As many people are working from home these days, it is important to think about your home work space. If your work space is not ideal, you could develop neck, shoulder, and back pain. Therefore, check out these tips below on how to create a home work space to prevent pain and injury:
- When sitting at your work space, your feet should be flat on the ground. You should be sitting all the way back in your chair so that your lower back is supported by the chair’s backrest and your knees should be about level with your hips.
- Your computer screen should be level with your eyes, and about an arm’s length away from your face.
- Your elbows should be supported by your chair’s armrests or on the surface in front of you, and your wrists should be straight as they are typing.
- While sitting at your work space, it is important to remember to keep your shoulders back and your head looking straight ahead (rather than down at a screen).
- You should perform 15-20 backwards shoulder rolls and/or 10 shoulder blade squeezes every 30 minutes to an hour as a reminder to keep your shoulders down as you work. If you feel your shoulders rising, it might be a good time to take a quick lap around the house to help your body relax.
If you have questions about your work space set-up or exercises you can perform to improve your posture, reach out to us to set up a physical therapy evaluation! We would love to help you set up your home office. During a telehealth video visit, we will be able to see your home work space to evaluate your set-up real time! To schedule, give us a call at 443-524-0442 or visit our website at www.hpt.machtmedicalgroup.com. 
Written By: Dr. Chloe Smith
Staff Physical Therapist at Harbor Physical Therapy