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I'm an ergonomics geek. I had bad sitting posture for years, then struggled with severe shoulder and back pain for years after that. It got so bad that I could

I'm an ergonomics geek. I had bad sitting posture for years, then struggled with severe shoulder and back pain for years after that. It got so bad that I could not sit and type for more than 15 minutes without collapsing at my desk. It became a career threatening emergency for me. I sought the support of specialists, doctors, orthopedists, physical therapists, physical trainers, etc. I did posture exercises, stretches, dry needling, replaced most of my office equipment, and so on. Now I can (finally!) work at a computer comfortably for 8 hours a day. The #1 thing that helped me was sitting forward, on the edge of the chair, with legs tucked in, and removing the arm rests so my arms hang down naturally. A lot of people say it's unnatural, therefore, unhealthy, for humans to sit for 8 hours a day, but that's not entirely true. Humans have been riding horses and camels since practically the dawn of history, sometimes for >8 hours a day, weeks at a time, however these animals do not have arm rests or back rests. The #2 thing was getting ergonomic equipment. Most office equipment is not designed for ergonomics, but economics. For a keyboard, I highly recommend the Kinesis Advantage2. The scooped design conforms naturally to the curves of the human hand. Though you have to relearn typing to an extent, it's totally worth it. You will also need an adjustable height external monitor. If you don't want to pay, don't be shy to ask your employer. It's an investment that pays off big in your efficiency. The #3 thing was doing wall slides. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOtlRQxwt3g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOtlRQxwt3g This doesn't help with the pain, but it is the only exercise I've ever tried that corrects kyphotic posture. Immediately after I started doing them, friends and family were asking me if I've gotten taller. It activates muscles in the upper back that I didn't even know existed.

muzani 9y ago
Microsoft also makes a lot of great ergonomic equipment that are priced mid range.
specialist 9y ago
Good post, much agreement, thank you, congrats on your health. I also sit forward. I think of it as active posture. I'm holding myself upright. Versus slouching. When I "lean into" my work, I imagine myself being more attentive, productive. (I wouldn't know how to measure that.) I'd only add that everyone should get regular physical therapy tune ups. I've always been active (hiking, cycling, gym) so I thought I was doing pretty good. Turns out I had been neglecting my smaller muscles and balance. I was shocked how much functionality I had lost. Like standing on one foot to put on the other sock. For further motivation, all the balance exercises have helped build my body awareness and therefore my posture.
- tboyd47 9y ago
  Yes. Best if you can get advice from both a physical therapist and physical trainer. At least meet with each one twice, so they can get you started with the right stretches and exercises.
  - specialist 9y ago
    Belated reply, sorry. Emphatic agreement on multidiscplinary strategy. But since I’m the least qualified participant, I wish my caregivers would talk to each other (coordinate) directly, instead of thru me. aka integrated care
lemonberry 9y ago
Congrats on getting yourself better. Information helps, but you've got to apply it and not everyone does. Regarding #1: Interesting observation about the horse and camel riding. However, I think there's more hip extension involved in both of those activities. I imagine there's also more muscle engagement in both too. Still an interesting point though. Makes me wonder if there's middle ground, regarding hip extension, while sitting. People typically talk about sitting vs standing at desks. I wonder if there's a place for chairs that sit higher off the ground to allow for more hip extension and sitting on the edge. All speculation on my part.
- nextos 9y ago
  Active chairs imitate that kind of activity when seating. After some years using Aeron and Embody, I switched to an active chair and never looked back. Some active chairs are listed in this old review: http://www.nerdgranny.com/review-ergonomic-chairs/ http://www.nerdgranny.com/review-ergonomic-chairs/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Opsvik https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Opsvik needs to be better known outside Scandinavia.
- ndh2 9y ago
  We'll probably see an evolution from sitting desk to standing desk to walking desk to mechanical bull desk.
  - tboyd47 9y ago
    Hah! Please no.
- ubercow13 9y ago
  A saddle chair fits that way of sitting better. Has anyone had experience with those? I have tried one briefly and it was comfortable but I am not sure what a full day's work on one would be like.
  - lemonberry 9y ago
    Interesting, I had to search for an image and recognized them right away. Hadn't really given them much thought in the past, but now I'll have to track one down and give it a shot.
trevyn 9y ago
>Humans have been riding horses and camels since practically the dawn of history Heh, riding a horse or camel, even traveling slowly, is nothing like sitting at a desk — it’s a workout in itself. Me, I prefer extended work with a laptop in bed or on a couch. So far, so good, but wrist braces also help, mainly since I do all sorts of bizarre contortions otherwise. On the other hand, I also type less and perhaps think more than many other engineers I’ve seen...
bootsz 9y ago
+1 on wall slides. Recently ended up in physical therapy for back pain, undoubtedly due to excessive sitting / bad posture. These were brutal the first couple of times but after 2 months I have a much better range of motion and noticeably less pain / stiffness

muzani 9y ago

Microsoft also makes a lot of great ergonomic equipment that are priced mid range.

specialist 9y ago

Good post, much agreement, thank you, congrats on your health. I also sit forward. I think of it as active posture. I'm holding myself upright. Versus slouching. When I "lean into" my work, I imagine myself being more attentive, productive. (I wouldn't know how to measure that.) I'd only add that everyone should get regular physical therapy tune ups. I've always been active (hiking, cycling, gym) so I thought I was doing pretty good. Turns out I had been neglecting my smaller muscles and balance. I was shocked how much functionality I had lost. Like standing on one foot to put on the other sock. For further motivation, all the balance exercises have helped build my body awareness and therefore my posture.

tboyd47 9y ago
Yes. Best if you can get advice from both a physical therapist and physical trainer. At least meet with each one twice, so they can get you started with the right stretches and exercises.
- specialist 9y ago
  Belated reply, sorry. Emphatic agreement on multidiscplinary strategy. But since I’m the least qualified participant, I wish my caregivers would talk to each other (coordinate) directly, instead of thru me. aka integrated care

lemonberry 9y ago

Congrats on getting yourself better. Information helps, but you've got to apply it and not everyone does. Regarding #1: Interesting observation about the horse and camel riding. However, I think there's more hip extension involved in both of those activities. I imagine there's also more muscle engagement in both too. Still an interesting point though. Makes me wonder if there's middle ground, regarding hip extension, while sitting. People typically talk about sitting vs standing at desks. I wonder if there's a place for chairs that sit higher off the ground to allow for more hip extension and sitting on the edge. All speculation on my part.

nextos 9y ago
Active chairs imitate that kind of activity when seating. After some years using Aeron and Embody, I switched to an active chair and never looked back. Some active chairs are listed in this old review: http://www.nerdgranny.com/review-ergonomic-chairs/ http://www.nerdgranny.com/review-ergonomic-chairs/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Opsvik https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Opsvik needs to be better known outside Scandinavia.
ndh2 9y ago
We'll probably see an evolution from sitting desk to standing desk to walking desk to mechanical bull desk.
- tboyd47 9y ago
  Hah! Please no.
ubercow13 9y ago
A saddle chair fits that way of sitting better. Has anyone had experience with those? I have tried one briefly and it was comfortable but I am not sure what a full day's work on one would be like.
- lemonberry 9y ago
  Interesting, I had to search for an image and recognized them right away. Hadn't really given them much thought in the past, but now I'll have to track one down and give it a shot.

trevyn 9y ago

>Humans have been riding horses and camels since practically the dawn of history Heh, riding a horse or camel, even traveling slowly, is nothing like sitting at a desk — it’s a workout in itself. Me, I prefer extended work with a laptop in bed or on a couch. So far, so good, but wrist braces also help, mainly since I do all sorts of bizarre contortions otherwise. On the other hand, I also type less and perhaps think more than many other engineers I’ve seen...

bootsz 9y ago

+1 on wall slides. Recently ended up in physical therapy for back pain, undoubtedly due to excessive sitting / bad posture. These were brutal the first couple of times but after 2 months I have a much better range of motion and noticeably less pain / stiffness