Let’s face the facts, sometimes work can be a pain in the neck, literally. The way in which work is performed can cause serious pain in the back, neck, wrists, joints, knees, and other musculoskeletal disorders that can affect your productivity and performance in the workplace.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor and Statistics (BLS), in 2008 work-related musculoskeletal disorders accounted for almost 30 percent of all workers compensation claims. That’s 317,440 claims to be exact, with each claim resulting in a median of 10 days out of work for injured parties and costing state fund employers millions of dollars.

Focusing on good ergonomic practices and removing bad ergonomic tasks from your daily duties can help relieve pain, discomfort, stress, and ultimately improve your performance and satisfaction at the workplace. Here are some useful tips on how you can improve your ergonomics in the workplace:

Practice Good Posture at the Desk

• As a rule of thumb, desks—or at least the keyboard tray—should hit between the belly and the bottom of the rib cage and at least long enough to account for 24 to 27 inches of workable space. Any smaller and desks can become restrictive.
• Sit with shoulders relaxed—not elevated, hunched or rotated.
• Keep elbows close to your sides and bent at about a 90-degree angle.
• Wrists should be kept straight—which usually requires them not to rest on the laptop keyboard or the edge of the desk. There are tools to help avoid this, such as mouse pads with gel wrist supports.
• Hard or sharp surfaces (such as the edge of the desk) or an object that presses into soft tissues (such as the wrist) can lead to musculoskeletal disorders. Apply padding on any sharp edges to provide comfort to the wrists and reduce the risk of injury.
• Computer monitors should be as far away as possible while still maintaining the ability to read the computer screen without straining to focus. For most people, this is a minimum distance of about 20 inches. Be sure that the center of the computer screen is at about a 15 degree angle down from the eyes, with the neck only slightly bent and the head perpendicular to the floor to reduce strain on both the eyes and the neck.

Good Ergonomics While Sitting in the Chair

• Find a seat with lumbar support. It decreases the weight placed on a person’s back while seated for long periods of time while supporting posture. Many adjustable task chairs have this feature built in, and can usually be adjusted to suit the worker. For standard chairs, lumbar cushions can be purchased from most office or medical supply stores for around $15-25 per cushion.
• Sit with your entire upper body upright or leaning slightly back.
• Sit with your knees at the same level or slightly below the level of your hips. There should be no pressure points along the backs of your thighs or knees—many adjustable tasks chairs also feature seats with a sloped edge to help prevent this, or the ability to adjust the seat angle.
• Feet should be slightly out in front of the knees and supported with a footrest if necessary.

Get Comfy with Lighting, Temperature, and Proper Ventilation

• Ideal light levels for computer use are actually lower than the light required for reading. Keep overhead office lights slightly dim use desk lamps if you need extra light.
• Keep space heaters, blankets, and small fans, on hand to allow yourself to adjust workspace temperature as they need to for maximum comfort and efficiency.
• Ensure your room has proper ventilation. Proper air flow is necessary to keep yourself energized

Reduce Eye Strain

• Use an anti-glare screen on your computer monitor to reduce eye strain.
• Try changing your desktop background to all black or a darker color image – this helps reduce constant brightness that can cause serious eye strain
• Pay attention to sunlight – proper blinds should be installed in windows

Don’t repeat

• Take frequent breaks from repetitive tasks like typing, handwriting, moving and click the mouse or scrolling with the mouse, using office equipment like staplers or anything with buttons.
• Use pens that ease the task of writing, such as ones with comfortable grips
• Exercise the hand muscles and relax a bit between long periods spent typing or writing, by using a stress ball and giving it a few squeezes from time to time.

Be Smart When You Lift or Carry

Lifting is also a leading cause of disorders in the office setting. Practice the following tips for safe lifting:

• Keep the load close.
• Avoid lifting directly off the floor.
• Keep your feet a shoulder width apart and bend at the knees while tightening the abdominal muscles.
• Get a good grip on the load and use your leg muscles to lift the load and return to an upright position.
• Keep your back straight throughout lifting and never twist while you lift.
• Carrying a laptop and other supplies around each day is hard on the body. Swap a shoulder bag for one that will work hard to distribute the weight of the load evenly, such as a backpack that has straps for both shoulders.

Knowing how to ease the physical stresses of the workplace can help reduce pain, stress, and fatigue, and improve your performance and bottom line. Try to incorporate as many of the above tips as possible into your daily tasks for optimal results. Prepare yourself for these lifestyle changes and remember to keep them on the top of your mind, even after the pain is gone; you will better yourself if you do, and won’t run the risk of developing repetitive muscle trauma that can ultimately affect your lifestyle at work. Good Ergonomics = Good Worker.

For more information, read the following blue paper on Ergonomics in the Workplace: http://info.4imprint.com/wp-content/uploads/1M-06-0110-Blue-Paper-Ergonomics.pdf