Ergonomically optimise your home workspace

While the country is under stay-at-home orders to manage the spread of covid19, those who could have, started working from home. However, if the home workspace is not ergonomically configured, that work may be harmful to the body.

Ergonomic experts, Dohrmann Consulting defines ergonomics as: “The process of designing or arranging workplaces, products and systems so that they fit the people who use them.”

Denielle Jack, a registered physical therapist and certified ergonomics assessment specialist with The Sports Medic TT in St Augustine wants to help people learn how to make their home ergo-friendly.

Jack, 28, has a BSc in physiotherapy from the University of the West Indies, Mona, and specialises in rehabilitating patients with musculoskeletal, orthopaedic and cardiopulmonary problems.

While she mainly treats athletes and people and who were injured after lifting heavy objects, many patients go to her with back problems caused mainly by poor lifestyle habits including sedentary office work.

She said sedentary workers commonly experience neck and shoulder pain caused mostly by prolonged working periods without much movement and poor workstation set up. An unergonomic workstation can cause strain on the body. Setting up a workstation at home will be different from an office workstation because a person may not have the necessary ergonomic office equipment. But Jack has some tips and hacks on how to make the home workspace safe for the body.

Seated posture is important for good health, she told Business Day. Sitting in static positions with poor posture could cause injury.

Ideally, people should sit at an ergonomic chair while working. An ergonomic chair is adjustable to fit a person’s height. It has adjustable armrests which reduces strain on the neck and shoulder by supporting the arms. The backrest is adjustable and has a curve at the bottom which gives support to the lower back – the lumbar spine. The chair should swivel and have wheels allowing more mobility while seating to avoid excessive strain on the body.

For people who do not have an ergonomic chair at home, a comfortable chair can be altered to fit ergonomic criteria.

Jack recommends putting a towel across the lower back to support the lumbar spine if the chair does not have a curve, and to ensure when seated, that feet are positioned flat on the ground. If the feet cannot reach the ground, have a footstool, a box or stack of books to prop up the feet. The space between the back of the chair and knees should have a width of two or three fingers.

Choosing a chair with armrests would be ideal, and the table should be at the same level as the armrests.

“If the chair is higher than the table, you would be flexing your wrist down to write or type. That can cause you to get injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome. If your chair is too low, you would be flexing the wrists up to write, which would be causing stress as well. You are trying to get a neutral wrist position.”

If the chair is not tall enough for the table, put a cushion or pillow on the seat, but avoid having the legs jammed under the table. This is to avoid putting a strain on the wrist and shoulders.

The keyboard should be aligned with the chair’s armrest.

Jack said make sure the area chosen for the workstation has good lighting, and avoid putting the laptop or the screen directly in front of a window because the glare would put a strain on the eyes. It would also cause people to lean forward to watch the screen. Use a blind or curtains to prevent the glare.

“Leaning forward for a long time could put stress and strain on your neck and shoulders.”

Most people, she said, who have laptops do not have a desktop at home. People have more injuries using a laptop than a desktop computer because the keyboard and the display screen cannot be adjusted much.

“It makes it difficult when you’re using a laptop. People using laptops get severe pain in their shoulders and the position of the screen can’t be adjusted so their head is downward in the computer, which is not good for prolonged periods.”

The top of the screen should be eye level or slightly below eye level. Books can be used to elevate the laptop, but be mindful of the wrists while typing.

“While reading you can elevate it and if you have to type, you would bring the laptop back down.”

To protect the eyes, the screen should be an arm’s length away.

Taking 'ergo-breaks'

People who don't take frequent breaks while working can be prone to injury. Staring at a screen for too long or staying in the same static posture for too long eventually causes degenerative injuries.

A person can get dry eyes by staring at the computer screen for prolonged periods, which can cause eye fatigue, blurred vision, headaches and neck or back pain.

To prevent the eyes from getting dry, Jack recommends people look away from the screen for 20 seconds, at an object 20 feet away every 20 minutes they are looking at a screen. This is called the 20-20-20 rule.

“This prevents putting stress and strain on the eye…When the eyes get dry, it puts stress on the entire body. You begin to hunch and look forward. It’s easier said than done, but if you practice the 20-20-20 rule it will become a habit.”

Sitting and standing in a position for too long causes stress on the body. Jack recommends people practice working for 40 minutes sitting and 20 minutes standing by adjusting the desk or workspace. To work while standing, she suggests putting the computer on an ironing board and adjust to a person’s height. A high enough surface such as a kitchen counter can also be used. If typing and standing, ensure the elbows are at 90 degrees.

However, Jack recommends people take breaks every 30 minutes to do stretches and other movements. She calls this "ergo-breaks." (See box)

“When you sit for extended periods in static or awkward postures, it would create tight and shortened muscles and the stretching lengthens it.” The trapezius, for example, is one of the widest muscles in the back. The muscle engages the neck, arms and shoulders. A tight trapezius can make the shoulders and neck stiff or sore, especially when habitually sitting in the same posture for more than 30 minutes.

When a person sits in an awkward position for too long, Jack said the body gets realigned and the muscles get weak. This makes a person susceptible to early degenerative changes in the joints, spine, shoulder and they risk getting arthritis early.

“If your muscles are extremely weak because of poor ergonomic practices, it can predispose you and you'll have signs of early arthritis, especially in your spine.”

While good ergonomics is important, exercise and building up muscle strength is key to caring for the body.

“I constantly tell my patients if their muscles are not strong then they are defeating the entire purpose. You have to get fit for the job that you have to do. It may sound simple because you are just sitting in front of a computer, but it does put a lot of stress and strain because you are concentrating as well.”

Jack said she will soon be releasing a video on tips and exercises people can do at home on her company’s Facebook page.

While physiotherapy is deemed an essential service, she’s mostly working from home using Zoom to instruct her patients.

Stretching away muscle stress

To do an upper trapezius stretch, lower the ear to the shoulder and extend the arm on the opposite side out to touch the base of the seat. Hold for 30 seconds while breathing deeply. Then, lower the chin to the shoulder, place the hand behind the head and pull down the chin, angling the nose into the armpit. Do not put too much pressure on the neck forcing it down but use the hand as a weight to let gravity work. Breathe deeply and hold for 30 seconds. Another stretch is to raise the arm to the ceiling and bend the elbow behind the back. Take the opposite hand and push the elbow down. Breathe deeply and hold for 30 seconds. Switch arms.

For a shoulder stretch, bring one arm across the chest to the opposite shoulder and use the other arm to pull it into the body. Breathe deeply and hold for 30 seconds. Switch arms.

For a pectoral (chest) stretch, standing by the corner of a wall, raise the arms up with the shoulders and elbows at 90 degrees, and push the chest out to stretch out the muscles. Breathe deeply and hold for 30 seconds.

For a wrist flexor, extend the hand, with the fingers facing down, use the other hand to pull the fingers back. Then with the fingers facing up, use the other hand to pull the fingers back. Counting to 30 while sitting in the position and breathing deeply will optimise the stretch.