Am I experiencing pain from my office chair?
If you are experiencing pain from my office chair, you may be able to make some adjustments that will help. Here are a few ideas for possible ways to reduce or eliminate discomfort.
Lower Back Pain from Office Chair
Lower back pain can indicate the need for lumbar support. If your chair has this feature, you need to ensure you are far enough back in the seat for it to support you. Adjust your seat slider so your back is touching the back of the chair. If your chair doesn’t have lumbar support, see if it has a seat slider adjustment, and slide the seat so that your back is touching the back of the chair.
Leg Pain from Sitting in Office Chair
Pain in your legs can be caused by a number of settings on your chair. The most common reason is that your legs aren’t correctly positioned. You knees should be bent at approximately 90 degrees. They should also be almost parallel or slightly lower than your hips. Adjust the height of your chair to achieve this posture. If leg pain persists, consider adding a foot rest so that you can alter your leg positioning throughout the day.
Shoulder Pain from Office Chair
Pain in the shoulders usually originates from the arm rest area – incorrectly positioned arm rests. Your elbows should be open at about 100-120 degrees. Move your arm rests up or down so that your arms are supported but not in a way that you are hunching up or bending your elbows at less than 90 degrees.
Office Chair Causing Neck Pain
Pain in the neck is a pain in the neck. (Sorry, we couldn’t resist.) This discomfort is often caused by having your gaze too high or too low. You should be looking straight ahead or slightly down at your computer monitor. Therefore, if you have to tilt your head too far down or up, you will likely have neck or upper back pain. Adjust your seat height to remedy this. In addition, you may consider a chair with a headrest so that you can periodically lean back and take some pressure off your neck.
Wrists Hurt from Sitting in Office Chair
Wrist pain can start from several places. The most common reason your wrist hurts is that your arm rests aren’t at the right level. As noted, your arms should be open at 100 to 110 degrees and your hands should be gently resting on your keyboard. Raise or lower your arm rests to help with this ailment. In addition, a wrist rest for your mouse and keyboard may provide relief. Finally make sure you’re not reaching too far in front of you to use your mouse and keyboard. Roll your chair forward to a comfortable position.
Tailbone Pain from Office Chair
Many people experience tailbone pain from sitting all day in their office chairs. A seat pan tilt mechanism that allows you to lean forward and back ward will help alleviate some of this discomfort. In addition, a padded seat can also provide relief.
Here’s a Visual of How Your Posture Should be When Correctly Positioned in your Office Chair
Still No Luck? Try an Adjustable Height Desk
When we discuss height adjustable desks, we often hear, “Oh no, I don’t want to stand all day – no thanks”. Height adjustable doesn’t mean you’ll need to be on your feet for 8 hours. Instead it means you’re now empowered to raise or lower your work surface to any height you like. If you’re someone who is much taller or shorter than average height, you can use a height adjustable desk to refine your work area to establish your work surface and then you can alter your chair to further enhance it. These desks are available in various configurations (standard, corner, long, short) and different colors. Finally, you can adjust your desk during the day to alternate between sitting and standing if you choose. Some people find this helps their aches and pains as well as alertness as they work. Visit our Denver showrom and try one out!
Does Your Office Chair Have the Right Adjustments?
If you have aches and pains and you’ve tried adjusting your chair, you may need one with more ergonomic features. Adjustable arm rests, a chair height adjustments, rollers, and a seat slider are crucial. A chair with lumbar support, tilt and a headrest are the best of all worlds. If you need help upgrading your chair, we’re highly experienced and here to help. Give us a call or visit our Denver showroom and try before you buy. We have new and used office chairs in-stock.