Ergonomic Evaluations – Fix Your Desk and Fix Your Pain

Did you know that at Mizuta and Associates we offer ergonomic evaluations? While we have companies contract with us to provide ergonomic evaluations for multiple employees, we also commonly do ergonomic evaluations one-on-one with our patients. When we have a patient who comes in with low back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, or wrist and hand pain at work, the first thing we ask about is their desk set up. How your body is positioned at work can definitely be a major factor in how you feel at the end of the day. Here are some tips to position your desk correctly. If you have more questions, come in for an evaluation and bring a picture of your desk so we can help you out!

Tips for proper desk set up:

1. Position your screen in line with your eyes: Make sure your eyes are in line with the first line of text on your screen. 2. Your knees and hips should be at a 90/90 position: With your feet flat on the floor (or a step if you are on the shorter side) your knees should be at a 90 degree angle as should your hips. See the picture for what this looks like. 3. Make sure your elbows are also at a 90 degree position: avoid positioning your keyboard too high or too low, this can put increased pressure on your wrist, elbows, and shoulders during work. 4. Your screen should be arms-length distance from your eyes.

Our best tip for you is to come see a physical therapist if you have questions about your desk set up. Bring a picture of what you look like from the side and we can give you tips for improved positioning and likely decreased pain. You spend 8+ hours a day at work, so getting your body in a good position should be a priority.