Time magazine has identified some useful tips for those experiencing back pains whilst working at home. I've summarised the main points here:
- View your computer screen with a straight neck - Put your screen in front of you at a comfortable viewing height. Don’t look down at your screen, like to a laptop on a table or to your phone.If you have a separate screen or if you are using a laptop, you might have to put it on a pile of books or on a cardboard box to raise it to a comfortable viewing position straight in front of you.
- Put your screen sideways to a bright window - To minimize the chances of visual eye strain from glare or partial retinal adaptation, don’t work with your back to a window, as the light coming in will cause a glare on your screen, and don’t work facing a window, as you’ll be staring into the light.
- View any paper documents with a straight neck - Don’t read from an iPad or papers that are flat on your table or your head will constantly have to move up and down.
- Put your keyboard and mouse or touchpad at a comfortable height in front of you. - If your laptop has been raised to get your screen to the right level, then use a separate keyboard and mouse. Make sure you can use the keyboard and mouse with your forearms and hands level and straight, and make sure your arm is close to the side of your body when you use a mouse.
- Alternate between typing/mousing and using voice input - Voice recognition works for most text and emails. This gives your arms, wrists and hands time to rest.
- Sit back in your chair - Don’t try to sit upright and don’t hunch forward in your chair like a turtle.When you lean forward, the lumbar spine bends out and that puts a lot of pressure on the intervertebral lumbar discs. Make sure that you can sit back in your chair so some of your body weight is being supported by the chair back and sit close enough to comfortably reach your keyboard and mouse. If the chair does not have good lower-back support, use a cushion or rolled-up towel behind your lower back. It’s a cheap and less effective substitute for an ergonomic chair, but it’s better than nothing.
- When sitting rest your feet on either the floor or a foot support - If your feet don’t reach the floor, use a box, pile of books, cushion or footrest. Don’t pull your feet back underneath the chair or let them dangle in the air–this puts pressure under the thighs, restricts blood flow to your lower legs and feet and increases your risk of a deep vein thrombosis.
- Limit the time you work on your bed - A bed is even worse for you than a chair, because unless you sit on the side of the bed, your legs will be crossed or extended horizontally, acting as support for your laptop. That’s too low for optimal screen viewing, so you’ll have to hunch over. If a bed is your only option, put a pillow behind your back to rest against the headboard and put your laptop on a cushion in your lap. Or get a low table for the laptop to go over your legs so you can type at a comfortable height without straining your neck.
- Avoid prolonged standing for computer work - The existence of standing desks makes many people believe standing is a better option for their bodies–and it’s true that it’s not healthy to remain sedentary all day–but ergonomists have long recognized that standing to work requires more energy than sitting and puts greater strain on the circulatory system and on the legs and feet.

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