How to Adjust an Ergonomic Computer Chair
Before using it, it is very important that you know how to adjust an ergonomic computer chair. A true ergonomic chair will come equipped with several adjustments, and without understanding how to set each of these up properly, and in the correct order, you will not make the best use of them in preventing back and neck pain, or even RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury).
Back pain in particular is caused by a poorly designed chair, or an ergonomic chair that has been poorly set up. It is not enough simply to purchase such as chair: you also have to adjust it to suit your personal body dimensions and way of working. Take your spine, for example. The lower region, known as the lumbar region, naturally curves inwards, so if your chair forces it to straighten up you are bound to suffer back pain, and that is just one example.
Here are some recommended steps to take to make sure that you can use an ergonomic computer chair properly so that you can work comfortably without placing undue stresses on your spine, wrists or neck.
A. Setting the Chair Height
The first step is to set the height of your computer chair. Once you have the height adjusted, then all the other adjustments can then be made. So, place your chair at your desk and sit on it. Rest your hands on the keyboard (if most of your work will be with a mouse on the desk, then rest your hands there). Adjust the height of the seat until your arms are horizontal, or at 90 degrees to your spine.
B. Comfort Check
Your feet should ideally be flat to the floor and there should be minimal pressure of your thighs against the front edge of the chair. If not, you might need a footrest, and if you are small and your feet don't hit the floor flat, then you will also need a footrest. You might need a taller chair, though that should have been known when you purchased the chair. If you are particularly tall, you will likely have to raise the height of the desk or keyboard. A small keyboard table on your desk will achieve the same result.
C. Chair Depth
You should be able to pass a clenched fist between your calf and the chair edge so that your calves are not continually knocking the front of the chair. A good ergonomic computer chair will enable you to move the backrest forward, but if not, then use a cushion against the back.
D. Lumbar Support
When you are seated with your arms out and your bottom against the back of the chair, there should be support for your lumbar region. That is the part of your back between the ribs and the bottom of your spine - it should be curved inwards and must be supported to avoid back pain. A good ergonomic computer chair will enable you to adjust that, but if not you should use a cushion. It is important that you do not have to slump back in your office chair to get back support.
E. Correct Eye Level
It is essential that your eyes are aimed at the center of the screen when you are sitting in a working position. You should not adjust the height of your chair to adjust this, but the height of the computer screen. There are computer stands available that allow you to do this. If you are looking above or below the center, then you will suffer neck strain after prolonged use.
F. Arm Rests
An ergonomically designed computer chair should have adjustable arm rests. Once you have carried out all the adjustments above, adjust the rests so that your arms are lifted slightly at the shoulders so that your shoulders are held up when you work. This takes the strain off both your shoulders and your neck.
G. Head Rest
Some chairs come with a separate adjustable head rest. To adjust this, simply adjust it so that your head rests against it when you are working. Many chairs do not offer a head rest, and while not strictly necessary, it can take some pressure off your neck when working.
Finally:
The purpose of adjusting your ergonomic computer chair correctly is to ensure that the desk and chair supports as much of your weight as possible, and also that you are sitting in as natural a position as possible. Too much office furniture is designed as though your spine were straight but it is not: there is a natural curvature for which the bones are designed, and to sit for prolonged periods with your spine in an unnatural posture will cause the discs and bones to suffer unnecessary abrasion against each other and ultimately severe and lasting pain.
Not only that, but not everybody is the same height, and neither are the various dimensions of legs, arms and body in the same proportion. That is why a standard chair with no adjustments is unsuitable for office work, or even prolonged work on a computer at home. In fact, even just a few minutes daily in a completely wrong posture can lead ultimately to serious physical problems.
So, if you work a lot with computers, whenever you purchase a new chair for your work, whether for an employer or at home, make sure it is an ergonomic chair with as many of the above adjustments as possible, and follow the instructions above how to adjust an ergonomic computer chair.
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- HOW TO ADJUST A ERGONOMIC CHAIR
- how to adjust ergonomic chair back pain
