Ergonomic Desk Chairs

Archive for the ‘Spine Health’ Category

In part 2 of this series we discussed how to have good sitting posture in relation to workstation ergonomics. Today, in part 3, we will discuss tips on how to further improve your sitting position on ergonomic desk chairs to derive the optimum productivity, minimum physical discomfort and maximum spine health.

When at work, you need to adjust the height of your chair to your workstation, pushing it close to the work desk. It is preferable to have ergonomic desk chairs that come with armrests for resting them and relaxing tired muscles. A very common mistake that people make when moving in a swivel chair is that they tend to twist at the waist which could cause injury to it. Instead you should turn with your entire body.

In addition, when you need to stand up from a sitting position, shift your body to the front of portion of your seat before standing up. Use the armrest if necessary. When standing up, take note to straighten your legs and never lock your knees. Do not bend forward at your waist as this could cause undue pressure on the lower back portion of your spine. When standing, try to do some light stretching exercises which are beneficial to spine health.

Besides having the best ergonomic chair to help you with your sitting posture, you will also need to make certain minor sacrifices with regards to your sitting habits. For instance, when you experience lower back pain, often this is due to your lumbar region not being sufficiently supported, thereby exerting undue pressure upon the spinal discs. Apart from that, it is also possible that your dangling feet is not placed flat on the floor and your thigh muscles are pulling back at the spine. A few adjustments can be made to this situation.

Adjusting the height of the chair is the first change you can make. Getting ergonomic desk chairs with backrest helps to tilt the back slightly forward is another. Alternatively, you can purchase separately a lumbar support pillow to be placed at the lower back area of the chair, thereby ensuring that your spine curves in tandem with the shape of the support.

What actually causes tired neck, tensed shoulders and pain in the higher back is probably the fact that your head is overtly tilted forward or backwards, and also the arms are not supported. It is easy to remedy these situations. Get ergonomic desk chairs with adjustable headrests or high backrests, and don’t forget to get them with armrests too. And finally, if you feel pain in your buttocks, you have exerted too much pressure on it. You should sit deeper into the chair seat pan instead, or rather, simply stand up, stretch, take a break.

For more information to help you find the best ergonomic chair, check out this series of Ergonomic Desk Chairs Workstation Ergonomics for Spine Health.

In part 1 of this series we discussed that importance of the workstation ergonomics and the usefulness of ergonomic desk chairs in enhancing spine health. Today, we shall share what makes proper sitting posture.

Sitting is more harmful than standing up, especially over extended long hours over time, the reason being that unlike standing, the pressure is less evenly distributed across the body and is mainly concentrated along the spine, affecting smooth blood circulation. The main cause of the back pain experienced by desk bound workers are often due to the fact that pressure is concentrated at the lumbar region of the spine, or otherwise known as the lower back. When this happens, the blood flow which brings along with it important nutrients are blocked thereby causing the lumbar region to harden. That is what the lay person deems as having a stiff back. And this is exactly what ergonomic desks chairs aim to resolve.

Besides getting the best ergonomic chair to correct your sitting posture, you need to relearn how to sit upright correctly to reduce the compounded damage that has occurred to your spine.

Here is the correct sitting posture. You need to sit up with your back straight, pull your shoulders back with buttocks touching the back of your chair. Distribute your body weight evenly on both hips, keeping knees at 90 degree angles, and slightly higher than your hips. Here is where you might need a foot stool if necessary and keep your feet flat on the floor.

You can easily have good sitting position if you follow this method. Simply sit at the end of your chair and lean backwards. Then bring yourself up, hold for a few minutes and unlock the position at about 10 to 15 degrees.

It is important to note that regardless of whether you are using conventional or the best ergonomic chair, if you wish to have good spine health, never sit in the same position for more than thirty minutes as being in a fixated position for long periods tend to affect blood flow and circulation about your body. Get up and move around, and do some light stretching exercises whenever possible.

Stay tuned for part 3 of this Ergonomic Desk Chairs Workstation Ergonomics series.

Workstation ergonomics is the fusion of science and art in designing the job task, tools and equipment required as well as the favorable workplace environment to fit the worker. It is critical in preventing recurring strain injuries which if ignored, may cause physical disability over time. It is important for both human physical health and productivity. And often, this starts with examining the way you sit or effectively, your sitting posture and corrective measures are made subtly to by using ergonomic desk chairs.

Workstation ergonomics helps you to understand how a desk bound worker who spends at least 85,000 hours of her lifetime in a sitting position manages to prevent back pains and maintain spine health. Up until recently, not many people know that the sudden development of back pains and spine related ailments arise partly and simply from their prolonged incorrect sitting postures. Ergonomic desk chairs are designed to correct this.

To the company management, the key to recouping such investments come in the form of enhanced productivity and better bottom line. And many companies which embrace good workstation ergonomics have proven to achieve above 1000 percent in their 3 year ROI.

Not only have companies realized the importance of this, many homeowners, especially those who have set up home offices are beginning to convinced converts.

It is recognized that seated for long hours can be even more harmful your body than standing. The key reason is that unlike a standing pose, the sitting position puts much more uneven pressure onto the back and spine area, causing uneven blood flow.

Using ergonomic desk chairs subtly correct your sitting posture, without exerting undue pressure or major changes to the neck, back and spine. Some even come with lumber support pillow for added support to the lower back and they have proven to be effective especially for those who have bad back pains.

Stay tuned for the next part of this series on enhancing spine health with the right sitting posture using ergonomic desk chairs.

Ergonomic desk chairs or otherwise popularly known as the ergonomic computer chair not only help you to maintain good posture, but also maintain good spine health, thereby reducing potential back pain ailments in the long run. They come in many designs and utilize a varied types of ergonomic principles to meet various needs. Some are made for maintenance of good spine health, others are made for nursing an already pre existing back ailments.

It is not difficult to find the best ergonomic chair suited to your needs. Getting a good one is not difficult but you need to match it with your physical needs. Take for instance, if you have recently developed back pains or have slipped discs, it is not advisable to purchase an ergonomic ball chair or saddle stools until you nursed it back to health.

It is key to note that the basic requirement of the ergonomic computer chair must a few adjustable features which include height seat depth, back rest, and arm rest, enabling you to adjust to your physical size for a comfortable good position. Without which, you will develop hunch shoulders and slouching, both of which are by products of bad chair ergonomics. Over time, these bad sitting habits will develop into back pains, slipped discs, persistent headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome. Once these ailments surface, you will have to spend a lot more money on medical fees to rectify the problems. A good ergonomic computer chair is capable of relieving aches along the torso as well as lower back.

There are few key criteria you need to review before buying Ergonomic Desk Chairs.

As have been mentioned before, your back rest, armrest, and seat must be height adjustable to fit your need. Those with back rests should also be tilt adjustable. The seat in particular, should be at least 18 inches wide with about 4 inches of space at the lower back or lumbar area for sitting comfort. Your hips must have sufficient space for mobility with at least 1 inches all round for good sitting position. Preferably, you should also look out for one with lumbar support pillow that gives added protection to your lower back.

Ergonomic desk chairs need to have adequate padding with the right type of cover. The executive ergonomic chair comes in full leather not only to give a professional look, but also are better managed as they do not gather dust easily. In the recent few years, mesh materials have debut into the scene and are very well received by users due to their advant garde look as well as good comfort. They look like tightly knitted nets and are very sturdy for extended use. They make for comfortable ventilated seating and most who choose the ergonomic mesh office chair like them for the breathability of the fabric.

Knowing the manufacturer and where your chair was made in, does give a strong sense of quality. Ask questions to illicit more information on how to choose the right ergonomic chair suited to your personal needs. And when you finally purchase your ergonomic computer chair, make sure that it comes with the agreed warranties and guarantees for parts and services replacements.

It should not come as a surprise to you that good ergonomic desk chairs can set you back about a thousand dollars. But if you take this as an investment on your spine health, you would realize that this amount is nothing compared to the tens of thousands of dollars you need to spend on medical bills to correct crippling back pains and potential slipped discs. In fact, the best ergonomic chair could well be the most rewarding investment you will ever made on your long term health.

For more information, check out Ergonomic Desk Chairs and Ergonomic Computer Chair here

Up till now, there are still a lot of people who do not know what the ergonomics mean and what kind of benefits it brings to your spine health. In fact, it affects almost every aspect of your everyday life. At work and at the home, there are increasing awareness of the correlation of our physical functionality and output, or what is known as performance at the workplace. The term ergonomics is the concept of converting the conventional workstation for better physical spine health and productivity both at home and at work. Many offices have recognized the correlation between work performance and good ergonomics which starts with the right sitting positions and good posture. Hence, ergonomic desk chairs or more commonly known as the ergonomic computer chair, are often the first to be installed in their move towards an ergonomically designed work environment.

The ergonomic computer chair is designed to prep up your body in the right position by allowing for adjustable chair height, armrests, as well as backrest tilt functions. These are the basic criteria which allow you to fine tune your sitting position for a good posture. The more premium types would also provide added padding at the lower back area in the form of lumbar support pillow, as well as extended protection of the neck with the addition of a head rest.

There are a few varieties, some of which look more like strange contraptions, namely the ergonomic kneeling chair, the ergonomic ball chair, just to name a few. The former is designed for corrective spine treatment for those with little to no history of bad back pains but are showing symptoms in the form of tired necks and shoulders, backaches and headaches etc. The latter works along the concept of exercise balls, helping you build up a strong spine as well as great abdominal muscles. Using the ball chair would require much more balancing skills though.

Interesting as they look however, you may not wish to rush out right this moment and purchase one, not especially if you have already developed a bad back or slipped disc. It is advisable for you to consult your physician before making the investment. Pre existing conditions like back pains and carpal tunnel syndrome should never be trifled with and you should be very clear what types are suitable specifically based on your condition. That said, ergonomic desk chairs in the form of ergonomic computer chair is the safest bet for maintaining spine health especially for those with pre existing bad back ailments.

Ergonomic desk chairs come in various shapes and sizes. Their futuristic designs sometimes can be very creative and imaginative to say the least. Ergonomic saddle stools belong to the category of innovative design evolving from and emulating the horse saddle in horseback riding. It uses the back ergonomics of horseback riding which requires one to sit up straight and maintain an absolute perpendicular position of the back and the seat. Yet, ergonomic saddle stools are extremely comfortable, once you get used to it due to the high quality materials used for it. Most come in five star castor wheels for easy mobility.

Ergonomic saddle stools enable your legs can then widen to drop naturally, giving a healthy yet stable stance. For those of us who have had bad backs before, you would realize that this position is best for improved spine health. In the long run, this position also helps to reinforce back muscles. This unique design helps eliminate key problems of blood circulation and also corrects sitting position to prevent slouch. One key aspect of the ergonomic saddle stools is that it is height adjustable to cater to different types of users, eg adults and children.

The key benefits of the saddle stool abound, namely, alleviating your lower back pain, reducing tired shoulders, necks and headaches as well as preventing muscular tension fatigue, and finally resolving bad posture issues. It also reduces work related upper limb disorders such carpal tunnel syndrome and other musculoskeletal disorder.

From the perspective of enhancing well being, saddles stools also enables good arm-hand coordination, helps improve blood circulation and digestion, as well as strengthen muscle tone and abdominal muscles.

Saddle stools are most often used within a busy office environment which requires the user to multitask actively and physically. You might be required to use a few computers situated at different work desks, or do multiple tasks such as filing at one corner or the workstation and input filing data into a computer at the other corner of the work bench. The saddle stool is a handy chair in keeping up with the workflow yet at the same time, helping you to constantly maintain good posture.

They are ideal for dentists, surgeons, vets, hairdressers, therapists, technicians and clerical staff. Those made of higher stool height with adjustable foot rings are mostly made for standing height work, key users of whom are namely architects, draftspersons, laboratory technicians or even musicians and artists.

This category of ergonomic desk chairs do not come cheap but make for great spine health investment over the long run. The high end range of saddle stools is at about 1,100 dollars while on the other end of the spectrum costs about 200 dollars. Of course the materials used as well as the comfort level are key to the respective price points. Key brands are Bambach Saddle Seat and Humanscale. The former provides a model with backrest as well.

For more information, visit Ergonomic Desk Chairs for other types of ergonomically designed chairs for spine health.

This is Part 2 of the series of Ergonomic Desk Chairs Spine Health, and here, we shall address the issues of ergonomic support for the arms, elbows, hips and legs.

Obviously, arm support is important, as without it, you will feel strain primarily on your shoulders and neck, finally affecting the spine and lower back as well. In fact, chairs without armrests could cause carpal tunnel syndrome, a condition whereby a key nerve in the wrist is compressed leading to numbness and muscle weakness in the affected area. Hence, ergonomic desk chairs come with armrests and most of which are also adjustable to suit the height of the body and arms, thereby releasing the stress and strain to the neck and shoulders directly.

Elbow support and care is similarly important and the best initial position of your elbow should be 90 degree angle to your body as well as of the right and proportionate height. Again here, be careful of developing carpal tunnel syndrome if you maintain a particular posture over time without proper elbow support. The lesser problem of neck, shoulder and upper body pain cannot be ignored either.

Your hips must be snugly fitted onto the seat leaving at least one inch space all round. Thighs should be resting well on the seat, and for chairs with tilt which lets you slide slightly forward and backwards, ensure that you do not need to strain your lower body with the motions as they could cause slipped discs if you are not careful. This can be achieved as you adjust the height of the chair to either raise or lower to the correct height suitable for you. If your feet are still dangling uncomfortably, use the footrest which most ergonomic desk chairs come with.

Do you know the proper stance when seated on ergonomic desk chairs? The chair should be sufficiently deep to ensure that your calves can comfortably rest against the front of the chair. Otherwise, you will need a lumber support pillow to adjust the tilt of the back rest.

It is not easy to find the best ergonomic chair, and in addition to the key tips this series provides you, your personal and physical needs and comfort preferences should also be taken into account. You may even wish to consider customizing your ergonomic desk chairs for that perfect fit. After all, the cost of spine health is priceless, to say the least.

Check out Ergonomic Desk Chairs Spine Health Part 1 for more details on lumbar support pillow.