Ergonomic sitting for work from home

In my clinical practice I usually get a few techies regularly with aches and pains because of poor ergonomics during work from home. In the present situation with Corona virtually anyone who works on a computer is working from home. As the number of workers and the number of days at home increases probably more people will be affected by similar issues. This post brings a few pointers related to WFH that should help you to work with less strain on your body.

Problems of work from home

Before the Corona outbreak many of us used to view work from home as a privilege for a select few. However work from home has its own set of challenges. The primary problem of WFH is related to poor ergonomics. Most offices have ergonomically designed workstations whereas at home we often don’t have similar facilities leading to strain and overloading of bones muscles and joints.

Setting up a workstation at home

An ergonomic home office needn’t cost an arm and a leg

While companies spend lots of money for providing ergonomic work environment you can set up a reasonably good home work station with a few simple guidelines. Look at the adjoining picture for the basic details.

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Obviously a standard computer table is the ideal solution for home office. Dining table works fine too, as long as the body is maintained in alignment. I see many people use laptop out of bed or while sitting on sofa. Sometimes the coffee table is used to keep the laptop. All these can increase the stresses on the neck significantly.

Slouch sitting is the number one cause of posture related back pain. Elevating the laptop height can help align the spine and lessen the stress to a large extent.

An easy solution would be to use a small table or stool to elevate the laptop.

Keep things handy

Keep the essential items that you use in your office regularly within arm’s reach. this probably includes stationeries, mobile chargers among other items. Also keep a bottle of water close by. It is important to keep you hydrated at frequent intervals to keep your muscles healthy, more so when you are not working from your usual comfortable environment. Additionally the ambient lighting and reduced noise in the environment go a long way in reducing stress and improves concentration.

Common posture issues and solutions

Most of my patients who work with laptops for an extended period of time suffer from neck or upper back pain. The other group of people who turn up regularly in our HSR Layout clinic suffers from low back pain. Although other conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome or tennis elbow are also prevalent but they are not as commonplace.

Exercises to prevent neck pain:

Chin Tucks

Chin Tucks are the best for maintaining neck health

Chin tucks are wonderful for maintaining the health of the cervical spine. Keep the movement horizontal. If you are doing chin tucks for the first time you may feel uncomfortable. If that is the case do chin tucks lying in bed. Considering your working from home access to a bed should be such a big problem.

The back pocket stretch

In standing straight touch your left hand to the right back pocket. Now tilt your head towards the right side until you feel a comfortable stretch on the left side of the neck. You can use the right hand to pull the head further however be careful as this produces a stretch which is much stronger. Hold it for 10 to 15 seconds.

Repeat the stretch for the other side too. It is no abnormal to have a different range of motions on two sides. Do not stretch so hard that it produces pain.

Exercises to prevent back pain

Slouch and over correct

Slouch and overcorrect

This exercise was devised by Robin McKenzie of New Zealand, a legend in the field of back pain management. This exercise aims to maintain spinal mobility and prevent dehydration of the inter vertebral disc ( same disc is involved in slip disc).

Extension in standing

Extension in standing

With your feet shoulder breadth apart. Keep your hands in the belt line and bend backwards pushing your abdomen forward. Common mistakes include bending from the knee bending the head backward not bending the back enough.

Either of the extension in standing or slouch- over correct needs to be done 10 times every 2 hours.

Why is it important to maintain a Straight spine?

Head, shoulder and hip should be in a straight line

When the body is straight the body weight is balanced evenly and the load on the muscles is minimum. On the other hand a poor posture strains the muscles. The common slouch sitting posture (or a forward neck posture) puts lot of weight in the front so the balancing needs a great deal of extra muscle action. For example if the head is forward by 2 inches the neck muscles need to put an extra effort of a 8-9 kgs. Ideally a good sitting posture should have the ear, shoulder and hip in a straight line. Checkout this post by Dr Sonal Mathur to get more insights on importance of upright posture.

Use of a lumbar roll

A humble lumbar roll goes a long way in maintaining good posture

It takes a lot of muscle effort to sit straight for a prolonged period. The use of a towel roll can make it easier. A simple bath towel rolled and fixed using tape or rubber band can be put in the Hollow of the back (Just above the waist line) to maintain correct position. Ready made lumbar rolls are also available in the market.

Other challenges

The present lockdown due to Corona outbreak has already lasted more than a week. A prolonged work from home schedule like this is likely to bring myriads of other challenges. Lack of mobility leading to stiffness, absence of sun exposure leading to vitamin D deficiency etc are to name a few. A combination of healthy diet, a regular time table and some indoor physical activity are some of the strategies to counter them. If you have any other queries related to posture or ergonomics feel free to ask in the comments section.

About the author

Dr Subhanjan Das (PT)

BPT, MPT (MSk & Sports), CMP(NZ), Diploma in football medicine (FIFA)

Consultant Physiotherapist of Apollo & Reliva Clinic, HSR Layout, Bangalore

Contact: +91 8967549104

Dr. Subhanjan Das (PT) has over 14 years of clinical and 12 years of academic experience. A friendly professional with lots of patience and skillful hands, Dr. Subhanjan has worked with thousands of his patients for instant relief of pain and rapid return to activities. He has treated elite athletes for recovery, injury prevention and performance enhancement.

Dr Das is specialized in Orthopaedic and sports physiotherapy and has kept himself updated with the latest advancements in the field of physiotherapy. He has undergone training on advanced orthopedic techniques such as Dry Needling, Mulligan Concept, McKenzie method, Pilates, Cupping therapy, McConnel and Kinesio taping from the best faculties around the world.

Dr Das has taught in 5 universities across India and has trained physiotherapists in 50+ workshops within and outside India.