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February 14, 2006

PC ergonomics — what you don’t know is hurting you

by Andrew

The journey to online success is travelled at a desk seated in a chair. That means long days sitting in the same position clicking and typing, again and again and again. After about a half day of driving this weekend I pulled a muscle in my neck, reminding me just how critical a good computer set up is.

When I really got serious about making money with website publishing I knew immediately that my existing set up was no good. The truth is you should be able to sit at your computer all day without pain (although frequent breaks are ideal, the reality is they don’t always happen.) Worse yet, continued stains often results in dreaded carpel tunnel.

If you are uncomfortable with your current setup, take a look at the steps I took:

  • bought a fully adjustable ergonomic chair. Height of seat, height of the backrest, back length from seat, tilt (I think thats all of them) Cost, about $300. Price is a non-issue here, you are using this for hours day after day.
  • purchased an adjustable height table — in this case, just a good old folding table. Ugly, but works beautifully.
  • Removed my monitor stand. This lowered my monitor’s height and dramatically reduced my eyestrain. Previously the middle of my monitor met my eye level. This means I had to look upwards to see the top of the screen. Now my eye level is at the top of the screen and I look down to see the rest. Looking downwards causes much less strain than looking up.

    • For more very good info, with detailed about ergonomics take a look at OSHA’s Ergonomic Solutions page: http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/computerworkstations/

    3 Comments

    1. Great post, you may want to look into the Swopper Stool for computer usage. It keeps you moving and active and promotes great posture.

      http://www.workchairs.com/

      Comment by Pat McCarthy — February 14, 2006 @ 5:38 pm

    2. Thanks for posting the link Pat, those stools look interesting. By the way, I really like your blog!

      Comment by Andrew — February 14, 2006 @ 8:20 pm

    3. [...] are a few different posts about carpel tunnel and ergonomics [...]

      Pingback by » Carpel Tunnel? Check your chair - Web Publishing Blog — December 10, 2008 @ 8:21 pm

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