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"Your back pain depends on the amount of hair under the chair's wheels"- sounds like a joke, right?
Not at all.
Good ergonomics and proper sitting, like other things in health, depend on seemingly minor but important details.
How does the condition of the wheels affect back pain?
To answer, let's see the relations between: chair, sitting, and back muscles:
We sit between 9-16 hours a day, sitting is not a natural body posture and is necessarily unhealthy.
All researches recommend reducing sitting to at least half an hour of continuous sitting.
And yet, most of the work being done today is and will be done sitting.
How can you sit without sitting?
One of the solutions proposed in ergonomics is: " the best position is the next position."
In simple words – changing body posture and sitting shape regularly to prevent prolonged strain on pressure points in the body.
In my ergonomic consultations and training I guide people to switch between three basic positions:
Dynamic sitting. (front edge of the seat without a backrest), Supported sitting. (back and seat closely attached to the backrest), "Lying" sitting. ( half-sitting position leaning back over 110 degrees).
In each of these positions, you still need to keep your hands relaxed and not strained while maintaining proper distance eye-screen (about 70 cm).
Hence, the issue of the wheel and chair movement becomes significant, as seen in the pictures*
When we change the sitting posture, we will need to adjust the chair distance un order to maintain the proper distance of the eye/screen and good hand posture.
Assuming we work 9 hours and change our sitting position 3-4 times an hour (including other movements), we move our chair at least 35 times on average every day.
If it is uncomfortable and difficult, even slightly, to move the chair, we simply won't do it!
The harder to move the chair, due to, for example, accumulated debris in the wheels, the less likely we are to adjust it to the optimal position.
Although it seems like a small and insignificant number of times, the weight of it is immense because we focus on our work!
We don't pay attention.
Let's say the chair is slightly too far, causing an extend lean forward of 5 degrees – this lean will occur throughout all 9 hours of sitting.
This is an enormous burden on the lower back muscles!
Our back pain, which may appear long after the workday itself, is created at those moments.
What is the proper chair movement distance, and how can we ensure it?
In general, the chair distance should always allow a relaxed and convenient body posture.
The chair has to adjust to you -not the opposite!
1.Some ergonomic chairs come with low-quality wheels – make sure to verify with the manufacturer the quality and warranty of the wheels.
- In professional ergonomic chairs there is an option for adjust wheel to a smooth surface \ carpet – this way the wheel will allow for smoother movement on the surface.
- Clean the wheel bearings (yes, turn it over, bend, and clean).
- Periodically checking the wheels. in most ergonomic chairs, there are 5-6 wheels, and just one being faulty is enough to create the described problem.
Above all, make sure to change the chair's distance and sitting position every 20 minutes.
Summarize –
Maintaining the proper functioning of your computer chair's wheels has a significant impact on your back pain, correct posture, and work productivity.
Small damage and small loads in posture sitting over a long period create significant harm!
Good ergonomics are not just about the equipment but also about its proper use.
Changing your body posture while sitting is a key element in preventing back pain.
Erez Alon, Ergonomic Consultant
*In another article, I will discuss how to perform these types of postures correctly, their anatomical reasons, and how to implement them.
* All rights reserved – Erez Alon, Ergonomics in Motion.
