While the computer age has done wonders for our society in general, it certainly hasn’t done us back pain sufferers any favors. More and more of us are spending time in front of a pc, whether it be for work or just surfing the world wide web, in fact I’m not physic but I bet you are sitting in front of a computer screen right now 
. Seriously though, it can play absolute havoc with our back, neck and shoulders but if you can follow these tips I’m sure that your suffering will be limited.
- An adjustable chair with good back support is a must. If your chair is lacking in back support a small pillow placed in the small of your back can help and if you already have a back complaint a kneeling chair may also be a good option as they transfer your bodies weight from your lower spine and hips to your legs. They can take a while to get used to though!
- Have your chair set a height that allows your feet to rest flat on the floor with your knees slightly higher or level with your hips. If you find the chair is to high use a platform to support your feet. Do Not tuck your feet under the chair!
- A chair that reclines slightly is also useful in moving your body’s weight on to the back rest rather than your spine taking all of the weight. Also keep the chair close to the desk to help maintain a more upright position.
- Keep your head up and avoid leaning forward. Place any typing material on an angle rather than flat on the desk where you have to continually lean forward to read them.
- Position the top of your screen just below eye level and close enough so that you don’t have to lean forward or move your head in any way to read it and have enough room in front and beside your keyboard to rest your hands and wrists. Your shoulders should be able to ‘hang’ loosely without any muscle tension.
- Above all, take frequent breaks away from your desk. The human body is not designed to sit idle in one place for any great length of time. Once muscle fatigue sets in it is almost impossible to maintain good posture. Even if you can manage two minutes every hour away from your desk, preferably walking rather than just standing you will feel a lot better for it.
I find it takes a lot of concentration to maintain good posture for any length of time when I’m working at my computer and quite often I resort to using an alarm clock to remind me that it is time to get up and go for a walk. All of the other tips mentioned do help to some degree but I find that there is no substitute for taking a break and stretching and walking around. I’d love to hear from you if you have any other tips for limiting your pain while sitting for long periods of time.
Take Care,
Craig
The Back Pain Relief Guide - the latest research and cutting edge info - Download for FREE now - Simply enter your name and email address below.
