I was in the car with a colleague. The traffic was heavy; he needed to get into the right lane in time for an upcoming start. As cars sped by left and right, I could read the pain in his face as she strained to look over her right shoulder. “I’m like this every time I have to spend long hours in front of the computer,” she complained. In an effort to help, I turned around to check oncoming traffic in order to guide her safely into the exit lane. Since that day, on several occasions, I’ve seen that look on her face, the familiar pang and wince. She had been helping her husband with a work project at night and went from a day on the computer to long nights on the computer. She was taking a toll.
Shoulder and neck pain—caused by sitting in the wrong chair for hours on end, usually in front of a computer—has reached epic proportions around the world. Just as it is vitally important to sleep on a mattress that supports and aligns the body correctly during sleep, it is equally important to support the spine in an ergonomically designed chair during the workday. The term “ergonomics” refers to the science used in the design of spaces and a variety of products in order to prevent injuries in the workplace. There are desks, lighting, tools and all kinds of machinery, as well as workspaces, that are ergonomically designed to allow for long-term, injury-free productivity.
Slipped discs, pinched nerves and muscle spasms, shoulder and neck pain keep chiropractors’ offices full. However, there is absolutely no need to suffer. Computer-induced illnesses are preventable, folks, and the upside is that we can stay wonderfully comfortable all day while increasing productivity. Our needs have been met through a variety of state-of-the-art chairs, magnificently designed for the task of allowing the body to sit and move in alignment, avoiding chronic and sometimes irreversible injuries. Don’t wait until it’s too late! Make shoulder pain and neck pain a thing of the past and live pain free from now on.
The superstar of these avant-garde treasures is the AERON chair, made by Herman Miller. It’s the Mercedes of ergonomic chairs, providing a delightfully comfortable support system that allows the body to move, flex and align during long hours of work. This was adopted by the Museum of Modern Art for its permanent collection. Talk about approval.
Another great option is the EMBODY chair, also by Herman Miller. The body itself is not the only thing that suffers during a prolonged session in front of the computer. Our brain also takes a beating, due to low oxygenation due to the blood supply to the brain being cut off. Decreased oxygen spells decrease brain power and torpor, therefore slowing production. This is the Mind/Body chair. It is designed to allow healthy blood flow through the extremities to the brain.
Once these amazing feats of technology are experienced, the prospect of spending days (and months) in a typical office-supply store-caliber chair again seems ludicrous. It’s asking for trouble, right at the top of the warning list with bugs like sleeping on a poor mattress or wearing ill-fitting athletic shoes. What once seemed like a splurge is now clearly a very practical investment in holistic health. It is a “Quality of Life” choice that will pay off in the future.
If you suffer from shoulder pain and neck pain associated with hours of poor posture while working at the computer, don’t waste time bringing the salvation of a great, ergonomically designed computer/desk chair into your life.
You will not regret!
-Karen S.