Do you suffer from headaches at work? Are you sitting in front of a computer monitor all day long? This may be the cause. Headaches can be brought on by many different factors such as diet, hydration, and stress, but are often due to visual strain. Our helpful guide provides cost effective solutions for reducing visual strain and headaches at work.
Download the full e-book for more cost effective ergonomic solutions.
In one of our earlier blog posts for “Workplace Wednesday”, we introduced the concept of ergonomics. Ergonomics addresses well-being and performance in relation to one’s job, equipment, tools and environment, with an overall goal to improve health, safety and efficiency of the worker and workplace. While the concept of ergonomics is no longer new, it involves much more than making sure your office chair is of the latest style. Due to the many different components involved in utilizing ergonomics to promote wellness and safety at work, some find it overwhelming and don’t know where to start. We’ve combined some of the most important and effective ergonomic tips together to make a quick reference guide for those looking for a starting point or those looking to brush up on their current strategies.
1. Take frequent breaks: We’ve said it before and we will say it again. Regardless of the job and job demands, humans were not meant to remain in static positions for long periods of time. Taking regular, brief breaks throughout the day allows us to avoid maintaining static positions, awkward postures and repetitive motions that lead to injuries. It is also important in terms of our cognition as this allows us to recharge and refocus to maintain productivity. Consider taking a 2-3 minute break for every 30 minutes of work.
2. Follow the rule of 90s: For those who are required to maintain sitting positions for long periods of time at their workstation, the rule of 90 degrees should be followed. This means that while sitting at a desk, a person’s knees, hips and elbows should each be resting at 90 degrees. This angle falls in line with our natural body proportions and biomechanics, and helps support proper posture and body positioning.
3. Seating matters: In a similar manner, seating is a key component when looking to support ergonomics. Chair height should be adjustable such that the back is firmly supported, thighs remain parallel to the floor and the feet are able to rest flat on the floor or a foot rest. The chair itself should have a sturdy support base and wheels, to allow easy mobility over flooring as well as the ability to swivel 360 degrees to avoid twisting, reaching and bending to access other items around the workstation. The more adjustable the chair the more you can fit it to YOU.
4. Change positions regularly: Just as with taking frequent breaks, regular position changes are important to avoid injuries. Whether it be taking a break to walk to the filing cabinet, or standing while having a phone conversation, make sure that regular changes in body position occur over the course of the day. Some companies are moving towards installing mobile workstations, which can be transferred from sitting to standing height to allow employees to alternate between periods of sitting and standing to complete work tasks, making regular position changes a habit is an effective and free way to avoid injury.
5. Inspect your screen: Many jobs today require long periods of screen time. If this is the case for your workstation, make sure that there is an arm’s length distance between your eyes and the screen. Also make sure that the top of the monitor or screen is level with your forehead. This allows for the head and neck to remain in a neutral position by avoiding continued periods of looking up or down. If a job requires frequent paper reading or phone use alongside computer use, consider a document holder or headset.
6. Keep tools and frequently used items close to your body: Whether it be having your chair tucked in close to your desk, or the location of your keyboard and other frequently used items like the mouse and telephone, ensure that these items remain close to the body. This allows you to avoid reaching, twisting at the trunk or adopting other awkward postures to obtain and use these items.
7. Stretch: This tip goes hand in hand with the use of regular breaks and position changes. Engaging in gentle stretching on a regular basis over the course of the day can address body stiffness and muscle tension in areas like the neck, shoulders and back. It also serves as a preventative strategy to keep the body moving and avoid injury before it happens. Grab a list of some simple stretches for your neck, shoulders, wrists and back and do these a few times a day.
8. Keep wrists neutral: Whether it be for keyboarding, use of a mouse or desk work, it is important that wrists are maintained in a neutral posture. This avoids potential for overuse and injury due to fixed postures of flexion. Try altering positions or using equipment such as a wrist rest to support the forearms.
9. Lighting matters: Improper lighting at a workstation can lead to glare, visual strain, headaches and reduced concentration. Make sure that lighting is neither too bright nor too low and that the location and angle is appropriate for the specific work task.
10. Ask for help: These tips are basic in nature and are meant to serve as general information. However, if you have more specific questions related to implementing ergonomics in your workplace, for a specific job or employee, seek the services of an Occupational Therapist. An OT can provide more thorough assessments and recommendations to maximize safety, health and efficiency at work.
Keep these principles in mind anytime you are in a static posture and are using a computer or workstation. Prevention is always the best medicine to avoiding injury and lost work time that can be so disruptive for you and your employer.
Check out our free e-book “Cost Effective Ergonomics Solutions” for more ergonomic solutions.
One of the main reasons that parents seek Occupational Therapy services for their children arises from problems with printing and writing. Many of the solutions we provide focus on the task of handwriting itself, however, the appropriate environment and posture of the child can make a big difference.
The following article by Katherine Collmer of Handwriting with Katherine discusses seating and posture tips to help your child excel at handwriting.
Handwriting with Katherine: 5 Reasons Why Handwriting Needs a Good Seat
We also invite you to view our Occupational Therapy Video (OT-V) episode: Solutions For Printing Success for more handwriting strategies.
Julie Entwistle, MBA, BHSc (OT), BSc (Health / Gerontology)
Wrist injuries and corresponding pain are common work-related musculoskeletal disorders that can have detrimental consequences. Repetitive hand movements completed on the job is often a key culprit, however, improper positioning of the wrists, forearm and shoulder can also be a factor. Keyboarding, use of a mouse and extended periods of sitting at a computer in one position can lead to symptoms like wrist and forearm pain, weakness, numbness or tingling in the fingers and in some cases, development of cysts or nodules around the wrist joint and tendons.
Injuries to the wrist are particularly troublesome as we heavily require use of our hands throughout the work day. Barr, Barbe and Clark (2004) reported that work-related musculoskeletal disorders of the wrist and hand cause the longest absences from work and as such, are associated with greater losses in productivity and wages than injuries in other body areas. This research was also supported by a more recent study, which found that lost productivity costs related to hand and wrist injuries was roughly $411 million dollars per year and this was the highest among any other injury type studied (de Putter, Selles, Polinder et al., 2012). There are some strategies that can be used to prevent and address wrist pain, but it is essential to keep in mind that as with any other potential for injury at work, the worker, work station and job demands must all be considered. Some great strategies to address wrist pain at work include:
Many other great solutions to address wrist pain at work can be recommended by an Occupational Therapist, with solutions ranging from low to high cost. For more information, check out Entwistle Power’s free Office Ergonomic E-Book or contact an Occupational Therapist to help meet the ergonomic needs of your organization.
Resources
Barr, A., Barbe, M. & Clark, B. (2004). Work-related musculoskeletal disorders of the hand and wrist: epidemiology, pathophysiology and sensorimotor changes. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. Oct 2004, 34 (10), 610-627.
de Putter, C., Selles, R., Polinder, S., Panneman, M., Hovius, S. & van Beeck, E. (2012). Economic impact of hand and wrist injuries: health-care costs and productivity costs in a population-based study. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2012, 94:e56 (1-7).
http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/office/mouse/mouse_problems.html
Guest Blogger: Samantha Langan, MSc. OT, Occupational Therapist
In 2010, back pain was found to be the single leading cause of disability world-wide according to the Global Burden of Disease. It has been estimated that 186 million work days are lost each year to back pain alone which greatly impacts workplace productivity and costs. The Mayo Clinic has found that a number of factors can contribute to back pain and back injuries at work. The four most common factors include:
1. Force: Job demands that require lifting or moving heavy objects exerts force on our back which can lead to injury.
2. Repetition: Repetitive movements leads to muscle fatigue and in turn can lead to injury, particularly if these movements involve stretching our back near the limits of our range of motion or using awkward body positions.
3. Posture: Posture is a critical component in preventing fatigue and injury. Slouching or sitting in awkward positions alters the natural curves in our back, increasing fatigue and can lead to pain and injury.
4. Stress: While we often think of the negative impacts stress can have on our mental well-being, it also impacts our physical well-being. High levels of pressure at work or increased stress leads to muscle tension and tightness, which can contribute to or worsen back pain.
If back pain is something you or someone in your workplace experience, there are some strategies you can use to help minimize existing problems and even prevent issues before they arise:
· Ensure that your feet are flat on the floor, as this helps stabilize our pelvis and lower back
· If you have an adjustable chair, alter the settings so that your lower back has increased support
· Get a colleague to take a photo of you sitting at your desk or workstation and examine your posture. Can this be adjusted?
· Take regular breaks to stretch, stand up and walk around the office to complete other tasks
For more information, take a look at our FREE downloadable resource on office ergonomics and stay tuned for more Workplace Wednesday blog postings highlighting stretches and exercises to help address common work-related concerns such as back pain.
Resources
http://www.inthefaceofpain.com/content/uploads/2011/09/factsheet_Workplace.pdf
Neck and back pain are common complaints for people that are sitting to work all day, or who lift heavier things repetitively as part of their job. While these certainly are common injuries with detrimental consequences, eye strain and headaches is another common complaint. In fact, the American Optometric Association has found that eye strain impacts nearly 70% of working Americans. The amount of time the collective workforce spends looking at computer screens each day has increased exponentially in recent years. Not only does eye strain (also known as visual strain) lead to headaches, it can also contribute to neck, upper back, and shoulder stiffness and pain, all of which can impact our efficiency and productivity on the job.
Common symptoms associated with visual strain include burning and stinging sensations, redness or “tired” eyes, headaches, blurry vision, difficulty focusing as well as neck and shoulder pain. Eye strain has been found to be related to certain factors in the work place such as:
· poor lighting in the work space,
· glare from computer screens and/or nearby lights,
· maintaining a fixed or close visual distance from screens for extended periods
of time
· unsuitable work stations
· declining vision or inadequate prescription strength not yet diagnosed
Using task analysis skills and closely examining the fit between the worker, job, and unique work environment, occupational therapists can play a key role in addressing visual strain and headaches at work. Here are some great low cost solutions that you can try:
· Change the lighting at your work station, ensuring it is not too bright or dim
· Alter the contrast of your computer monitor
· Increase font size to reduce the need to squint
· If you find office lighting too bright but are unable to alter it, wear sunglasses
· Remove overhead florescent bulbs and replace with desk lamps
· Purchase an anti-glare screen or monitor cover
· Purchase light-reducing window dressings
· Use a larger monitor to increase options for size and document configuration
· Consult with an optometrist to see if your vision is changing as you age and to ensure your prescription (if you have one) is suitable for your work environment.
For more information see Entwistle Power’s FREE DOWNLOADABLE office ergonomics e-book or contact an Occupational Therapist for more information.
In one of the previous blogs we spoke about how to conquer “sitting disease” since so many people are required to sit for long periods for part of their job. Today we want to talk about something related:
Sloppy shoulders – are you guilty? Take a second to freeze at your desk and notice how your body is positioned. If you are like most people, your shoulders are slumped or rounded and you are bending over your desk. Many people’s work stations consist of their computer or laptop, keyboards, phone and mobile devices, requiring them to switch back and forth between devices while still spending extended periods of time in a seated, slumped position.
Being in this position for an extended period causes strain to the upper body, particularly the shoulders and upper back. At first, you may feel achy or tired in these areas, but this goes away at night or during days off work so it doesn’t impact your work performance. However, over time you may start to notice that your aches and pains begin earlier in the day, your muscles feel tight, and this starts to hamper you even when you aren’t at work. This impacts your productivity, quality of life and can lead to more serious and long-lasting injuries.
Here are some great tips to help address these issues before they start to impact your daily function, or if they do exist, to stop them from worsening:
• Lower your keyboard so your shoulders are not elevated when typing.
• Adjust your posture so you are sitting up straight in your chair, with your shoulders pulled away from your ears and your feet are flat on the floor with your knees directly over them.
• Alter your position so that you are not reaching forward to your keyboard or mouse.
• Adjust your chair so that your arms reach your desk at a 90 degree angle.
• Take regular breaks to stretch or stand up to relieve tension in your upper body.
• Stick out your chest to bring your shoulders back and down. Do this several times per day and hold this position.
Want more strategies to address pain at work? Check out our free e-book “Cost Effective Ergonomic Solutions” to learn additional strategies for addressing shoulder and upper back pain, among others, while you are sitting at your desk.
Humans are not made for immobility. Even if you take a healthy joint and put it in a cast for even a few days, when you remove this the movement of the joint will be decreased, pain will appear, and muscles that surround the joint will have started to atrophy. So, how does this translate to jobs that require us to sit all day, being immobile at a computer, in a car, or at a desk?
In the world of rehabilitation we find that insurers assume that “sedentary jobs” are “easy” on people because of the low physical demands required of these positions. While sometimes this can be true, research is starting to highlight that “sedentary” is still not “healthy”. In fact, while it may seem harmless to complete your job duties in a sitting position for 8 hours or more per day, this can actually set the stage for injuries to develop slowly over time. Some of the most common work related factors that lead to the development of injuries include fixed and constrained postures that are awkward and maintained for too long, repetitive movements, and a high pace of work.
So what can be done? One of the most effective way to address injuries in the workplace is to employ workplace ergonomics. While a popular buzzword in the fields of health and safety, it begs the question, what really is ergonomics?
The term ergonomics is derived from the Greek word ergos, meaning “work” and nomos, meaning “laws”- hence the Laws for Work. The idea behind ergonomics is that each worker brings a unique set of skills, patterns of performing the job, and individual factors to the workplace. Many times offices and work environments are designed with space, budgets and esthetics in mind, but less so for the people who will actually be using the work setting to be productive. This often leads to injury, higher employment costs, and inefficiency.
Ergonomics addresses well-being and performance in relation to one’s job, equipment, tools and environment, with an overall goal to improve health, safety and efficiency of the worker and workplace.
The principles of ergonomics help address a variety of work-related issues. Common issues include workplace and work process design, work-related stress, disabled and aging workforces, tool and equipment design, architectural design and accessibility. The great thing about ergonomic intervention is that it can be applied proactively, preventing problems before they occur, or reactively, adjusting the worker-job-context “fit” when problems do occur. Employing ergonomics involves finding a way to match individual employees’ strengths and limitations with the context of activity demands to improve both worker safety and workplace productivity.
Occupational therapist’s holistic vision and training in finding “fit” between people, environments and “occupations” makes us optimal professionals to assess and treat ergonomic issues. An occupational therapist can help minimize risk and maximize worker safety, productivity and efficiency.
We invite you to download our free E-book: “Cost Effective Ergonomics Solutions” to learn more.
Stay tuned to our Workplace Wednesday blog series for some great tips and strategies to address common workplace complaints using principles of ergonomics and our unique viewpoint on occupation.
Resources
Haruko Ha, D., Page, J.J., Wietlisbach, C.M. (2013) Work Evaluations and Work Programs, in Pedretti’s Occupational Therapy Practice Skills for Physical Dysfunction
Canada’s National Centre for Occupational Health and Safety: http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/office/risk_factors.html
Recently on our blog we provided you with some insights on “sitting disease.” There is an increasing concern over the health problems that can be caused by our sedentary work lives including increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity and the development of musculoskeletal problems. It`s estimated by Statistics Canada that the average Canadian spends approximately 50 to 70 percent of their daily lives sitting and another 30 percent sleeping. With numbers like this it`s no wonder there is a concern!
In the past, many companies have been proactive in their approach to assist employees who experience issues caused by prolonged sitting. However, studies show that being proactive can go a long way to improve the health and happiness of employees, reduce both absenteeism and presenteeism, and related costs. The following from Medical Xpress discusses how a proactive approach can increase job satisfaction, reduce costs related to absenteeism and health care, and help companies to retain talent long term.
Medical Xpress: Proactive office ergonomics can increase job satisfaction and employee retention
The negative health effects of sitting for extended periods of time, coined as “sitting disease” has been a hot topic recently. Studies show that sitting for extended periods of time, as many of us do at work, while commuting, and even while watching television or reading, can lead to increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and a decreased lifespan. But while we need to work, commute, and enjoy our down time, how do we combat these negative effects? Here are our top 5 tips to conquer sitting disease:
1. Take Regular Breaks: Taking a regular break can help boost productivity, reduce stress and benefit your physical health. Once an hour make sure you stand up, walk around the office, stretch or do some simple exercises like squats or lunges.
2. Stand While You Work: Standing workstations are becoming an increasingly popular choice in offices across the globe. These workstations allow you to adjust your desk from sitting to standing so you can have both options during the day.
3. Switch Your Seat: If you must sit while working, think about changing your seating options! From exercise ball chairs to desks with pedals, there are many options to help you increase your health while sitting.
4. Perfect Your Posture: While you are seated ensure you are not slouching, leaning or bending over to access your workspace. Sitting up straight and ensuring proper posture will go a long way for your physical health!
5. Make it a Mobile Meeting: If you’re meeting with a colleague see if you can have your meeting on the go. Take a walk around the block while you discuss or walk to your favourite coffee shop where you can continue your discussions there.
Check out the following article from The Guardian for more information on “Sitting Disease” and be sure to speak with your employer or an occupational therapist about ways your workspace can be accommodated.