Home Office Ergonomics
Peter Schulz
I’ve been asked a lot of questions recently about how to ideally set up a home office with correct ergonomics. Since working from home is a new thing for a lot of people, I’ve heard stories about all sorts of different positions and places people are working. If you are going to be working from home for the foreseeable future, it’s important to set things up correctly so you can avoid a repetitive strain injury or other problems that can occur from holding improper positions all day.
There are a few keys to ergonomics, and most of them concern positioning body parts in a neutral, non-straining position. First, start with the chair you sit in. It should have lumbar spine support and your feet should be able to reach the floor comfortably. Ideally your knees would be 2-3 inches below the level of your hips. If your feet don’t reach the floor, you may need a solid foot rest. Next, if you are working on a laptop, you might want to consider purchasing an external keyboard, mouse, and monitor (with a separate keyboard and mouse, you may be able to prop the laptop screen up high enough and not need a monitor). The best position is keeping your elbows within touching distance of your sides and the hands/wrists the same level or slightly lower than your elbows. Lastly, position the screen you are working on at eye level (the top of the screen should be 2 inches above your eyes). The distance between you and the screen depends on how far away it can be and you can still comfortably read it.
If you have any questions or want to talk further about home office ergonomics, feel free to reach out or sign up for a telemedicine visit at https://www.nmachiro.com/telemedicine which would allow me to see your situation and help you work through it.