Back pain, fatigue and other ailments associated with office work. How to avoid them?

There is a lot of talk about Ergonomics, but what is ergonomics at work?

Ergonomics can be defined as the discipline that studies the adaptation of work stations to people. It therefore seeks to improve work stations and draws on sciences as diverse as medicine and engineering.

In order to provide ergonomic advice for office spaces, we must first understand very well the interaction of each person with their work instruments, which are mainly a chair, a table and in most cases a computer screen. It is important to understand that, strictly speaking, no object is ergonomic by itself, since the quality of such depends on the interaction with the individual. The characteristics of the object are not enough.

Returning to the topic at hand, one of the main problems of office work is musculoskeletal pathologies resulting from sitting for long periods of time.

This is evident in a report prepared by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work , which identifies these conditions, along with stress and visual fatigue, as the most common and those that most affect the health of workers. Pain, swelling, tingling and numbness, and even difficulty moving or long-term disability if no measures are taken, are some of the consequences.

Given this situation, what can we do?

First, we need to make sure that we have a good chair. Ergonomic desk chairs are designed to properly support the body and reduce stress and muscle numbness. According to standard ergonomics, we should adjust the height so that the thighs are parallel to the floor. The knees should be at the same level as the hips and the feet in contact with the floor. If they are not, it is advisable to use a footrest.
However, there are many other ergonomic configurations and solutions such as dynamic ergonomics, which is widespread in the Nordic countries.

Other points to consider:

• Place the screen about 45 centimeters from your face and slightly below your eye line, without having to lower your neck to be able to look at the monitor correctly.
• Be careful when crossing your legs! It is a very common habit, especially among women, but it is something we should avoid. It is not good for the spine and, in addition, it hinders blood flow and causes muscle tension.
• Avoid resting the phone on your shoulder or holding it with your neck. If you need to talk continuously, it is recommended to use headphones.
• Try not to sit for long periods of time. Get up from your desk, walk around, and if possible do some kind of exercise that stimulates circulation. It is better to take several short breaks than a few long ones. If possible, get up every 30 minutes.