Is this Good or Bad posture

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• Is this Good or Bad posture?

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Office Ergonomics

• Creating efficient and comfortable working
  conditions
• Eva Mikruit, Crystal Glahn and Nick Rutigliano
• Touro College School of Health Sciences
• Doctorate of Physical Therapy
• Class of 2008

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Objectives

• By the end of todays Discussion you
• will be able to
• Define ergonomics
• Design an efficient workspace environment
• Demonstrate proper body mechanics for your work
  station
• Demonstrate preventative steps for injury
• Demonstrate upper extremity stretches at the
  office
• Perform therapeutic exercises at the office

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Ergonomics

• Definition The applied science of equipment
  design, as for the
• workplace, intended to maximize productivity by
  reducing operator
• fatigue and discomfort.
• Goal Prevent musculoskeletal disorders by
  surveying the workplace, take preventative steps,
  relying on employee, input, and addressing the
  problems early.

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Human Body

• Designed to be an upright, dynamic
• system
• Not built to sustain prolonged muscle
• contractions
• Inappropriate posture stress to the
• body pain
• Americans spend increasing number of
• hours in front of desks and computers

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Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD)

• Micro trauma to the body involving
• Muscles
• Nerves
• Tendons
• Ligaments
• Joints
• Spinal Discs
• Cartilage
• Ultimately causing Low Back/Neck Pain, Carpal
  Tunnel, and Epichondylitis!!

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MSD Signs and Symptoms

• Signs
• ? ROM
• ? Grip strength
• Loss of Function
• Swelling
• Cramping
• Redness
• Color loss

• Symptoms
• Muscle Fatigue
• Aching
• Burning
• Numbness
• Stiffness
• Tingling

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Unsatisfactory Work Station

• Monitor too low
• Keyboard to high, wrists bent
• Chair too high
• No arm rest on chair
• Forward head posture

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Satisfactory Work Station Design

• Feet flat on floor
• Knees at 90 degree angle
• Back resting against chair with adjustable lumbar
  support
• Shoulders relaxed
• Elbows at 90 degress
• Wrists neutral
• Monitor at eye level
• Adjustable computer chair
• Minimize glare and reflections

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Office Stretches

• Levator Scapulae stretch
• Pectoralis
• Low Back

• Rhomboid
• Trunk Rotation
• People with back or spinal problems are advised
  to see a specialist before trying these
  exercises!!

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Wrist and Hand Stretches

• Wrist flexion/extension stretch

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Upper Extremity Exercises

• Standing Chin Tuck

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• Shoulder blade pinches

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• Shoulder Shrugs

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Exercises for Wrist and Hand

• Pronation/Supination and Grip

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Statistics

• 1.8 million annual ergonomic work related
  musculoskeletal injuries
• 90 million dollars total injury cost per year
• ?Amount of lost workdays secondary to injuries
  (30 days on avg)
• 70 of Carpal Tunnel
• 62 of Tendonitis
• (Amell et. al.)

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Evidence Based

• Effect of a workplace design and training
  intervention on individual performance
• Study was published in Work Journal 2006
• Findings Workplace design and ergonomic training
  significantly increased employee satisfaction,
  individual performance and group effectiveness.
  (Robertson, et al. 2006)

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Conclusion

• Work Station Design
• Maintain correct posture
• Perform office stretches
• Practice Prevention!!

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References

• Amell T. Kumar S, Work related musculoskeletal
  disordersDesign a prevention strategy.JOR
  200111255-265.
• Makofsky HW, Spinal manual therapy. Slack
  Inc.Thorofare.2003
• Robertson MM Huang, YH. Effect of a workplace
  design and training intervention on individual
  performance, group effectiveness and
  collaboration the role of environmental control.
  Work 2006273-12.
• Office Ergonomics A guide for employees. Charles
  Sturt Univ. www.csu.edu.au/division/healsafe/MH.ht
  m

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• Questions?
• Thank You!