Hi, I’m Dr. Dave. As the “other half” of Boulevard Natural Healing Arts (Dr. Jeanne being the other!), I’ll be popping up this blog from time to time to offer up thoughts on my areas of expertise.
Today's topic: Ergonomics!
Almost everything I needed to know about ergonomics I learned from my piano teacher in the 4th grade.
For those of you that didn’t take piano lessons, the basics are sitting up straight, not looking down at your hands, and keeping your wrists straight or “floating” over the keys.
The funny thing is... typing at a computer and playing the piano are almost the exact same motion. Now, this formerly free advice has turned into the big business of ergonomics. Who knew my piano teacher was so ahead of her time?
What is Ergonomics?
Ergonomics is a fancy name for how your body moves and supports itself with the use of muscles, ligaments and bones in relation to mechanical supports and tools. (I.e.: sitting at a computer.)
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you are most likely sitting at your computer incorrectly right now. This is by no fault of your own - most people don't even know that they are, or... that sitting at a computer incorrectly can put you at risk for health problems, including fatigue, body discomfort, headaches and emotional stress.
So just adjust the way you sit at your desk and get no more midday headaches?
Yes - if you know what you're doing. There are actually several other issues that have to be addressed to make a completely ergonomically friendly workstation.
As an Ergonomics expert, I've gone into many local businesses throughout the Twin Cities to set up work stations using SittingSafe® standards. That's step one.
The second step is showing employees the proper way to sit at computer stations to alleviate aches and paints and help prevent new problems stemming from poor posture.
The bottom line is this: You need allow your body to sit (or stand) correctly with the least amount of stress and then move the equipment to support and fit you, rather than forcing your body to adapt to the equipment.
It's time to get these tools to work for you. You are allowed to move office equipment to fit your own physical size and shape, and if something doesn’t fit, see if you can replace it.
For example: a mouse.
There are a multitude of mouse sizes and shapes available - so change them up to prevent repetitive stress injuries. I usually recommend having 2 or 3 different ones to switch around if my hand gets tired. Like a carpenter has several different sizes of hammers, you can have a different mice (or is it mouses??)
So, if you find yourself slouching in your chair, hunching forward to see the monitor, or anchoring your wrists down on the desk when keying, not only would you be a pretty bad a piano player, you are putting unnecessary stress on your body and working much harder than you need to be at your computer.
If you'd like more information about how I can help you or your business, let me know!
Yours in health,
Dr. Dave
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