A hundred years ago, the most common workplace injuries happened while pitching hay, plowing fields, and tending to farm animals. But today, our workplace injuries are most likely due to poor posture while sitting at our computers.
How many hours a day do you sit at your workstation? Six? Eight or more? Maybe a better question to ask is, are you sitting with the proper posture? In the workplace, we spend more hours sitting than moving around. You might be experiencing symptoms like:
- Pain in the fingers, wrists, or other parts of the body: may include a dull aching pain, a sharp stabbing pain, or even a burning sensation
- Tingling or numbness, particularly in the hands or fingers
- Swelling, inflammation, or joint stiffness
- Loss of muscle function or weakness
- Discomfort or pain in the shoulders, neck, or upper or lower back
- Extremities turning white or feeling unusually cold
- General feeling of muscle tightness, cramping, or discomfort
- Clumsiness or loss of coordination
- Range of motion loss
- Discomfort when making certain movements
(Source: Ergonomic Signs and Symptoms) If you recognize yourself experiencing any of the symptoms above, you may want to revisit your workstation and adjust it to make it safer for your body.
Here are 7 tips on how to improve your workstation ergonomics:
Take a peek at this YouTube video for a general overview of workplace ergonomics (by Mayo Clinic) and for tips on how to adjust your current workstation.