JOIN USRelax your back, the sensible way
Everyone who works in a computerised office is aware of ergonomic chairs; all high-end furniture retailers use the term ergonomically-designed chairs with practised ease; and when a parent wants to buy a computer table for her child, she looks for the ergonomic factor in the furniture. What does this mean?
Ergonomics has somehow assumed the notion of being less painful, or has become synonymous with no pain. But the concept of ergonomics is not about ‘no pain’. It’s about how to leverage a human being’s structure to best fit the job/ task on hand.
Long hours of repetitive work and the specialised nature of jobs often make it impossible for ergonomics to render any real benefit!
Ergonomics is the study of how natural laws of physics (biomechanics and kinesiology) determine how work is done.
Ergonomists are people who study how the natural laws that govern human posture and movement determine and interact with the demands of work.
The word ‘comfortable’ means physically relaxed and free from constraints, and ‘efficient’ means achieving maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort.
If ergonomically-manufactured chairs, tables and workstations are supposed to provide comfort, then why do techies, school kids and teenagers hooked to social networking sites report back and neck problems?
There are some simple rules that govern ergonomics:
*Posture is maintained by musculature and bones (skeleton).
*A particular posture is maintained by a particular muscle exerting a particular angle of and amount of force on a particular bone.
* The longer a particular posture is maintained, the longer particular muscles are active and the longer they apply force on the bones.
* The longer the muscles work without a break, the more they tire.
* A fatigued muscle shortens in length (a temporary or chronic shortening is called a muscular spasm), therefore applying more force on the bone and joints.
* Increased force on the bone and joint compromises its structure and movement. A joint which has short muscles will have a lesser range of motion than a joint whose muscles are normal in length.
* Posture is determined by work. Work determines which muscles and parts of the skeleton hold a particular posture while executing the task on hand.
The position which the human body assumes during work is a product of not just the height of the chair, the height and depth of the table, the distance between the eyes and the object, how far a utensil is from the shoulder, and the way the lighting and shadows are formed (where the bulbs are placed, how the shadow falls on the work area and the general luminescence), but also includes the weight of the object being worked on, work that needs to be done (be it typing, lifting a machine, pouring batter on the tava or washing dishes in a sink) and the size of the object or area of work that the work must be done in.
The other variables include the person’s height and reach. Shorter people tend to sit closer to the object, while taller people sit further away.
What holds true for all is that posture is repetitive in nature and it is held for extended periods of time.
In the study of ergonomics, the repetitiveness of the action and the duration of the action are what cause the episodes of aches and pains. Repetitive work fatigues the muscles and renders them ineffective.
All work, be it in the kitchen or the office, whether moving or staying stationary, uses some very basic muscular contractions.
Daily movement patterns involve a combination of three different types of contractions.
For example, while brushing your teeth, you would be experiencing isokinetic contraction in your biceps and forearm. If you are washing dishes, you would be experiencing isometric contracts in the lower back, neck, shoulders and chest muscles.
Long periods of washing dishes is tiring to the musculature of the back and neck, because muscle tension is high but muscle length remains the same.
Muscles cannot hold postures isometrically for extended periods of time without falling prey to fatigue. It’s same reason why an IT employee suffers back pain, even when she’s seated in an ergonomically-designed chair. Muscles are not meant to be used in the thoughtless manner in which we often use them.
Our body is designed to move, not hold one position for a long time. The work that we do and the type of movement that the work involves cause much of our injuries, aches and pains.
To help alleviate aches and pains, we must focus more on posture and movement.
For example, sitting on a stool of the right height and working on a computer is a far better proposition because the stool will make you uncomfortable earlier and compel you to get up and take a walk, which is a good thing!
The more your work pushes you to hold a particular posture for an extended period of time, the less effective and efficient do your muscles become.
Ergonomically-designed chairs and tables are great for temporary comfort; obviously to sit on a chair that is padded with a cushion and has lumbar support is far better than sitting on a stool, but it’s not always the answer to all your ills.