DHA public health experts offer tips to reduce body aches and eye strain caused by desk work | Article

Many adults in the United States have jobs that require them to work on a computer for eight or more hours per day. This is in addition to the time spent using the computer or mobile phone to watch television or otherwise use it for entertainment. Sitting at a desk in front of a screen can have a negative impact on your health, as you spend less time doing aerobic exercise and increase the strain on your body and eyes.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, maintaining poor posture for long periods of time and performing the same or similar tasks repeatedly are leading causes of musculoskeletal disorders such as neck, shoulder and back pain, and carpal tunnel syndrome. One. Leg pain and swelling have also been observed in studies of prolonged sitting in adults. clinical medicine journal.

These work-related situations are the most frequently reported causes of lost or restricted working time. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention points out, the dangers of long hours associated with sedentary work are associated with a variety of chronic diseases, musculoskeletal pain and orthopedic conditions, metabolic syndrome diabetes, and ultimately contribute to premature death.

Military public health experts agree.

“Work-related musculoskeletal injuries account for some of the highest costs of injury claims and lost work time in the Department of Defense,” said Dr. John Pentikis.

“In addition to finding solutions to reduce injuries associated with repetitive tasks, lifting heavy objects, or vibrating equipment, we , we are regularly asked for help with health concerns related to poor posture and static sitting postures commonly seen at computer workstations.”

Injuries caused by eye strain are also a concern.

“Our eyes are designed to focus at a distance, so having to adapt to a working environment where everything is close together can be taxing on the eyes,” says the DHA Department of Public Health. says Army Maj. William Garrison, a working optometrist.

Garrison explains that staring at a computer screen for long periods of time each day can lead to blurred vision, dry eyes, and headaches.

What can you do?

You may not be able to avoid computer work at work. However, with some simple changes, you can make working time at a computer workstation less stressful on your body and eyes. These changes not only improve comfort, but also help reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders and vision problems.

Both Dr. Pentikis and Major Garrison. monitor position This is a particularly important element in mitigating these risks.

“The optimal monitor position depends on your eye height, monitor size, viewing distance, and viewing angle,” says Pentikis. “Although military personnel and Department of Defense employees can contact us for professional ergonomics advice, there are general things anyone can do to improve posture and reduce eye strain. I recommend some steps.”

Here are some tips from various DHA public health fact sheets.

• Align the monitor screen over the keyboard. Make sure your keyboard, mouse, and monitor are positioned in front of your body so you don’t have to twist your body or neck.
• Place the top of the monitor at eye level while sitting and tilt your head slightly down so you can see the center of the screen. Tilt the screen slightly to match your line of sight and avoid glare.
• If your monitor is too low, place it on a monitor stand or a stable box if necessary. Many flat screen monitor stands are height adjustable. Alternatively, use a book or folder to raise the monitor so the top of the monitor is at eye level.
• Using the height of your desk as a starting point, adjust the height of your chair so that your forearms and wrists are parallel to the floor. Adjust the armrest to support your upper arm. please confirm-
• My shoulders are relaxed.
• Your upper arms should be close to your body.
• Forearms and wrists should be parallel to the floor
• Don’t let your feet dangle. If the height of your chair prevents you from resting your feet comfortably on the floor, add a footrest. Make sure your ankle and knee joints are at a 90 degree angle.
• Reduces eye strain and headaches.
• Keep your monitor screen at arm’s length.
• Use the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, take a 20 second break and look at something at least 20 feet away.
• Purchase glasses for close reading, such as bifocals and progressive lenses for computers.
• Blink frequently to keep your eyes moist.
• Increase the font size and use a more readable font style.
• Clean the screen.
• Adjust brightness and contrast.
• Reduces sources of glare and light reflected on the screen.
• Make sure the light is in front of the screen.
• Consider adding an anti-glare coating to your glasses to reduce reflections from the front of the lenses.

If you wear bifocals, you may want to position your monitor low so you can see it through the bottom of your glasses. Prescription computer glasses are set to match the distance between your eyes and the monitor. This eliminates the need to tilt your head back to view the screen through the bottom half of your bifocal glasses.

Additional recommendations

• Perform appropriate aerobic and weight-bearing exercise. Adults are also encouraged to reduce their sedentary voluntary and recreational time. The CDC recommends that adults do at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking or water aerobics, each week. An adult should also do strength-building activities such as weight training and push-ups at least two days a week. By following these activity guidelines, you’ll not only feel better, function better, and sleep better, but you’ll reduce your risk of many health problems, including obesity, type II diabetes, and heart disease.
• Computer use for gaming/leisure. Some people have their work computers and monitors properly set up, but when they switch to leisure activities like playing video games or using their smartphones, proper working posture and positioning at the computer is completely ignored. I’ll put it away. Remember your posture, assess your screen distance, and be aware of how much time you spend sitting during these recreational activities.
• Use a stable and supportive seating surface.
• Make sure to hold your controller or phone in a natural position on your wrist.
• Get up and stretch, take regular breaks, and change positions to give your eyes a rest.

For more information, see the following resources:

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