Sitting correctly at your desk

More and more of our jobs involve sitting down for prolonged periods of time usually at a desk with a computer. This can cause issues with your neck and back and many people start to develop pain in these areas. One of the ways in which employers can combat these issues is to employ the services of a company like https://www.insightoccupationalhealth.co.uk/ who are an Occupational Health Cardiff business. Occupational health services can ask for a desk ergonomic assessment to be undertaken on anyone who is at risk of developing posture related issues and there are a variety of mechanisms and pieces of equipment that can be put in place to help including standing desks and specially designed chairs that support the lower back.

There are some key things that you can do to adjust your sitting position at your desk to help to improve your posture and prevent pain and damage from occurring to your lower and upper back areas. These include the following:

• Computer Equipment

The location of your computer equipment in relation to your seated position is incredibly important in reducing the strain in your neck and shoulder area This can be achieved by ensuring that the space on your desk for your keyboard and mouse is wide enough to allow for your forearms to rest fully on the desk to take the strain off your shoulders and arms. Where possible you should also keep your keyboard in a flat position and keep your wrists as relaxed as possible. Your computer monitor should be around an arm’s length away from your normal seating position and should be at height whereby you head is position at a normal angle without your neck being bent downwards to look up. This helps to prevent strain in your neck and upper back areas. If you use more than one screen you should place the dominant screen directly in front of you and the other to one side – the side you feel most natural turning your head in – there is no right and wrong for this it is entirely down to personal preference.

• Chair

Your chair position is key to take the strain off from your body and in particularly your lower back and legs. This should be close enough to your desk that your forearms rest on the desk but not so close that you feel squashed against the edge of the table. The lumbar support (arched area towards the bottom of the back rest on the chair) should be positioned in the lower curve of your back. This helps to fully support your lower back. Your legs should also be supported by the base of the chair with your legs at a right angle and your feet flat on the floor. If there is a gap between your feet and the floor you should use a foot rest to correct this.