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Sit Up Straight! Tips from an Ergonomic Expert Will Make You Feel Better at Work and at PlaySore shoulders? Aching back? Reduce pain and increase productivity by consulting with an ergonomic expert.It’s not in your head — in fact, that nagging, office-related pain can slow you down even when you’re away from work. Poor workplace posture and repetitive movements lead to musculoskeletal disorders such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, rotator cuff injuries and epicondylitis — elbow and muscle strain on the lower back. Many of these conditions can be prevented, or the pain can be reduced, with ergonomic corrections.Your best bet is to consult an ergonomic expert to work out the kinks in your workday habits.Know Your OptionsIt’s the law for workers to have safe and healthful environments in which to work. To make sure they comply, companies often have an expert on site who can evaluate your current working situation and make recommendations to improve your wellbeing.Additionally, government resources are available through the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA). OSHA provides detailed information about musculoskeletal disorders in the workplace and has trained professional who can “fit the workplace to the worker” by finding solutions to reduce and eliminate pain.A third option is to consult with a physical therapist who can identify the factors that led to your injury. A physical therapist will develop a treatment plan that helps you build strength and reduce pain.Have an Ergonomic EvaluationIn a typical office evaluation, the consultant will evaluate your chair, desk, keyboard, mouse, monitor, and lighting to help you find the optimal working position.The following are common ergonomic adjustments that can help you work smarter and pain-free:Re-Position Your MonitorSet your monitor just beyond arms’ reach with a comfortable line of vision and align your monitor, keyboard and body.Check the height of your monitor; raise or lower as needed so that the top third is viewable by looking straight ahead.Make sure your eyes are moving, not your neck. It is easy to unconsciously move your head while working.Rest your eyes throughout the day by looking away from the screen and focusing on something else 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Remember to blink every 5 to 10 seconds to refresh your eyes.Align Your ChairSit with your back flush against the chair to keep your spine healthy and straight.Pull your chair up to the desk so that your armrests are underneath slightly.Sit with your feet flat on the floor and position your hips higher than your knees. You should feel no pain or pressure in the backs of your legs.Your stomach should be close to the desk and your arms at 90 degrees so that only two-thirds of your forearms should be in contact with the desk.Get SituatedFind the right desk height. If you feel pressure on your shoulders, raise or lower your desk until you find the appropriate height.Move your mouse with your forearm, not your wrist.Organize your desk so frequently-used items like your phone, keyboard, mouse and stapler are all within easy reach.Get up and move every 20 to 60 minutes to keep your blood pumping. If needed, you can download an app to remind you to move around at certain intervals.Consider a standing desk to allow you to work standing or sitting. This alleviates pressure on your back and hips.A poor ergonomic position can lead to chronic injury and pain and result in missed work. If you are experiencing neck or back pain and numbness and tingling from nerve strain, don’t wait. Make an appointment with your physical therapist.A physical therapist can ease the pain and determine a way to stop the progression of your injury.

Credentialitis. Employers want certifications from legitimate organizations, and the mass of diploma mills that already exist make people distrust any generic online certificate of mastery. Self-taught? That’s even less reputable.The ability to hack online tests, as demonstrated by attention checks and anti-automated-scripts in online surveys, such that the proof you have an online test result is almost meaningless.Colleges hype the importance of a degree, any degree, as a sign of intelligence and worth. That you got more by reading a series of business books is irrelevant to most.General societal disdain for manual labor, experience, hard work - including apprenticeships.The history of accidents like building collapses from self-taught engineers, deaths due to inexperience by self-taught doctors / vets, creates fear of “self-taught”.Not everything can be taught virtually from phlebotomy to lab techniques to proper ergonomic evaluations. Even courses where 90% could be taught online need you in a classroom or lab once in a while. If you say that’s irrelevant, you’re too inexperienced.The theoretical goal of training well-rounded people as citizens versus laborers, though liberal arts degrees in and of themselves are worthless except as proof you’re indoctrinated and can commit to something.Inertia. We’ve done something this way for three generations, why does it have to change now?

This is a great question because we know workspaces can lead to back injuries if they aren't designed thoughtfully. But they can also result in poor quality work.Research has suggested that bench height must fit the person working at it, but the type of work being done must also be considered. Ie Heavy work or precision work?The following partial diagram illustrates this and offers some measurements for an average man.So in fine woodworking, you could have different needs if you're making furniture (heavy) vs carving a picture frame (precision). Perhaps the ideal workbench can change height!For an individual worker, the height of her hips, elbows or chest may be most relevant.Please read more from the source:A Primer Based on Workplace Evaluations of Musculoskeletal DisordersThe National Institute for Occupational Safety and Healthhttp://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/97-117/The complete diagram is on page 102 and is specifically derived from:Grandjean E [1982] (Fitting the Task to the Man: An Ergonomic Approach. London: Taylor & Francis Ltd.) and UAW-GM [1990] (UAW-GM Ergonomics Handbook. Madison Heights, Michigan: Center for Health & Safety).