Welcome back to our posture series. The focus on this blog will be sitting posture. With so many more people working from home, it’s now more important than ever to have proper desk ergonomics and knowledge on proper sitting posture.
Do you find yourself adopting a poor posture at your desk?
Do you catch yourself pretzeled up on your couch working off your laptop, or catching the latest show on Netflix?
In both scenarios, over time, your body is going to scream at you to look for the next instant back pain relief. Poor posture is a main factor contributing to the many aches and pains we feel in our body.
Let’s dissect the two photos above.
The man in the first photo doesn’t have a proper desk ergonomics. His monitor is too low encouraging his head to creep forward. When the head falls forward, it pulls the upper spine with it causing excessive rounding. With this excessive rounding of the upper back, the shoulders are also pulled forward. When looking at the placement of his keyboard, it’s placed excessively high causing his shoulders to shrug up. Lastly, looking at his wrists, they’re bent back into extension.
The woman's posture in the second photo sitting on the couch is also a cause for concern. The way she’s sitting provides minimal to no support for her body, and the height of her laptop again, promotes a head forward posture. Her low back is also resting in excessive flexion and the angle of her sitting posture places a lot of dural/nerve tension.
Conditions Caused/Affected by Poor Sitting Posture
- Headaches
- Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS)
- Sciatica
- Disc bulge/herniation
- Low back pain
- Upper back pain
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Tennis elbow (Lateral epicondylosis)
- Decreased range of motion
- Increased tension
- Pain in between/under shoulder blades
- Limited range in shoulders
- Limited range in hips
Ideal Sitting Posture and Proper Desk Ergonomics
When sitting, there are a few key points to remember in terms of desk ergonomics involving placement of your computer and the support of your chair.
Let’s dissect the photo above in reference to the numbers:
1 & 2) The monitor should be placed at a height that allows for the top ⅓ of your screen to be at eye level in sitting.
3) If you cannot adjust the height of your monitor, place books or a small box under to raise the height.
4) Adjust the height of your arm rests so your elbows are supported at about 90 degrees and the top of your shoulders are relaxed. A keyboard tray will be useful to place your keyboard in the most optimal position so your shoulders aren’t shrugged up. Your wrists should be held in either a neutral position or slightly sloping down when resting at your keyboard. A keyboard wrist rest can support your wrists in a neutral position.
5) Your ears should be stacked over your shoulders to prevent your head from falling forward. Think about tucking your chin in, elongating your spine, and growing tall through the crown of your head.
6) Adjust the lumbar support on your chair to support the normal curvature of your low back.
7) Your hips and knees rest at about 90 degree angles.
8) Your feet should be supported in sitting. If your feet cannot touch the floor, consider placing a stool/foot rest under your feet for support.
It’s important to note you won’t be holding this posture for long periods on end - that would be an unreasonable ask. It’s more realistic to understand you will be moving in and out of this position throughout the day, but the aim is to be conscious of the points listed above. The body loves movement. Set a timer to go off every 50-60 minutes as a reminder to get up and take a microbreak. Perform some mobility exercises while you’re taking that well-deserved break. Your body will thank you for it!
Want to improve your sitting posture and don’t know where to start? Come in for an assessment with one of our experienced physiotherapists at our Vancouver location. We look forward to meeting you!
With care,
Therapy X Collective
