Ergonomics at the computer, anyone?

[Phoenix-rising]

For the past 8 years or so, every so often (more frequently now) I've found that when I spend too much time working at my computer, I pay for it in pain.  Usually I just take some Aleve or something, but this weekend was just awful and the Aleve didn't fix it.

I'm certain it has something to do with my desk setup at home.  I don't think my office setup bothers me so much.

DH tells me I need to get up more often, but when I'm deep in the middle of something, I completely forget.  And of course, I don't want to get up because I'm "this close" to being finished.

I'm seriously thinking about trying to find a way to get my desk more user friendly.  I think I need to start with the right chair.  I looked around the internet last night (at 2AM when I couldn't sleep due to pain) and special chairs are around $1,000.  At this point I don't care what it costs, I'm tired of these flare ups or whatever you'd call them.

I haven't gone to a doctor because I don't want someone to throw a prescription at me.  I'd like to fix this problem through either some type of physical therapy or re-designing my desk area.

Do any of you have any suggestions or ideas?  Does anyone else here (after staring at myFICO forums for hours on end) have the same problem?

I need help.

[Anonymous]

I don't really have any advice for you but I do wish you the best of luck.  I will keep you in my prayers and hope that you find a way to fix this situation.

((((((((((((((((  HUGS )))))))))))))))))))))))

[Scamp]

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Phoenix-rising wrote:

For the past 8 years or so, every so often (more frequently now) I've found that when I spend too much time working at my computer, I pay for it in pain.  Usually I just take some Aleve or something, but this weekend was just awful and the Aleve didn't fix it.

I'm certain it has something to do with my desk setup at home.  I don't think my office setup bothers me so much.

DH tells me I need to get up more often, but when I'm deep in the middle of something, I completely forget.  And of course, I don't want to get up because I'm "this close" to being finished.

I'm seriously thinking about trying to find a way to get my desk more user friendly.  I think I need to start with the right chair.  I looked around the internet last night (at 2AM when I couldn't sleep due to pain) and special chairs are around $1,000.  At this point I don't care what it costs, I'm tired of these flare ups or whatever you'd call them.

I haven't gone to a doctor because I don't want someone to throw a prescription at me.  I'd like to fix this problem through either some type of physical therapy or re-designing my desk area.

Do any of you have any suggestions or ideas?  Does anyone else here (after staring at myFICO forums for hours on end) have the same problem?

I need help.

---

WHERE are you hurting - just an all-over ache or specific parts of your body? 

DH is absolutely right - if necessary, set a timer or something, and get up AT LEAST once an hour (twice if you can stand to tear yourself away) and move around, stretch, flex your joints, generally get the blood moving and give your whole body a break from being stuck in that same position it's been in - do it for at least 5 minutes, preferably 10.  Not only will it reduce fatigue, it'll help ensure you don't give yourself DVT (deep-vein thrombosis, aka 'Economy Class Syndrome' - blood clot in the legs caused by sitting in the same position, not moving, for extended periods of time.  These clots can break free, travel to places like the lungs and kill you).

Let me know what, if any, specific areas hurt or hurt the most, and I can give you more ideas and suggestions (used to work for an occupational and environmental health and safety co. - ergonomics were a big deal for everyone, there).

[Anonymous]

I spend an unhealthy amount of time in from of a computer-

You need to get up and walk around on a regular basis-

You need a comfortable work area-

You don't have to spend $1k on a chair-

More important than a chair:

-Large high res monitor- using the highest res and refresh rate you can - should be viewable while keeping good postue and not straining your neck-

-Feet are flat on the floor, legs are not strained, forearms parallel to keyboard, learn keyboard short-cuts so you are not mousing as much-

Message Edited by Timothy on 08-25-2008 07:02 AM

[Phoenix-rising]

Thanks for your replies. 

scapegrace, as far as specific areas,  my neck hurts and in between my shoulders in the middle of my back hurts.

I'm at work today and I realize that my monitor here is much lower than the monitor at home.  Working at work is definitely more comfortable, even though the chair here is nothing special.  At work I'm in high heels (feet not flat).  At home I'm barefoot and my feet aren't flat on the floor.  My toes touch, but my heels can't touch.

At home my keyboard is underneath my desk and my monitor sits at least 4" higher than the keyboard.  At work my keyboard and monitor are at the same level.

I do need a new chair at home.  The one I use doesn't fit me.  It's too big.  I probably need a better resolution monitior too.

Thanks for the tips so far.  Please keep them coming.

[Phoenix-rising]

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Timothy wrote:

I spend an unhealthy amount of time in from of a computer-

You need to get up and walk around on a regular basis-

You need a comfortable work area-

You don't have to spend $1k on a chair-

More important than a chair:

-Large high res monitor- using the highest res and refresh rate you can - should be viewable while keeping good postue and not straining your neck-

-Feet are flat on the floor, legs are not strained, forearms parallel to keyboard, learn keyboard short-cuts so you are not mousing as much-

---

When I was living in Central America years ago, the PS2 connection went out on my motherboard and I was forced to learn how to do EVERYTHING without a mouse.  I don't think my PC had USB ports at the time.  When you lose your mouse, you learn those shortcuts in a hurry.  I thought I knew shortcuts until that point.  Now I know shortcuts.

[islandchild82]

My boss teaches an ergonomics class and does workspace evaluations and set-ups. Everything Timothy said sounds good. There are a ton of tips that help to break up a static environment. For example, it's recommended that the telephone on your desk be placed on your non-dominant side to prevent cradling it between your ear and shoulder. Your printer should be placed far enough away that you have to get up to retrieve documents to prevent you from constantly sitting, and your eyes should be level with the top quarter of your computer screen so that your eyes cascade downward when looking at it. Most people have their monitors too low or too high resulting in neck pain.

If your feet aren't touching the floor at home, you can always place your feet on a ream of paper until you get a better chair. Same goes for your monitor: if it's too low, place a ream of paper underneath it to see if it's at the right level. You can always remove some paper until it's right. Additionally, make sure your wrists do not rest on the desk; they should be held up. I can't get used to that myself, lol.

Anyway, that is all off the top of my head. Hope that helps. There is a ton more I can look up at work if you need it!

[haulingthescoreup]

I have a $1K Aeron chair at work after winding up in the ER a couple of times with a slipped sacro-iliac joint, but I have a decent fake at home that I got at Office Depot for a couple hundred dollars. I wouldn't have spent that much, except that I work a second job at home, and I don't want to do the ER thing again.

Sure, it's not an Aeron, but I've had it nearly a year, and it gets the job done.

[MattH]

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@Phoenix-rising wrote:

For the past 8 years or so, every so often (more frequently now) I've found that when I spend too much time working at my computer, I pay for it in pain. Usually I just take some Aleve or something, but this weekend was just awful and the Aleve didn't fix it.

I'm certain it has something to do with my desk setup at home. I don't think my office setup bothers me so much.

DH tells me I need to get up more often, but when I'm deep in the middle of something, I completely forget. And of course, I don't want to get up because I'm "this close" to being finished.

I'm seriously thinking about trying to find a way to get my desk more user friendly. I think I need to start with the right chair. I looked around the internet last night (at 2AM when I couldn't sleep due to pain) and special chairs are around $1,000. At this point I don't care what it costs, I'm tired of these flare ups or whatever you'd call them.

I haven't gone to a doctor because I don't want someone to throw a prescription at me. I'd like to fix this problem through either some type of physical therapy or re-designing my desk area.

Do any of you have any suggestions or ideas? Does anyone else here (after staring at myFICO forums for hours on end) have the same problem?

I need help.

---

Others have made useful suggestions, which I recommend you try. Are you talking about a computer in your residence, a computer in an office owned by an employer, or both? If you work in an office of a large organization, chances are they have somebody whose job is ergonomic consulting. A couple years ago I was having some problems, so I called my company's Employee Health department. The ergonomics specialist told me I needed a different style of keyboard tray, so he advised my boss to order a new one for me. Then after my new tray arrived, the ergonomics consultant helped me adjust it properly. Within a few weeks, the pain was almost completely gone.

[Phoenix-rising]

On the way home from work I met DH at Office Depot and we looked at the chairs they had to offer. 

At first I was leaning toward this one: http://www.officedepot.com/catalog/txtSearchDD.do;jsessionid=0000ve7gx6_BpP4DeethV0POOVN:13ddq0sic?j...

But I ended up buying this one:

http://www.officedepot.com/catalog/txtSearchDD.do?jopa=ve7gx6_BpP4DeethV0POOVN&norefinement=true&sea...

Now I'm not so sure I made the right choice because the lumbar piece in the back is uncomfortable for me.  Perhaps I just need to adjust it better or get used to it.  The jury is still out on this one.

The pain in my neck and shoulder area is gone now. It finally quit hurting by the time I left work today.

However, that pain has been replaced with pain in the area where the lumbar support is. 

Message Edited by Phoenix-rising on 08-25-2008 07:43 PM