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Pain at work is just that. A pain. Nobody likes it, yet millions of Americans go to work everyday knowing they will have to suffer through another day of joint pain, back problems, a stiff neck, and all sorts of other common office aches. It's no wonder we're seeing all these commercials for memory foam sofas, cloud pillows, and expensive astronaut beds; nobody can seem to get comfortable! But what if we told you the problem is likely not in your house, but at your office? That's right. Nearly all pain for office workers can be traced back to the way they handle themselves at work, but never fear! Ergonomics can solve just about any office pain and problem you might have. Here's a handy guide to common office problems and great ways to solve them using ergonomic furniture! Identify the Problem Knowing where pain comes from is the first step to solving it. At the office, aches can be caused by a number of things, but by far the most common is poor posture. Ergonomic furniture is designed to improve all aspects of the workplace, from comfort, to work ethic, to mood. We're happy to report that taking advantage of such great advancements in technology takes more dedication than money, but it a bit of knowledge on what causes certain office problems never hurts! Listed below are some of the most common office aches and inconveniences along with some great ergonomic products to help solve them! Poor Posture Slouching in chairs causes all sorts of problems for anyone's back. In fact, sitting in general over long periods of time is terrible for the body because the it puts all the weight of the torso on the spine. The human body is better designed for standing than for sitting, and when all the weight of the torso falls on the spine, rather than relying on distribution through the legs as when standing, the spine has a tendency to bend under the pressure. This is what causes slouching, and slouching is what causes back pain. Fortunately, nearly all office chairs with ergonomic features offer some sort of lower lumbar support to help alleviate this pain, but users have to do their part too. Proper posture takes dedication, so forming a habit over 21 days is essential to improving your health, and the first step towards achieving a more ergo friendly office! Eye Strain Most eye strain at the office comes from computers, and it doesn't take a lot to see that. The best part of the modern age has become one of the worst for sufferers of computer eye strain, which is typically caused by excessive light. Too much light can harm the eyes, just as too much darkness does, so the best solution to this problem is achieving a balance. Although natural sunlight is very beneficial to psychology and mood, too much in combination with computer light can cause pain. A good rule to go by if you suffer from computer eye strain is that the ambient light in the room should be about half as bright as that found in most offices. Dimming the blinds or setting up curtains is a great solution if you work in a home office. If you work in a public office environment there are tons of ergonomic inventions specifically designed to solve this problem. If you've got a relatively new computer, see if you can reduce it's brightness display or fit it with an anti-glare screen cover. Wrist Pain When typing fingers fly at the speed of light, someone's bound to get hurt. Aching wrists and hands are a plague to office workers all over the nation, yet few people ever seem to address it. Wrist pain in younger years can lead to arthritis as we age. It's important that the wrists and hands are stressed as little as possible in office environments. For computer users, this can be a bit of an issue, since their careers depend on their hands. However, if you have wrist pain, there are ways to stop it. One way is by making sure your wrists aren't aimer up or down as you type. That cuts off circulation and inflames the pain. If you find yourself doing this anyway, consider adding an adjustable keyboard platform or a tablet to your office setup. These nifty devices allow themselves to be adjusted so individuals can leave them in the optimal position to relive pain. Office Storage Storage is a big problem in almost every interior space, but it is a big challenge especially for offices. Since work environments are typically confined to smaller spaces than, say, bedrooms, storage is often limited. In ergo-friendly environments however, space is highly considered. Lots of clever thinking is given to potential storage spaces in workstations and office desks. As a result, ergonomic workstations and desks are the best answers to this problem. Companies like Mayline and Cherryman Industries pride themselves on their creation of quality office furniture with ample storage space. Their products are some of the most popular on the market for that very reason! Tired Muscles Bodies tire from inactivity just as an automobile does. If you don't work your muscles out or go for a drive once in a while, both your engines lose their get-up-and-go. Unfortunately, the best way to solve the tired muscles caused by inactivity at work is to get up and go, but that's a pretty big challenge when you're expected to stay at your desk and type. The good news is that if you can't escape the office or don't want to sacrifice your lunch hour to go for a walk outside, there is an ergonomic solution for you: deskercising! And yes, it is a thing now. Experts in ergonomics have come up with tons of exercises that office workers can do right in their office chair, and manufacturers have even designed a great chair just for this purpose. It's for this reason that avid deskercisers are huge fans of the CHAKRA-GREEN-WHITE Chakra Chair by Eurotech when they want to exercise. This chair features a unique zoomorphic structure that supports the muscles and chakra centers of the body. The pads move as the user does and the chair comes in five stylish colors! Joint Pains Joint pain in the office is most often caused by lack of blood flow to the extremities. This is another big issue caused by sitting all day. When people sit, they contort their bodies into all sorts of weird positions that inhibit blood flow. Every bended limb is an agent against against circulation. The best way to solve joint problems and improve circulation is by adding stand up office desks to your workplace. Offices that provide this option have employees with much better health and blood flow (and it's a great way to burn some extra calories). Unfortunately, most offices don't give their employees the option of standing at the desk. If you suffer from joint pain, a good rule of thumb for when you're at the office is to sit with your body positioned in a series right angles. Your elbows, knees, and core should all be right angles when you sit to get the greatest possible blood flow to your extremities. This is best achieved by using an ergonomic office chair that has a waterfall seat to ease pressure on the legs, adjustable armrests and ergonomic platforms for keyboards to guide the elbows and hands into proper positions. Work Ethic You may think a sour mood or poor work ethic has nothing to do with an office environment and everything to do with a person, but you'd be surprised how ergonomics can improve psychology. Letting some light in and painting the walls bright colors are great ways to give employees energy, but sometimes it's just not enough. Often what causes poor work ethic is not lack of energy, but over expenditure of it. When office desks and workstations have inefficient designs, users can use up tons of energy swiveling around in their desk chair or walking about the office in search of things they need to get their work done. That's why smart business owners go modular! Adding stylish workstations with modular design to an office helps efficiency by keeping everything at arm's reach. This way, office workers don't have to travel for for the things they need, and end up with more energy and work ethic to spend on getting the job done. Neck Aches At the office, neck pain is most commonly caused by unnatural neck movement over long periods. Keeping the head bent down to stare at a keyboard causes lots of pain, as does turning the head or stretching it to view a computer screen. If you suspect the former is what causes your neck pain, typing lessons are likely the ideal answer. Most typing classes, while initially frustrating, rely on techniques that train individuals to type without looking at the keyboard. It takes practice, but is totally worth the effort as it saves your neck and spine in the long run (and you develop mad speed typing skills too)! On the other hand, if can type without looking at the keyboard, it may be that your pain comes from turning your head to view a computer screen. Choosing to add ergonomic monitor arms for computer use to your office is a great way to solve this. Monitor arms mount to walls and desks to support computers and give users control over their placement. They also save desk space. Position the screen directly in front of you so you an look straight up and straight ahead at the computer screen for optimal placement. Back Pain Back pain is caused by a number of things in office environments. Bending over a desk to write, type, or see a computer screen, turning your spine unnaturally usually to see something, not leaning back in the chair, and poor posture all contribute to back pain. Fortunately, ergonomic scientists have made back pain their arch nemesis, and they work tirelessly to develop office chairs that can defeat it! Today, almost all affordable modern chairs with ergonomic features relieve back pain. Even the lowest priced ergonomic chairs are designed to tackle this enemy in some form or another. If you have back pain caused by your office environment, the best way to solve it is by keeping ergonomic chairs like the 22011 Verte Ergonomic Office Chair by RFM around. This chair has been heralded as the most comfortable office chair in existence as it was designed by an elite team of ergonomic scientists, engineers, and designers. It is equipped with articulating joints that conform to every curve of the human spine. It is the ultimate edition to any ergonomic office!
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