What's the proper height for your chair, keyboard & monitor? I get an incredible stiff neck working online?

I get an incredible stiff neck working online. Asked by Schoolville 53 months ago Similar questions: proper height chair keyboard monitor incredible stiff neck working online Computers > Hardware > Desktops & Laptops.

Similar questions: proper height chair keyboard monitor incredible stiff neck working online.

Ergonomics for working at a computer(sorry it's long) Desktops - most ergonomic guidelines for computer workstation arrangements assume that you will be using a desktop system where the computer screen is separate from the keyboard. Laptop computers are growing in popularity and are great for short periods of computer work. Guidelines for laptop use are more difficult because laptop design inherently is problematic - when the screen is at a comfortable height and distance the keyboard isn't and vice versa.

For sustained use you should consider purchasing either: an external monitor an external keyboard, preferably with a negative-tilt keyboard tray both, and a docking station and then arranging your workspace to create a good workstation layout. See "5 tips for using a Laptop Computer". What furniture will you use?

Make sure that the computer (monitor, CPU system unit, keyboard, mouse) are placed on a stable working surface (nothing that wobbles) with adequate room for proper arrangement. If this work surface is going to be used for writing on paper as well as computer use a flat surface that is between 28"-30" above the floor (suitable for most adults). You should consider attaching a keyboard/mouse tray system to your work surface.

Choose a system that is height adjustable, that allows you to tilt the keyboard down away from you slightly for better wrist posture (negative tilt), and that allows you to use the mouse with your upper arms relaxed and as close to the body as possible and with your wrist in a comfortable and neutral position. Thinking about a sit-stand workstation, see below. Thinking about a height-adjustable split workstation, see below.

What chair will be used? Choose a comfortable chair for the user to sit in. If only one person is using this the chair can even be at a fixed height providing that it is comfortable to sit on and has a good backrest that provides lumbar support.

If more than one person will be using the computer, consider buying and a chair with several ergonomic features. Studies show that the best seated posture is a reclined posture of 100-110 degrees NOT the upright 90 degree posture that is often portrayed. In the recommended posture the chair starts to work for the body and there are significant decreases in postural muscle activity and in intervertebral disc pressure in the lumbar spine.

Erect sitting is NOT relaxed, sustainable sitting, reclined sitting is. Chair armrests - Having armrests on a chair can be helpful to aid getting into and getting out of the chair. Also, the armrests can be useful for the occasional resting of the arms (e.g. When on the phone, sitting back relaxing).

However, it is not a good idea to permanently wrest the forearms on armrests while you are typing or mousing because this can compress the flexor muscles and some armrest can also compress the ulnar never at the elbow. Ideally, it should be easy to get the armrests out of the way when you need to have free access to the keyboard and mouse. These days most office chairs have armrests and many of them have adjustable height armrests, so look for a chair that is a comfortable fit to you and that has broader, flatter, padded armrests that you can easily move out of the way if needed is the best approach.

If you are able to occasionally rest your hands on the keyboard on a palm rest and if you have a comfortable chair that does not have any armrests then this is also quite acceptable. What kind of work will the computer be used for? Try to anticipate what type of software will be used most often.

Word processing - arranging the best keyboard/mouse position is high priority. Surfing the net, graphic design - arranging the best mouse position is high priority. Data entry- arranging the best numeric keypad/keyboard is a high priority.

Games - arranging the best keyboard/mouse/game pad is a high priority. What can you see? Make sure that any paper documents that you are reading are placed as close to the computer monitor as possible and that these are at a similar angle - use a document holder where possible.

The computer monitor should be placed: directly in front of you and facing you, not angled to the left or right. This helps to eliminate too much neck twisting. Also, whatever the user is working with, encourage him/her to use the screen scroll bars to ensure that what is being viewed most is in the center of the monitor rather than at the top or bottom of the screen.

Center the monitor on the user so that the body and/or neck isn't twisted when looking at the screen. However, if you are working with a large monitor and spend most of your time working with software like MSWord, which defaults to creating left aligned new pages, and you don't want to have to drag these to more central locations, try aligning yourself to a point about 1/3rd of the distance across the monitor from the left side. Put the monitor at a comfortable height that doesn't make the user tilt their head up to see it or bend their neck down to see it.

When you are seated comfortably, a user's eyes should be in line with a point on the screen about 2-3" below the top of the monitor casing (not the screen). Sit back in your chair at an angle of around 100-110 degrees (i.e. Slight recline) and hold your right arm out horizontally, your middle finger should almost touch the center of the screen.

From that starting position you can then make minor changes to screen height and angle to suit. Research shows the center of the monitor should be about 17-18 degrees below horizontal for optimal viewing, and this is where it will be if you follow the simple arm extension/finger pointing tip. You actually see more visual field below the horizon than above this (look down a corridor and you'll see more of the floor than the ceiling), so at this position the user should comfortably be able to see more of the screen.

If the monitor is too low, you will crane their neck forwards, if it's too high you'll tilt their head backwards and end up with neck/shoulder pain. Bifocals and progressive lens - even if you wear bifocals or progressive lens, if you sit back in your chair in a reclined posture (with you back at around 110 degrees) that is recommended for good low back health, rather than sitting erect at 90 degrees, and if you slightly tilt the monitor backwards and place this at a comfortable height you should be able to see the screen without tilting your head back or craning your neck forwards. Postural problems with bifocals can occur if you sits erect or even hunched forwards.

The problem with low monitors is that they cause neck flexion and suffer more from glare. Recent studies have shown that the best position for a computer monitor is for the center of the screen to be at around 17.5 degrees below eye level. Try to align your eyes with the top of the viewing area of the screen, and this should put the center about right geometrically.

Viewing distance - the monitor should be at a comfortable horizontal distance for viewing, which usually is around an arms length (sit back in your chair and raise your arm and your fingers should touch the screen). At this distance you should be able to see the viewing area of the monitor without making head movements. If text looks too small then either use a larger font or magnify the screen image in the software rather than sitting closer to the monitor.

Screen quality - use a good quality computer screen. Make sure that the text characters on your screen look sharp, and that they are a comfortable size (you can change the screen resolution to find a comfortable and clear character size). If you can see the screen flickering out of the corner of your eye you should try increasing the refresh rate of your monitor (with a PC you can change monitor resolution and refresh rates using the Monitor control panel in your Settings folder, with a Mac you can use the Monitor control panel).

You can also consider using a good quality glass anti-glare filter or an LCD display (like a laptop screen). Eye checkup - there are natural changes in vision that occur in most people during their early 40's.It's a good idea to periodically have your eyes checked by a qualified professional. If any screen adjustments feel uncomfortable then change them until the arrangement feels more comfortable or seek further professional help.

Use a document holder that can be comfortably seen:use an in-line document holder that sits between the keyboard/keyboard tray and screen and is aligned with your body midline so that all you have to do is look down to see the documents and raise your eyes to see the screen. Use a screen-mounted document holder and position this to the side of your screen that is your dominant eye use a freestanding document holder and position this next to the side of the screen and slightly angle it so that it follows a curve from the side of the screen. Posture, posture posture!

Good posture is the basis of good workstation ergonomics. Good posture is the best way to avoid a computer-related injury. To ensure good user posture: Watch the user's posture!

Make sure that the user can reach the keyboard keys with their wrists as flat as possible (not bent up or down) and straight (not bent left or right). Make sure that the user's elbow angle (the angle between the inner surface of the upper arm and the forearm) is at or greater than 90 degrees to avoid nerve compression at the elbow. Make sure that the upper arm and elbow are as close to the body and as relaxed as possible for mouse use - avoid overreaching.

Also make sure that the wrist is as straight as possible when the mouse is being used. Make sure the user sits back in the chair and has good back support. Also check that the feet can be placed flat on the floor or on a footrest.

Make sure the head and neck are as straight as possible . Make sure the posture feels relaxed for the user. Sources: http://ergo.human.cornell.edu/ergoguide.html .

It starts from the ground up. First, the proper height for your chair seat is determined by the length of your lower legs. When you sit in your chair, your thighs should be parallel to the ground, your knees at 90 degree angles, and your feet flat on the floor.

Then the keyboard height and position should be such that your upper arms can hang straight down, and your elbows are also at 90 degrees. Then the monitor height should be set so that the top edge of your monitor is at or slightly below eye level. It should be far enough away that when your hands are on the keyboard, you should be able to reach up and just touch the monitor.

And it could possibly even be farther away. You need a desk and a keyboard tray that allow that room. That is the ergonomic common wisdom, but I personally like to lean back a bit.So my monitor is set a little lower, and I use a very long keyboard tray arm, so it can reach me even when I am leaning back.

Other problems can create subtle tensions. I find that a regular mouse doesn't work for me. Since it forces your hand to lay flat, you have to hold your elbow out a little.

That causes problems all up and down the arm and into the shoulder. I use a Renaissance Mouse from 3M.It looks like a joystick, but you use your entire arm to skate it around on the mousepad. Your hand takes the the natural handshake position.

I love mine. I have three. Sometimes people with vision problems will unconsciously bring their heads closer and closer to the monitor, so they are hunched over their keyboards with their heads about a foot away from the monitor.

They need to either get new glasses or get a bigger monitor. But all that is just about the equipment. It is possible your stiff neck is caused by poor posture or seating position.

If you are habitually tight or out of position, you should see a massage therapist to begin to loosen those muscles, so your range of motion can increase. You can't hold your head in the right position if your muscles don't let you. You can also try electric massagers or just stretching, but in my experience, a therapist is most effective and gives the longest-lasting results.

Then you can try to hold your head up. Visualize your head hanging from a thread attached to the top of your skull, and your neck hanging vertically below it. It won't actually be vertical, but it may be close.

Take regular breaks to stretch and relax your neck and shoulders. You can't do it quickly by snapping your head to one side or twisting violently. It takes a few minutes of steady, gentle stretching.

Here are some stretches for your entire body, including your neck. And be aware of your general state of tension. Stress can cause you to tense your neck and shoulder muscles unconsciously.

By noticing your state of stress and consciously relaxing, you can prevent that. Good luck! Karlc's Recommendations 3M Office RM500GPL RENAISSANCE MOUSE ERGO Average Customer Rating: 4.0 out of 5 (based on 4 reviews) From what I have seen, this is the best of the ergonomic mice (mouses?

). It comes in two sizes, so you need to measure your hand. And it takes a little time to get used to.

But it really makes a difference. You can find them sometimes on ebay.

It depends on you So many things depend on your height and body size (length of arms, legs, your vision, etc). This is a great site, which details every aspect of how to be comfortable and functional using a computer. Some excerpts: The best distance (for a monitor) is "as far away as possible while still being able to read it clearly."

Longer distances relax the eyes. The "conventional" 18-24 inch recommendation is unnecessarily close. ... There’s nothing wrong with pushing the keyboard back farther if the forearms are supported, provided the wrist is kept straight and the elbows aren’t resting on anything hard or sharp.

Usually, to make a pushed-back keyboard work, the worksurface should be higher than elbow height.... (For) the mouse...(c)loser is usually better -- next to the keyboard is the goal. ...The legs should move very often, not stay fixed in the ninety degree position. The chair should, if possible, be low --- low enough for the feet to rest on the floor, even when extended..... Variation from elbow height (for the keyboard) is fine, especially in the lower-than-elbow direction....The keyboard angle depends entirely on the forearm angle, and should be in the same plane as the forearm.So, a low keyboard should be slanted back.

.... (E)ye height is the highest a monitor should be, not the best height. Many people find a low monitor to be more comfortable for the eyes and neck. Sources: office-ergo.com/conventi.htm .

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.