Working From Home? Ergonomic Tips From a Physiotherapy Clinic

Over the last year, due to COVID-19, many have transitioned to working from home full-time or occasionally. Although working from home sounds comfortable and convenient, without the proper set-up and access to ergonomic work equipment, it can cause discomfort, pain, and lead to various injuries.

But, with a few simple hacks and tweaks, you can set-up the perfect conditions and safety practices to work from home efficiently and effectively. Our physiotherapy clinic in Kington, ON has put together a quick list of ergonomic work from home tips.

Take Breaks

Regardless of whether you’re in the office or at home, this one is important. Try to avoid being seated for long periods of time. When you’re able to, stand up, move around, do a couple stretches and get the blood flowing. Prolonged positioning can lead to stiffness, soreness, or even worse long term effects. If you’re looking for recommendations, our physiotherapy clinic can help structure a daily routine to help you work from home safely.

Elevate Your Screen/Monitor

Traditional office set-ups are a physiotherapists worst nightmare. Typically, monitors are below eye level causing stress and strain on the neck. When possible, use a mouse and keyboard that are separate from your monitor/screen. This will allow you to raise or lower the screen/monitor as needed to relieve some of the stress on your body. Use books or a box to raise your screen or invest in a monitor stand riser. This simple tweak will have you thanking us in the future.

Find a Good Office Chair

Most work from home positions require you to remain seated for the majority of your day. Having a solid office chair will help you avoid back pain and discomfort. Most office chairs are height adjustable, offer some form of lower back support and armrests to help with shoulder and arm discomfort. There are many different office chairs on the market, do your research and find one that works for your needs.

Best Practices

Over the last year, we’ve seen many transition to a work from home situation. While things continue to get better, we anticipate we will see many positions remain in the ‘work from home’ setting. Putting a little bit of thought into your at home work setting will help you reduce the possibility of pain, discomfort and injury.

Our Physiotherapists at Athletico Physiotherapy can help with work related injuries like overuse injury, repetitive strain, general discomfort and more. We can also provide you guidance and insight on how to avoid these situations at home. We’ll provide you evidence backed solutions paired with a hands-on approach to get you feeling better, faster.

Experiencing discomfort or pain while working from home? Schedule a free consultation with one of our physiotherapists today!