I’d like to share my background and how I got here. I want to explain why I’m a credible source for computer posture correction. This way, you can decide whether or not to listen to my story. You’re probably here because you’re interested in topics like neck pain relief, preventing carpal tunnel, optimal sitting position, and sit-stand desk benefits. If so, I think my story will resonate with you.
I graduated in 2001 with a degree in Information Technology. I’ve been doing computer work ever since. Of all the information technology classes I took, computer ergonomics was the most interesting to me. This is mainly because of my athletic background. My main sports were basketball, baseball, and beach volleyball. I also enjoy lifting weights and other exercise.
In 2011, my body was broken and my posture was terrible. I’d had enough. I decided to start my journey in computer posture correction. I’d been sitting at a computer with poor posture for 10 years at that point. I began to implement as many healthy sitting habits into my life as I could. So today, I’m sharing some of my favorite computer desk posture tips.
Quick disclaimer: My content is not professional medical advice. It’s based on my personal experience and opinions. I talk about ergonomics posture tips that worked for me. Do your research. Make good decisions. And be the best advocate possible for your own healthcare.
Best Posture for Computer Work
Ergonomic desk setup
Correct monitor positioning
The top of your monitor screen should be at eye level. I used to keep my monitor too low. This caused pain and tension in my neck and upper back. When I raised my monitor, I found immediate neck pain relief.
The monitor positioning should also be a comfortable distance from your eyes. The actual distance varies, depending on each computer user’s eye sight. Find a distance that is the most comfortable monitor positioning for you.
Correct chair height
Having adjustable office chairs is very important. I used to sit in an office chair that was too low. This caused pain and tension in my shoulders and elbows.
Notice how the user on the left has his chair too low. You can tell because his elbows are below the desk level. In order to place his hands on the keyboard and mouse, he has to engage his biceps. Holding his biceps activated for long periods of time will cause it to tighten up. Once it’s tight, it starts to pull on the tendons that are connecting it to the elbow and the shoulder. These tendons become inflamed and painful.
Notice how the user on the right has the correct chair height. You can tell because his elbows are slightly above his desk level. He can place his hands on his keyboard and mouse comfortably, with minimal activation from his biceps.
Preventing carpal tunnel
Keyboard and mouse placement is important. I try to keep them close to the edge of my desk. Otherwise, having to reach too far for them always led to overuse of my arms and hands. It will also lead to slouching my torso forward.
Among office workers, a common misconception is that typing causes carpal tunnel syndrome. In my personal experience, this wasn’t the case. Carpal tunnel syndrome was actually caused by too much muscle activation in my wrists. I would engage my wrist muscles in order to lift my hands onto my tall, bulky keyboard and mouse.
The above photo shows a tall, bulky keyboard similar to what caused carpal tunnel syndrome for me. Notice how the user’s left wrist is engaged to lift his hand onto the tall keyboard. Constant activation of these wrist muscles, 8 hours a day, is what caused carpal tunnel for me.
Preventing carpal tunnel was surprisingly easy for me. I switched out my tall, bulky keyboard for a flat, low-profile keyboard (just like shown in the above photo). My wrist pain went away after only a few days of using my new, flat keyboard and mouse. It was pretty eye opening to see how one small change in my ergonomic desk setup made such a large improvement in pain relief.
Eye strain prevention and neck pain relief
Earlier in this article, I talked about how monitor positioning should be a comfortable distance away from your eyes. This is crucial for eye strain prevention. But another common posture mistake office workers make is having their monitor off to the side, not directly in front of them.
Notice how the user above has her monitor positioning off to the side. This will cause overuse of the muscles on one side of her neck. It will also cause deactivation on the muscles on the other side of her neck. This muscle confusion will cause neck pain and tension.
Her monitor positioning is also very far from her eyes. If she brought her keyboard and mouse placement closer to the edge of her desk, this would allow her to bring her monitor placement closer to her eyes and directly in front of her. This is a healthy sitting habit for eye strain prevention and neck pain relief.
Sit-stand desk benefits
I talk a lot about optimal sitting position. However, our bodies weren’t made to be held in the exact same ergonomic posture for long periods of time. Even if someone’s posture was perfect, holding that position for long periods of time will lead to repetitive strain injuries. When holding good posture, some of our muscles are being overused. At the same time, a lot of them are being underused and deactivated.
One way to decrease the risk of repetitive strain injuries is to have an adjustable height desk. A sit-stand desk makes it easy for me to switch from sitting to standing multiple times per day. I’m not a fan of sitting all day, even in an optimal sitting position. I’m also not a fan of standing all day at a standing desk. What works best for me, I like to use a sit-stand desk and switch back and forth multiple times a day.
Notice how many variables of computer ergonomics are the same in both scenarios above. Regardless of sitting or standing, both user’s have the top of their monitor positioning at eye level. They both have their elbows slightly above the desk level. Their keyboard and mouse placement is near the edge of her desk.
Thanks for your interest in computer posture.
If you haven’t already, download my free ebook titled 3 Ways to Improve Computer Posture Immediately!
>>> Click here to download your ebook
This ebook talks about the 3 most painful computer posture mistakes I used to make. Then, it talks about how I fixed those poor posture mistakes with 3 simple changes to my ergonomic computer workstation.
Take care,
Todd Bowen
P.S. You can sign up for my free computer posture newsletter here.