Ergonomics

Office Chair: Choosing the Right Ergonomic Office Chair

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:01:29 -0800

Additional Office Chair Advice

Ben Parr — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 11:44:21 -0800

No matter how comfortable you are in your office chair, prolonged static posture is not good for your back and is a common contributor to back problems and muscle strain. Try to remember to stand, stretch and walk for at least a minute or two every half hour. Even a quick stretch or some minimal movement – such as walking to the water cooler or bathroom – will help.

Identifying Incorrect Posture

Ben Parr — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 11:06:36 -0800

The first step in improving posture is to identify what needs improvement by examining one’s own posture throughout the day, such as sitting in an office chair, carrying objects, or standing in line. At regular intervals during the day, take a moment to make a mental note of posture and back support. This should be done through the normal course of a day to best identify which times and positions tend to result in poor posture. Some people find it easier to ask someone else to observe their posture and make comments or suggestions.

Make Your Back Comfortable

Ellen — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 14:33:58 -0700

Dear Spine-Health Member,

When you're suffering from chronic back pain or neck pain, your daily routine can get very complex—doctor appointments, insurance paperwork, time off work, treatment regimens to follow, etc. While these are obviously very important in managing your pain and recovery process, it will also help to remember the simple things you can do (or stop doing) on a daily basis to help your condition.

Good Posture Isn't Just Cosmetic

Ellen — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 10:22:19 -0700

Sure, it goes without saying that good posture--head up, shoulders back, rear tucked under--looks great. But good posture also plays a key role in spine health, helping to prevent additional back and neck pain and even injuries to spinal structures. All patients with spine conditions should be aware of their posture and make good posture part of their normal routine. This newsletter discusses ways to incorporate posture guidelines into your day.

Workplace Injuries and Ergonomics Article Index

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:01:31 -0800

In-depth articles on preventing workplace injuries with proper lifting technique, workplace ergonomics and ergonomic office chairs for good posture and back support

Traveling Doesn't Have to Be a Pain in the Neck! - Patients' Advice

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:01:30 -0800

Great travel tips for back pain - from experience

When I travel I freeze (2) 16oz. plastic water bottles and keep in cool/insulated portable lunch containers. You can still do this for trains and automobile travel but not for planes (I found out when I traveled in 2006) with the airlines new carry-on- liquid-limitations. When needed for pain relief, wrap with paper towels and use as ice packs (20 min max every hr).
read more

Office Chair: How to Reduce Back Pain?

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:01:30 -0800

Manual Material Handling to Prevent Back Injury

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:01:30 -0800

Any job that involves heavy labor or manual material handling may be in a high-risk category. Manual material handling entails lifting, but also usually includes climbing, pushing, pulling and pivoting, all of which pose the risk of injury to the back.

Back Pain and Ergonomics

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:01:30 -0800

John Triano, DC

Important Back Care Reminders

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:01:30 -0800

As you probably already know, the causes and treatment options for back pain are remarkably complicated - with this newsletter we hope to make it easy for you to stay informed and up to date on different types of effective back care.

Work Ergonomics: Minimize Back Injuries

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:01:30 -0800

Prevent back injury

There are certain basic ergonomic guidelines that may help an employee avoid back pain or back injury:

Ten Tips for Improving Posture and Ergonomics

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:01:30 -0800

More Ergonomics Info

Practical Tips for Back Pain Relief

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:01:30 -0800

There are a number of back pain relief remedies that are for the most part under your control. And sometimes, it’s nice to know some options that you can easily incorporate into your daily routine to help manage your pain. This newsletter provides a number of relatively simple back pain relief tips.

Ergonomics of the Workplace: Overview

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:01:30 -0800

Back injuries at work

Back pain is one of the most common work-related injuries and is often caused by ordinary work activities such as sitting in an office chair or heavy lifting. Applying ergonomic principles - the study of the workplace as it relates to the worker - can help prevent work-related back pain and back injury and help maintain a healthy back.

Pain-Free Travel Tips

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:01:30 -0800

For many people with back pain or neck pain, the prospect of a long trip can be daunting. The seats in cars, airplanes, buses, and trains aren’t always the most comfortable and sitting still for an extended time can in and of itself aggravate painful areas in the back and neck. The following tips are offered to help reduce or avoid overall back pain and discomfort while traveling.

Office Chair, Posture and Driving Ergonomics

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:01:30 -0800

Posture for standing, sitting in office chairs or driving

Posture is very important both at home and on the job. Back-friendly posture is a valuable component of preventing or managing back pain while performing any activity. Incorrect posture while standing for long periods of time, sitting in an office chair, and driving are all common causes of back pain.

Workplace Ergonomics and Office Chairs

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:01:30 -0800

John Triano, DC

Make Your Back Comfortable

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:01:30 -0800

To help make the holiday season a little brighter, we thought it would be helpful to provide some ideas on how to treat yourself with some products and activities to make your back more comfortable. Hopefully, you have already found the right combination of factors to ease the pain, but if not here are some ideas to consider:

Ergonomic Office Chairs and Back Support— Patients Share Advice

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:01:29 -0800

Adjusting my desk height and chair style helped my low back pain

I do database development work 8-10 hours a day and many times sit for 3-4 hours at a stretch. In the past I would very often perch up on the front of the chair seat or have my legs folded up under the seat. I began to experience significant lower back pain and the circulation through my legs seemed to be cut off.
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Office Chair Back Support

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:01:29 -0800

Guidelines to Improve Posture

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:01:29 -0800

Office Chair Advice

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:01:29 -0800

Office chair posture

For most people, it is quite a challenge to maintain good posture while sitting in an office chair and working for long hours in front of a computer. In fact, a surprising number of people sit at the front of their office chair and hunch forward in an attempt to get closer to their computer screen.

Driving with Back Pain - Patients' Advice

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:01:29 -0800

Suspension can make a difference

Drive a car that has a soft ride. A stiff suspension can have a punishing ride.

Switch driving positions frequently and use cruise control.

From: Ball – North Carolina, USA
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Simple Office Chair Stretch

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:01:29 -0800

The continuous forward leaning posture many people adopt while sitting in an office chair has serious consequences for more than just the back and spinal column. It also places a burden on the internal organ systems, digestive system, and lungs when the front of the body is compressed by hunching forward for long periods of time².

Good Posture Helps Reduce Back Pain

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:01:29 -0800

Correct posture is a simple but very important way to keep the many intricate structures in the back and spine healthy. It is much more than cosmetic—good posture and back support are critical to reducing the incidence and levels of back pain and neck pain. Back support is especially important for patients who spend many hours sitting in an office chair or standing throughout the day.

Types of Back Support and Ergonomic Office Chairs

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:01:29 -0800

While the spine can maintain a natural curvature without lower back support provided by the seatback, the natural tendency for most people when sitting for a long period is to slouch forward. This slouching posture pushes the lower back out, so that the natural inward curve goes in the opposite direction—outward toward the chair—straining the structures in the lower back.

Gift Ideas for Chronic Pain Relief

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:01:29 -0800

Is your fondest wish for the holidays to have some relief from your back pain? Is this the year that you've resolved to exercise regularly? This newsletter can help by outlining some gift ideas designed to help relieve your pain. Whether it's a gift to yourself or you're hinting to your loved ones, these ideas can give your back a happier holiday.

Office Chair: Ergonomic Chair Alternatives to Traditional Office Chairs

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:01:29 -0800

As an alternative to the more traditional office chair, new styles of ergonomic chairs have been designed to try to create good support, comfort and promote good posture. These chairs may take a little getting used to, but typically become very comfortable over time. Use of these types of ergonomic chairs can be very beneficial for some people with lower back pain or discomfort.

Office Chair Set Up

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:01:29 -0800

Many office workers spend thousands of hours sitting in an office chair at their desk, so there is a great deal of opportunity for their sitting posture to either continuously help the back or hurt it.

The following four points are important to help support the back, neck and shoulders when setting up an office chair and computer (See Figure 2 for an illustration):