conditions, such as sciatica, that might only get worse the longer you sit in front of your desk.
If you are considering switching up your office setup, then consider TakeAseat. We offer some of the best standing desks in Singapore. Head over to our North showroom (Woodlands furniture shop) or our East showroom (Ubi furniture shop) to test our products for yourself. Do not hesitate to correct your ergonomics habits with us today!
