The majority of workers today spend much of their time in front of a computer and on the phone. Since such a significant amount of time is spent at work, it’s obviously a key factor in keeping the body working right.

Monitor/keyboard/mouse placement has become common knowledge, but in case you’ve not been advised, I’ll quickly review here. Monitor and keyboard height are the most crucial measurements. The monitor should be set eye level so that your head is in a neutral position while looking at the middle of the screen.. The keyboard should be set low enough so that your fingers are lower than your wrists when typing.

Laptops are inherently an ergonomic nightmare.  The user will typically look down at the screen, which places the head into prolonged flexion. If the screen is raised high enough, the user will be putting the hands into flexion while typing, inviting carpal tunnel syndrome. The only solution is to add a separate keyboard so that each component can be placed at the proper height.

Another important consideration is what I call functional ergonomics, or how your space is setup relative to how you move within it. Once again, symmetry and balance are the key ideas:

• Do you turn to one side all day, while never looking the other way? 
  
  
• Do you perform certain activities with only one hand?
  
  
• Is your daily routine very repetitive and limited in the range of movements you perform?

For example; do you turn to your right all day to answer the phone, yet only turn to the left occasionally to use the stapler? This creates an imbalance in the strength and flexibility of crucial muscles which can contribute to pelvic dysfunction.