Does your work wear you down? Does your computer set exhaust you rather than help you reduce your work load? If your answer to these questions is yes, then, you must understand the word “ergonomics”.

Ergonomics is the study of work. It aims to develop equipments, tools or devices to fit the work. It also covers the study of how to reduce risk injuries caused by the tools and equipments, such as the chair, table or computer. Ergonomics includes arrangement and adjustment of things, as well as the exercising of the correct posture. However, ergonomics have disadvantages.

The study of ergonomics is wide and the scope includes different equipments and tools. On this page, we will only discuss the problems regarding some postures and ergonomically designed computer parts.

There are devices designed to support computer parts. Examples of these are the keypad tray and mouse support tray. The purposes of these devices are to hold mouse and keypad, to allow correct posture and better viewing arrangement, and to enable our hands to freely reach for the mouse and keypad. But there are also disadvantages. These devices can cause a bent wrist and may reduce knee clearance. We can lessen the problem by adjusting the height and angle of the keypad and mouse in such a way that your hands will be comfortable and can freely move. If you have problems with space, look for a keypad tray that will hold both the keypad and mouse. Make sure that the tray is stable.

Wrists rests and forearm supports are used to prevent wrist from bending back, to reduce shoulder muscle work, and take the weight from the shoulder. The drawbacks of using these devices include forward flexion of the wrist, or it may have sharp edges that are not comfortable. You should look for a soft wrist rest and forearm support that does not have sharp edges and has the right thickness. Adjust correct height for forearm support.

One of the most important things in the office is the chair because it holds the whole body. Use a chair that you are most comfortable with. There are soft, flexible chairs available in the market. Chairs like this are expensive. The chair affects your posture, so you must adjust it to fit your body.

We use glare screens to improve screen visibility and eliminate eye strain. These screens collect dust and are difficult to clean. They can also obscure the image. Know the advantages and disadvantages of the different glare screens before you buy one.

Listen to what your body tells you. If you feel pain, do not ignore it. Know what causes the pain and do something about it. If the problem is in the devices you use, adjust or rearrange them. There are ergonomically designed devices to help you, but you should know how to use them correctly.