Common problems associated with poor workstation set-up include:

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• Repetitive strain in the shoulders/elbows/wrists/hands

• Neck, upper back and/or lower back pain

• Headaches

• Tingling or sensation changes

• Loss of power

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Physiotherapy is well placed to identify workstation drivers of symptoms including pain, and advise on strategies, set-up modifications or additional pieces of equipment which can help address work related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMDs).  

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Furthermore, identification of wider environmental factors, including: lighting; ventilation; screen brightness; and noise, additional to exploring strategies to minimize their influence can really make life easier while in your working environment.

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While these measures alone can commonly lead to symptom resolution, some cases benefit further again from supplementary treatment, usually including manual therapy and home exercise prescription.

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According to a labour force survey, from the Health and Safety Executive there are 480 million workers in the UK suffering from WRMDs (as of 2019/20). Encouragingly, while there seems to have been an overall downward trend in self-reports of these, 8.9 million working days were still lost in 2019/202 to WRMDs, with working in awkward or tiring positions, as well as keyboard work being identified as some of the main causes.

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With more of the population now working from home, why not consider whether you could benefit from an ergonomic check, and Physiotherapy expertise.

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References:

Health and Safety Executive. (2020) ‘Work related musculoskeletal disorder statistics (WRMDs) in Great Britain, 2020’ (Online) Available at: https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causdis/msd.pdf [accessed 12/12/21].