Computer Ergonomics: The Truth About Raising Your Computer Monitor
on May 15 in Chiropractic Blog posted ergonomics, posture by Dr. Camp
Ergonomics experts have long said keep the top of your screen level with your eyes when working on your computer. This sets up bad posture that can deleteriously affect the health of you neck and upper back.
Commonly Known as Computer Geek Syndrome
Raise your monitor so that the bottom third of the screen is level with your eyes which may feel strange when you first do it. You should actually feel like you are looking up a little which will place your head firmly over your shoulders.
The test… Sit up straight in front of your computer as your parents told you to, and have a colleague stand next to you looking at your posture. Then look at your monitor as if you were working. If your colleague sees your head move forward, down or most likely both, you NEED to raise your monitor.
The rational:
1) The human Body is about seventy percent water.
2) Water flows down hill.
3) If you sit with the head forward and looking down for eight hours a day or more in some of your cases.. the ligaments in the back of the neck will stretch altering the normal curvature of the spine and stressing the rest of the system. This can actually cause low back pain over time.
4) The skull is a twelve-pound weight on a six-inch lever arm exerting stresses into the rest of the spine. We want to keep it over our shoulders.
