Do you spend most of your days seated on your chair and typing on your computer? The recent decade or two have seen an increase in computer-related jobs, and most industries today involve the use of computer in one area or another. And while this has made work so much faster and easier, this has also brought an increase in the number of computer-related injuries and health risks—thus the growing need for ergonomic workstation.

If your work is characterized by long hours sitting in front of a computer, it will help if you are aware of all the risks and how to mitigate them, as well as familiar with ways to tweak your workstation to make it healthier and more conducive for work.

The Most Common Computer-Related Injuries

Below we’ve outlined some of the common computer-related injuries and health problems associated with prolonged sitting, and then later on we’ll take a look at how to set up an ergonomic workstation to prevent these injuries and health risks.

Back, Neck, and Shoulder Problems

Problems on your back and surrounding areas are often caused by sitting for too long, especially if you are using a poorly designed chair. Posture is a very important part of health, and it affects various joints, muscles, and parts of a person’s body. When you use a poorly designed chair and your back doesn’t receive the right amount of support, you are forced to stay in an unnatural position, and this negatively affects your posture. Some of the leading computer-related injuries today affect the spine, and this is caused by poor posture and prolonged sitting.

Leg Cramps & Poor Circulation

When you sit for too long without moving, there is a tendency for the blood in the body to pool on the lower leg. Poor circulation can harm both the muscles in your body which need blood to function well, as well as your heart which needs blood to pump to different body parts. Poor blood circulation can lead to chronic diseases, which can have long-term health impact.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome is one of the debilitating computer-related injuries of the modern time, caused by the repetitive movement of the hands and fingers, such as when typing or clicking on your PC mouse. It’s not only a painful condition, but it can be debilitating, too, preventing you from being productive at work or at home.

Eye Strain

This condition is often caused by either of three factors: too much or too little lighting in your space, incorrect monitor height, or incorrect monitor angle. Any of these conditions places undue pressure on the eyes, and this can lead to feelings of eye fatigue and the probability of vision impairment in the long run.

All of these computer-related injuries can have long-term ill effects to your health. However, the good news is that they can be avoided. The key—creating an ergonomic workstation that is easily adjustable, comfortable to use, and provides complete support to the body.

The Elements of a Good Ergonomic Workstation to Prevent Computer-Related Injuries

You can think of an ergonomic workstation as a collection of several ergonomic elements that are strategically placed together to create a unified whole that will support your unique needs as the user of the space. So what are these elements?

Standing Desk

At the core of every ergonomic workstation is the standing desk, a height-adjustable desk that encourages a person to get up from his office chair and to work standing. It prevents computer-related injuries by encouraging an individual to keep moving and to keep correcting his posture throughout the day.

To get the most out of a standing desk, keep the following guidelines in mind when setting up your ergonomic workstation.

• Proper height of the standing desk.

Ensure that you get a desk with a height range that will match your height. This way, you can avoid hunching over the desk or overextending your hands to reach the surface of a too-high ergonomic desk.

• Enough reach for proper access to all the items on your desk

The way you arrange the items on your standing desk will determine your day-to-day comfort. In one of our previous posts, we talked about ergonomic work zones in an individual’s desk, a guide to positioning all the different items you have in various zones in your desk to ensure you have access to the most important and most frequently used items.

Ergonomic Chair

Complete back support—this is the promise of every high-quality and well-constructed ergonomic chair. Spinal problems being one of the most serious computer-related injuries, it is crucial to have an ergonomic chair in your ergonomic workstation.

An ergonomic chair will contribute towards both your comfort and your health. The chair must be fully adjustable to be able to support you in whatever sitting position, allowing you to maintain your natural posture. In addition, the cushion must also have the right balance between being soft for comfort and hard for support. With the right chair and standing desk, you have the foundations of an ergonomic workstation.

Ergonomic Mouse and Keyboard

With carpal tunnel syndrome being one of the most common computer-related injuries, it is crucial to have a set of high-quality mouse and keyboard in your ergonomic workstation. These will help care for your hands and fingers by allowing your hands to be in their natural and comfortable position even as you work to perform your daily tasks.

As with all things, injury prevention is better than cure, so investing in a set of ergonomic accessories is one of the best moves you can make as you build your ergonomic workstation either in the office or at home.

Monitor Arms

This set of arms is helpful in so many ways. For one, it helps keep your back, shoulders, and neck relaxed by making it easy to adjust the monitors to a position that is comfortable for your body. Plus, the correct positioning of the monitors will help prevent eye strain. If you want to build an ergonomic workstation and avoid computer-related injuries, then don’t forget to add a set of monitor arms in your space!

In today’s computer-driven world, it might be easy to think that computer-related injuries are unavoidable and are a normal part of life, but that is not necessarily true. With the right elements, you can create an ergonomic workstation that will allow you to enjoy a healthy, safe, and comfortable space at work or at home. Find the right standing desk, ergonomic chair, and ergonomic accessories such as keyboard, mouse, or monitor arms to create an ergonomic workstation that will ensure computer-related injuries are a thing of the past for you.

About Us

MotionGrey is a Canadian standing desk company that specializes in ergonomic furniture. We supply and install only the best quality standing desks and ergonomic chairs in the country. We offer free shipping within Canada and the US.

What made you switch to standing desks? Our products are designed with wellness as the focal point. From our electric standing desks to our office and gaming chairs, we deliver best value by putting your health, safety, and comfort as top priority. Boost your creativity and level up work performance. We want you to create great outcomes so we’re providing you only the best tools to make them possible.

If you are not satisfied with your purchase, check out our Refund Policy.