October/November 1996

Ergonomics in the Workplace
By Tami Anastasia

The growing use of personal computers is drawing attention to ailments caused by office environments not designed for workers' physical needs. When ergonomics are considered, productivity and good health are assured. When they're not, both mind and body are strained on a daily basis.

Hours at the keyboard can cause wrist and hand pain, leading to potentially debilitating carpal tunnel syn-drome or other cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs). Stress, working without breaks, and poor placement of documents, computer monitors, and telephones account for most neck and shoulder pain. Sitting too long encourages slumping, which leads to fatigue and stiffness. Squeezing the telephone between your head and shoulder compresses the joints between cervical vertebrae and can damage nerves.

Invest in a Good Chair
Equipment properly tailored to your body and its natural motion can decrease physical stress and boost productivity. According to Colorado-based physical therapist, Sandra Raskin, the principal components of an ergonomically sound office are:

• A well designed chair
• A desk and computer adjusted to individual height requirements
• Good posture
• Exercises to relieve muscle stress

"Your chair is the most crucial element because it provides support for your body. It's your best defense against aches and pains in your neck, back, and shoulders," asserts Raskin. A chair should adjust easily when you're seated and support the small of your back. Your feet should reach the floor or a footrest. The desk should be at the appropriate height--about waist level--to prevent lifting or hunching your shoulders, which can strain muscles.

Arrange everything on your desk within arm's reach. Your computer should have a height-adjustable base and sliding keyboard platform that is easy to customize to your body. Position the monitor an arm's length away. The top of the screen should be level with your eyes when you look straight ahead. If the screen is higher or lower, tension can build up in your neck.

Monitors are to blame for eyestrain and headaches. To reduce eyestrain, dim overhead lights, turn down the brightness, and turn up the contrast so the screen is easy to read. You can also attach a glare screen to the monitor.

Telephones are also culprits in causing neck and shoulder pain. A speaker phone, a shoulder cradle, or a headset are essential for good health and to free your hands for other tasks.

Wrist extension--bending the wrist back toward your body--often occurs when you rest your wrists or palms on the desk while typing. Tilting your keyboard too much also makes you bend your wrist back as you type. Wrist rests are recommended to prevent your wrists from falling below the level of the keys. It helps to adjust the height of your keyboard so your elbows form a comfortable 90 degree angle and your wrists are lined up with your hands.

Remember to Take Breaks
Even with an ergonomic office, you still need breaks. According to Rani Lueder, ergonomics consultant at Humanics in Tarzana, California, "sitting increases stress on the back, and the people who are most likely to have back problems are the ones who move the least. Movement is one of the most important things you can do to relieve the buildup of stress in your body."

• Get out of your chair regularly.
• Fidget, squirm, and wiggle. "These movements are your body's way of relieving pressure in your muscle groups," said Dennis McIntosh, executive director of the Center for Office Technology in Rosslyn, Virginia.
• Take micro breaks along with major breaks. Take your hands off the keyboard, put your pen down, stand up, move around. Focus across the room instead of on your monitor. Then, after a few seconds, go back to work.
• Take a break before you become uncomfortable. Take 10 minute breaks in the morning and afternoon and a short break every hour. Try to relax for a few seconds every 10 minutes.
• Combat stress with stress-reducers like meditation or exercise.
• Do gentle desk exercises to promote flexibility: neck rolls, shoulder shrugs, ankle and wrist rotations.

Become aware of muscle tension. Improving the physical environment of your office, taking regular breaks, and exercising away from the office will result in better health, greater productivity at work, fewer sick days and medical claims, and a clear mind.

Tami Anastasia, owner of TAMS, has a Master's Degree in Counseling and 16-plus years' experience in the fitness industry. She is a personal health and fitness counselor, a speaker on the psychology of healthy living, and author of a forthcoming book.