Ergonomics Blog Posts

9 Ergonomic Tips for Synchronizing Your Work Station and Office Chair

By: Darren Riccio, MSPT, COMT, CFT, CWT | Apr 27, 2020
Man sitting ergonomically correct in his office chair.
Here are 9 ergonomic tips to synchronize your work station and office chair to help support your neck, back, and other joints during long hours of sitting and working.
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11 Ways to Keep Gardening with Back Pain

By: Zinovy Meyler, DO | Apr 23, 2020
A woman bending over and tending to her garden.
If you love gardening, keep up your hobby by following these simple tips and adaptations to minimize back pain during long periods of planting.
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A Guide to Finding Sciatica Relief While at the Office

By: Kate Blankshain, PT, DPT | Apr 10, 2020
Woman grabbing her lower back while sitting at her desk.
Learn specific techniques and exercises for relief from sciatica during your workday—helping you to focus on your work and get your mind off your back and leg pain.
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Using An Exercise Ball to Rehab Your Back

By: Darren Riccio, MSPT, COMT, CFT, CWT | Mar 27, 2020
Woman doing a back bend over a large exercise ball
Exercise balls are a great option for a gentle core-strengthening program that can stabilize the muscles around the spine and help prevent future injury.
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Top 12 Tips for Buying a New Mattress

By: Krystal Chambers, MD | Feb 25, 2020
Closeup of a plush mattress
Buying a new mattress can be a daunting task, because mattresses are a major purchase and they can make a big difference for those with back pain. These top 12 tips will help make the process easier.
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How to Support Your Back Every Day

By: Catherine Lutsey, PT, DPT, OCS | Feb 14, 2020
Man sitting ergonomically correct in his office chair.
When you're living with chronic back pain or neck pain, your daily routine can get very complex. Learn what simple things you can do to minimize pain day to day.
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5 Unusual Office Chair Solutions to Help Your Back

By: Ron Miller, PT | Feb 07, 2020
Man using a standing desk converter in his office
Sitting in an office chair all day may be hurting your back. Try some of these unconventional solutions to see if they help provide relief.
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9 Quick Back Pain Tips for Airplane Rides

By: Ali Ganjei, MD | Jan 21, 2020
Airplane flying in the blue sky and clouds.
Are you concerned about back pain flaring up on your upcoming flight? These 9 tips will help you alleviate back pain for a smoother trip.
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10 Best Ergonomic Laptop Setup Tips

By: Catherine Lutsey, PT, DPT, OCS | Jan 13, 2020
Man sitting at a table with his laptop
Learn how to optimize your laptop setup to keep your neck and back pain-free.
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Is Poor Posture Causing Your Back Pain?

By: Vijay Vad, MD | Jan 09, 2020
Upper back highlighting the spine
Learn about common poor postures that contribute to back pain and effective tips to correct them.
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9 Ergonomic Tips for Synchronizing Your Work Station and Office Chair

Here are 9 ergonomic tips to synchronize your work station and office chair to help support your neck, back, and other joints during long hours of sitting and working.

References

  • 1.Nakamura K, Nagasawa Y, Sawaki S, Yokokawa Y, Ohira M. Effect of Different Seat Heights during an Incremental Sit-To-Stand Exercise Test on Peak Oxygen Uptake in Young, Healthy Women. J Sports Sci Med. 2016;15(3):410–416. Published 2016 Aug 5. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4974853/

A Guide to Finding Sciatica Relief While at the Office

Learn specific techniques and exercises for relief from sciatica during your workday—helping you to focus on your work and get your mind off your back and leg pain.

References

  • 1.Davis D, Maini K, Vasudevan A. Sciatica. [Updated 2020 Jan 25]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2020 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507908/
  • 2.Haugen AJ, Grøvle L, Brox JI, et al. Estimates of success in patients with sciatica due to lumbar disc herniation depend upon outcome measure. Eur Spine J. 2011;20(10):1669–1675. doi:10.1007/s00586-011-1809-3
  • 3.Xiang A, Xu M, Liang Y, Wei J, Liu S. Immediate relief of herniated lumbar disc-related sciatica by ankle acupuncture: A study protocol for a randomized controlled clinical trial. Medicine (Baltimore). 2017;96(51):e9191. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000009191
  • 4.Amin RM, Andrade NS, Neuman BJ. Lumbar Disc Herniation. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2017;10(4):507–516. doi:10.1007/s12178-017-9441-4
  • 5.Hendrick P, Te Wake AM, Tikkisetty AS, Wulff L, Yap C, Milosavljevic S. The effectiveness of walking as an intervention for low back pain: a systematic review. Eur Spine J. 2010;19(10):1613–1620. doi:10.1007/s00586-010-1412-z

Using An Exercise Ball to Rehab Your Back

Exercise balls are a great option for a gentle core-strengthening program that can stabilize the muscles around the spine and help prevent future injury.

References

  • 1.Sekendiz B, Cuğ M, Korkusuz F. Effects of Swiss-Ball Core Strength Training on Strength, Endurance, Flexibility, and Balance in Sedentary Women. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2010;24(11):3032-3040. doi:10.1519/jsc.0b013e3181d82e70
  • 2.Silfies SP, Ebaugh D, Pontillo M, Butowicz CM. Critical review of the impact of core stability on upper extremity athletic injury and performance. Braz J Phys Ther. 2015;19(5):360–368. doi:10.1590/bjpt-rbf.2014.0108
  • 3.Sukalinggam CL, Sukalinggam GL, Kasim F, Yusof A. Stability Ball Training on Lower Back Strength has Greater Effect in Untrained Female Compared to Male. J Hum Kinet. 2012;33:133–141. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3588679/
  • 4.Yu W, Cha S, Seo S. The effect of ball exercise on the balance ability of young adults. J Phys Ther Sci. 2017;29(12):2087–2089. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5890205/
  • 5.Kim MK. The effects of trunk stabilization exercise using a Swiss ball in the absence of visual stimulus on balance in the elderly. J Phys Ther Sci. 2016;28(7):2144–2147. doi:10.1589/jpts.28.2144

Top 12 Tips for Buying a New Mattress

Buying a new mattress can be a daunting task, because mattresses are a major purchase and they can make a big difference for those with back pain. These top 12 tips will help make the process easier.

References

  • 1.Radwan A, Fess P, James D, et al. Effect of different mattress designs on promoting sleep quality, pain reduction, and spinal alignment in adults with or without back pain; systematic review of controlled trials. Sleep Health. 2015; 1(4):257-67. doi: 10.1016/j.sleh.2015.08.001

How to Support Your Back Every Day

When you're living with chronic back pain or neck pain, your daily routine can get very complex. Learn what simple things you can do to minimize pain day to day.

References

  • 1.Alamin TF, Agarwal V, Zagel A, Qeli A. The effect of standing vs. variants of the seated position on lumbar intersegmental angulation and spacing: a radiographic study of 20 asymptomatic subjects. J Spine Surg. 2018;4(3):509–515. doi:10.21037/jss.2018.08.03
  • 2.Gordon R, Bloxham S. A systematic review of the effects of exercise and physical activity on non-specific chronic low back pain. Healthcare (Basel). 2016; 4(2):22.

5 Unusual Office Chair Solutions to Help Your Back

Sitting in an office chair all day may be hurting your back. Try some of these unconventional solutions to see if they help provide relief.

References

  • 1. Ognibene GT, Torres W, Von eyben R, Horst KC. Impact of a Sit-Stand Workstation on Chronic Low Back Pain: Results of a Randomized Trial. J Occup Environ Med. 2016;58(3):287-93. Doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000000615
  • 2.Zemp R, Taylor WR, Lorenzetti S. In vivo spinal posture during upright and reclined sitting in an office chair. Biomed Res Int. 2013;2013:916045. doi:10.1155/2013/916045
  • 3.Elliott TL, Marshall KS, Lake DA, Wofford NH, Davies GJ. The Effect of Sitting on Stability Balls on Nonspecific Lower Back Pain, Disability, and Core Endurance: A Randomized Controlled Crossover Study. Spine. 2016;41(18):E1074-80. Doi: 10.1097/BRS.0000000000001576
  • 4.Bettany-saltikov J, Warren J, Jobson M. Ergonomically designed kneeling chairs are they worth it? : Comparison of sagittal lumbar curvature in two different seating postures. Stud Health Technol Inform. 2008;140:103-6. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18810008
  • 5.Vaucher M, Isner-horobeti ME, Demattei C, et al. Effect of a kneeling chair on lumbar curvature in patients with low back pain and healthy controls: A pilot study. Ann Phys Rehabil Med. 2015;58(3):151-6. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25956202

10 Best Ergonomic Laptop Setup Tips

Learn how to optimize your laptop setup to keep your neck and back pain-free.

References

  • 1.Kapandji IA. The Physiology of the Joints, Volume III. 6th ed. London: Churchill Livingstone; 2007.
  • 2.Simpson L, Maharaj MM, Mobbs RJ. The role of wearables in spinal posture analysis: a systematic review. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2019; 20:55.

Is Poor Posture Causing Your Back Pain?

Learn about common poor postures that contribute to back pain and effective tips to correct them.

References

  • 1.Meziat Filho N, Coutinho ES, Azevedo e Silva G. Association between home posture habits and low back pain in high school adolescents. European Spine Journal. 2014;24(3):425-433. doi:10.1007/s00586-014-3571-9
  • 2.Cramer H, Mehling WE, Saha FJ, Dobos G, Lauche R. Postural awareness and its relation to pain: validation of an innovative instrument measuring awareness of body posture in patients with chronic pain. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2018;19(1):109. Published 2018 Apr 6. doi:10.1186/s12891-018-2031-9
  • 3.Wong KC, Lee RY, Yeung SS. The association between back pain and trunk posture of workers in a special school for the severe handicaps. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2009;10:43. Published 2009 Apr 29. doi:10.1186/1471-2474-10-43
  • 4.Alamin TF, Agarwal V, Zagel A, Qeli A. The effect of standing vs. variants of the seated position on lumbar intersegmental angulation and spacing: a radiographic study of 20 asymptomatic subjects. J Spine Surg. 2018;4(3):509–515. doi:10.21037/jss.2018.08.03
  • 5.Kwon Y, Kim JW, Heo JH, Jeon HM, Choi EB, Eom GM. The effect of sitting posture on the loads at cervico-thoracic and lumbosacral joints. Technol Health Care. 2018;26(S1):409–418. doi:10.3233/THC-174717
  • 6.Pavilack, L., Alstedter, N. & Wisniewski, E. Pain-free posture handbook : 40 dynamic easy exercises to look and feel your best. Berkeley, CA: Althea Press; 2016.
  • 7.McGill, S.M., Low Back Disorders: Evidence-Based Prevention and Rehabilitation. 3 rd ed. Human Kinetics, Incorporated; 2015.

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