Having worked from home for ages, we are now returning to the office. A shift that gives us the perfect opportunity to ensure total office solutions with good ergonomic support. Thus, helping us keep pain in the wrists, neck, and shoulders at bay.
Now that we are returning to normalised working conditions after uncertain times, it is also the time when we can begin to make good decisions that prevent pain during office hours.
Maybe you need to go back to the office full time. Perhaps you need to work at home a few days during the week. Maybe in a hybrid setup or something completely different.
Post-pandemic, there are a vast amount of alternatives. However, similar to all these options, we can use them to do something about office ergonomics. For the past eighteen months, we have all worked at strange places. At the dining table, bedroom or the kids' room - without an external keyboard and mouse. We all thought it was temporary, did we not?
Also read: Get rid of pain with a vertical mouse.
No matter what solution you are getting back into, you can always do something about your ergonomic setup and your work conditions. Do not go back to the way things were if that was not working for you.
Pain and office work
Most of us know how we ought to sit in the office. We know we need a good chair and a table that can be raised and lowered. But good ergonomics is so much more. Even though you may not have experienced pain at work in the past, it can still occur if you do not ensure proper positioning and setup.
Also read: Is the equipment in order? Setup for your flexible workstation
Did you experience pain while working at home (either from the couch or dining table)? Most of us did as ordinary homes are rarely designed for optimal office work. Working from home has caused quite a bit of pain as we work in unhealthy positions without the right gear.
Working from home - in the wrong positions - is the quickest way of showing you what will happen if you work slightly incorrect over an extended period.
To avoid pain, you should - at the very least - sit at a table at the right height, use an external keyboard, an ergonomic mouse, and a laptop stand so that the screen gets the right fit to meet your eyes.
Pain in the wrists
When we are in front of the computer all day, our work often becomes sedentary, which takes a toll on our physical well-being.
We get pains in the neck, shoulders, and wrists, so focusing on an ergonomic workstation is vital. Good keyboard and mouse ergonomics are all about letting you work with a neutral hand position. This way, you ensure that you do not overexert your wrist and end up causing trouble.
To prevent or relieve wrist pain, you need to use both mouse and keyboard properly. Your keyboard should have an inclination that prevents your hands from tilting upwards to type, and the mouse should be centred in front of the body.
When using a centred mouse rather than a traditional one, you can prevent overstretching and straining. Additionally, a centred mouse can be used with both hands, which allows you to split the wear and tear.
Related read: Everything you need to know about your working environment: From the psychological and physical to rules and regulations.
