Like most office staff, I am in front of a computer several hours per day. I am not very good at keeping up with posture and ergonomic settings, but every once in a while my body tells me its time to review this area. The past few weeks have been one of those times, so I decided to research office ergonomics a bit and share some tips with you.

Please Note - this is not medical advice. You need to check with your own doctor before pursuing any course of action.

Many studies have been completed and much has been written to verify that repetitive stress injuries (RSI) such as carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis cost organizations billions of dollars each year. Rather than concentrate on the stats, I will offer a few resources where you can get some solid information that you can use to circumvent or prevent these types of injuries.

Research has shown that injuries decrease and productivity increases when regular stretch intervals and ergonomics are included in your daily routine.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has some great computer posture and ergonomic tips on their website.

I would also recommend this site for stretch exercises.

Other than the above references, here are some generic tips to keep your strain to a minimum:

• Take a 5 minute break every 30-45 minutes
• Stretch your arms, hands, neck and back during the break
• While sitting at your desk, maintain good posture
• Shift your gaze from your monitor to the distance every once in a while
• If you use a notebook (laptop) computer as your primary workstation, I would recommend you either get a conventional monitor or a notebook stand to get your viewing position at the right angles.
• Don’t procrastinate in addressing your symptoms. The sooner you tend to them, the better off you will be

I have made a few minor changes to my desk area, including taking the arms off my chair, raising my monitor, and switching to a trackball instead of a conventional mouse, and I can notice a difference already. Although some of the changes can take some getting used to. I made the changes an hour ago, and I have almost fallen off my chair several times because I keep trying to lean on my arm rests!

We do offer a wide variety of trackballs, ergonomic keyboards, monitors and notebook stands. If you are considering making some changes, feel free to contact us.