Ergonomics for Desk Workers

Whether you are doing it all yourself in your home office or are working in a supportive organization with on-site ergonomics experts, you can improve your work set-up with ergonomics knowledge and self-assessments. The articles listed below can help you get started.

You can find certified ergonomics experts at sites like BCPE.

Stand-Up Desk Options

August 23, 2011

It is now well established that sitting is bad for you. Fortunately, you have plenty of options for a standing desk. Stand-Up Desk Styles Stand-Up Workstation Probably the most functional standing option. Most stand-up workstations offer adjustable work surface height, pull-out keyboard tray, and other amenities. Fixed-Height Stand-up Workstation Sturdy, fixed-height standing workstation. Stand-Up Desk [...]

Read the full article →

Gmail Motion – A New Way to Communicate

April 1, 2011

I love this new feature from Google. Gmail Motion lets you interact with your e-mail with gestures and movements instead of your old-fashioned keyboard. The mouse and keyboard were invented before the Internet even existed. Since then, countless technological advancements have allowed for much more efficient human computer interaction. Why then do we continue to [...]

Read the full article →

Laptop Ergonomics

March 19, 2009

Laptop computers have now replaced desktop computers as many office worker’s main computer. This presents a challenging ergonomics problem. Since the laptop keyboard, pointing device, and screen are connected as a single unit it is impossible to have both a relaxed shoulder/arm/wrist position and a level neck and head posture. If you raise the laptop [...]

Read the full article →

Active Sitting with an Exercise Ball

November 12, 2008

We are sitting more now than at any point in history. We used to work on farms and in factories. We used to hand-craft barrels or hammer out horse shoes or weave rugs. Now most of us are office workers, sitting on our keisters all day. Using “active sitting” part of each day puts your [...]

Read the full article →

Try a Stand-Up Desk at Work

November 11, 2008

“If sitting is to blame, standing is going to be the solution,” says Dr. James Levine, champion of the treadmill desk, which he has tirelessly promoted for the past several years. There is no champion for the stand-up desk as there is for the treadmill desk, so I will rise and salute this wonderful innovation. [...]

Read the full article →

Avoid Wrist Problems with Good Keyboard Ergonomics

October 28, 2008

After a long day of computing, you’re likely to experience hand, wrist, and forearm pain. An ergonomic keyboard set-up and other measures can help you stay pain-free at your computer. Keep your desk or workstation neat and uncluttered so that you can easily put your keyboard in an ideal position. Position your chair and work [...]

Read the full article →

Don’t Reach for Your Mouse

September 19, 2008

Avast ye, matey! Don’t reach for that mouse, ye scurvy office rat. Sorry, it’s Talk Like a Pirate Day, and we observe that holiday here. Anyhow, a common complaint among my massage clients is persistent pain across the top of their mouse-side shoulder (I call this condition “mouse shoulder”). When I ask them to show [...]

Read the full article →

Growth of PDA-Related Injuries a Concern

January 1, 2007

USA Today, 11/10/06 – This news story covers the legal issues that arise when PDA overuse leads to conditions like “Blackberry Thumb” and raises issues of overtime pay. The story reports that “Thumb injuries related to BlackBerrys, Treos and Sidekicks are occurring in part because employees who rely on the technology also use them extensively [...]

Read the full article →