Working at a computer in sitting posture for 8 hours a day is an endurance event. Some of our muscles our overused excessively. Others are deactivated and hardly used at all.
We want to have an ergonomic desk setup that is an asset to our health. We want it to promote good computer posture. Also, we don’t want our desk setup to be a liability that causes excessive muscle tension and chronic pain.
This article will talk about 2 of the most common computer-related injuries. These repetitive strain injuries are knee pain and shoulder pain. You’ll learn what sitting health risks cause these 2 injuries to get worse. Then, you’ll learn how to prevent knee and shoulder pain from sitting at a computer.
This article is not professional medical advice. It’s based off my personal experience and opinions. For years, my poor computer posture caused muscle tension, inflammation, and chronic pain. Bad posture also decreased my mental clarity, energy level, and work productivity.
All the workplace ergonomic tips I write about are directly related to improving posture at a computer. We are our own primary caretakers. Do your research. Make good decisions. And be the best advocate possible for your own healthcare.
What are common computer-related injuries?
Keyboard and mouse shoulder pain
One of the most painful repetitive strain injuries I got from a computer is chronic internal shoulder rotation. Having a strong internal shoulder rotation can be a good thing when pushing a door open, or throwing a ball. But too much of a good thing can turn into a bad thing. Holding internal shoulder rotation for long periods of time at a computer can be a destructive repetitive strain and overuse injury. The first thing we need to do is understand what position to avoid.
Elbow height below desk level is a common posture mistake.
Take a look at the below picture. The user’s chair is too low. I know this because his elbow level is lower than his keyboard, mouse, and desk level.
I like to keep my elbows at slightly more than a 90-degree angle. If the user would raise the chair height, he’d receive many good posture benefits immediately.
By raising office chair height, it will bring this user’s elbow level slightly above the keyboard, mouse, and desk level. This will reduce overuse of the bicep muscles. Which will essentially reduce pain and inflammation of the shoulder tendons.
Importance of Elbow Height
Elbow height is probably the most important variable I practice to avoid shoulder pain at work. When our elbow is below the desk, we have to engage our bicep muscles in order to lift our hands and arms onto the keyboard and mouse. Even though this is only a very slight bicep contraction, it can cause a lot of shoulder pain when it’s held for 8 hours a day. I like to keep my elbows at slightly more than a 90-degree angle. This will engage my tricep muscles more and take some of the burden off my biceps.
Each bicep has a tendon that connects to a bone in the front shoulder area. I usually feel pain in a joint or a tendon. I rarely feel pain in the muscle. However, that doesn’t mean the muscle isn’t the cause of the pain. When we overuse our biceps, they can handle it without giving me pain at work. But, my biceps are overextending the tendons connected to the shoulder. This is where I’m more likely to notice the pain. That said, keeping my elbow at slightly more than a 90-degree angle is my favorite way to prevent shoulder pain at work.
How to fix shoulder pain from sitting at a computer.
Take a look at the picture below. This is what happens when you raise your chair height. The desk setup turns into an asset that promotes good computer posture. Not a liability that creates more muscle tension.
Notice how the user’s elbows are slightly more than a 90-degree angle. His elbow height is also slightly above the keyboard, mouse, and desk level. This takes a lot of overuse off his biceps. Which will essentially reduce shoulder strain. You’ll also notice how the user isn’t slouching forward anymore, simply because he raised the chair height to the correct level.
Excessive internal shoulder rotation was one of my most painful office ergonomic injuries. To learn more about it, and how to prevent it, check out my article titled, What is Internal Shoulder Rotation?
Knee pain from sitting in an office chair
Take a look at the below picture. It’s the same user with a chair that is too low.
Knees at less than a 90 degree angle is a common posture mistake.
His knees are at less than a 90 degree angle. His feet are pulled back behind his knees. In order to do this, he has to activate his hamstring muscles, which overextends his quadricep muscles. Holding this slight muscle activation for long periods of time will cause his hamstrings to tighten and shorten. Hamstrings are connected to bone at the knee joint. This is similar to the relationship between the biceps and the shoulder. The tight hamstring muscles are the cause of the problem, but the overextended tendons at the knee are the effect of the pain. I talk about this in my article titled, Poor Computer Posture: The Cause and Effect Relationship Between Muscle Tension and Chronic Pain.
How to fix knee pain from sitting at a computer.
Raising office chair height would allow the user to keep his knees at slightly more than a 90 degree angle. This would reduce the user’s hamstring compression and his quadricep overextension. All of this would reduce knee pain and joint dysfunction that can be caused by sitting at a computer. To do a deeper dive on this topic, check out my article titled How to Position Feet When Sitting at a Computer.
THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST IN COMPUTER POSTURE.
If you’ve read this far, congratulations! You’re taking valuable steps to reduce computer-related injuries by improving your posture. That’s something to be very proud of!
If you liked this article on common computer-related injuries, check out my free ebook titled 3 Ways to Improve Computer Posture Immediately!
>>> Click here to download your free copy
This ebook is a great supplement to the article you just read. In this ebook, you’ll learn 3 of the most painful, poor computer posture mistakes. Then, you’ll learn how to fix those mistakes immediately with 3 simple changes to your ergonomic computer desk setup.
Go to SittingPosture.com/ebook to learn more.
Take care,
Todd Bowen