Office chairs are very popular in this generation, mainly because a large number of heavy physical work has been replaced by machinery, and many work types have been transformed into office work. From the perspective of disease prevention, some of the high occupational hazards from heavy physical work have been reduced. But we need to know that there are still some work-related diseases in even office work, such as:Shoulder and neck pain, lower back pain. The risk factors mainly areSedentary work, poor posture or operating angle. Luckily,significant improvement can be achieved through correct selection of office equipment. However, before choosing, you must have a certain understanding of the so-called correct posture, in order to successively evaluate your situation.

In advanced countries,Ergonomicsis already a mainstream. There is a certain consensus on the recommendations for sitting posture. According toInstitute of Labor and Occupational Safety and HealthandNational Institutes of HealthAfter comprehensive data adjustment and suggestions, the author is roughly as follows:

The suggestions in the figure above can be consistent with a simple core concept:

Maintain the body in a sitting position that "leasts extra effort".

Therefore, a good sitting posture is:to place the feet horizontally on the ground, the thighs can get good flat support on the chair cushion, the back can get a good angle and support through the back of the chair, the arms naturally sag without abduction or extension, and the head is not lowered, etc. However, the positions of desks, chairs, computer screens, etc. may all interact with each other. For example, when the office chair is not high enough and we still need to work with our hands on the desk, the arms will then be extended. Or, when the office chair is too high, people with small stature may have their toes or even their feet hanging in the air.

In order to solve this situation, many adjustable devices have been added to today's office chairs, such as:height adjustment, backrest angle adjustment, armrest adjustment, neck pillow, etc. But we also know thatthe more features, the higher the price. Then, from a doctor’s point of view, what is the priority of these functions? When considering the budget, how should we choose? The following is an explanation in order of priority. The more important functions are in the front!

【Key points for office chair selection】

1. Chair height adjustment

Each person’s height is different, so the requirements for the height of the chair are also different. In order toplace the feet horizontally on the ground, and let the thighs get good flat support on the chair cushion, the height adjustment of the chair is absolutely necessary! But sometimes because the height of the desk is fixed and high, in order to avoid arm abduction or extension, the chair is raised and the feet are a little dangling. What should you do then? At this time, you can consider adding a simple foot pad (stacking discarded books is a good way to save money), and the problem of dangling feet can be solved!

2. Chair back adjustment

The height of the back of the chair should be at least half of your entire back, which provides enough support. As for the adjustment function, there are also different forms. Some are for the adjustment of the spine angle (such as: for the lumbar support for the lordosis), and some are for the tilt angle adjustment of the entire back of the chair. In order of priority,the lumbar lordosis support is prioritized, and then the tilt angle adjustment of the back of the chair will be considered..

3. Chair wheels

In office work, you may need to face different directions. An office chair with wheels will greatly reduce the difficulty of position movement, and thenreduce excessive torsion of neck and waist.

4. Armrest adjustment

Although the armrests can indeed provide elbow support, the actual demand is not high. The reason is simple. When the elbow is resting on the armrest, the hand can swing only at a very limited angle. However, your hands are unlikely to be fixed in one position all the time during work. In addition, a good desktop height itself can provide partial support for your forearms. Therefore, armrests are more dispensable.

5. Neck support

The neck support is usually unable to provide assistance during work. Unless the height of the computer screen or desktop rises significantly, otherwise, the neck pillow is actually only helpful when the user leans back and rests.

Based on the above, we believe that everyone has a better idea about the selection of office chairs. Although the ergonomics involved is very extensive, you can still choose a good office chair by following the above suggestions!

【MyDocSay tips】
To avoid shoulder/neck and lower back pain,avoiding sitting or maintaining the same posture for a long timeis the most important key. Therefore,it is recommended to get up and move around every hour. But considering that many people often ignore this when they are busy, you can try to put a bottle of water next to you and drink it whenever you see it. Then, In addition to maintaining the body's metabolism and urinary tract health by drinking plenty of water, when you want to go to the toilet, you will get up and move!