Years ago, we all thought this working from home business was temporary. The problems created by working from home, the couch or bed are starting to bring people into my chiropractic office. Many of my patients are working on improving their work from home stations to lessen neck pain and feel better. Here is a video with a few tips to avoid neck pain when working from home.
The most important piece of equipment needed is your chair. I am a big fan of Steelcase chairs as they have numerous adjustments, the most important one is adjustable arms. I found mine on Craigslist in a guy's garage who used to buy old office space furniture and resell it. It was VERY reasonably priced. Having adjustable arms will lessen neck pain by improving your work from home station because your arms will stop dangling from your neck and be supported.
The next most important piece of equipment is a docking station so you stop using the track pad as well as have a screen that separates from the keyboard. Your screen needs to be placed so the menu bar is at eye level and the keyboard needs to be placed so that your elbows are at 90 degrees from your body. This can't be achieved on a regular laptop so if that is your strategy, read further and stop that silliness now.
I LOVE my split keyboard and vertical mouse.
This is an example of the type of keyboard that I have in my office. It reduces shoulder, wrist and elbow strain. A vertical mouse is also a necessity for frequent mouse users. A vertical mouse keeps your forearm and hand in a position the reduces strain on your wrist, elbow and tendons of your hand. The general rule is the larger the mouse, the less strain on your hand.
This is similar to the one that I have at my desk. I have found it immensely helpful with my own chronic hand problems. It causes you to have a nice loose grip and keeps your hand in a more neutral position versus a regular mouse that causes an extreme amount of unnatural internal rotation.
To conclude, a chair that can be adjusted to fit your body with a lumbar support and adjustable arms, a split keyboard, a vertical mouse and a screen that separates your laptop from your keyboard are critical components to you feeling good while working from home or anywhere else.
These tips are helpful but might not be enough. Usually seeing a chiropractor will be very helpful to feeling better.
Looking for a trusted chiropractor near me? Our expert Plymouth chiropractor provides personalized care to relieve pain and improve your wellness, right in the heart of Plymouth, MN.
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