Working at home brings a whole set of challenges for many of us- with the kids in the background and all the household tasks asking for attention it’s all too easy to start using the laptop at the coffee table or on the lounge for your work. Whilst this may be fine for 5-10 minutes, sitting hunched over a coffee table for any length of time will definitely cause neck and back problems. If we are working from home we need to set up a workspace that doesn’t put our neck and back at risk.
The main issue with using laptops at home for prolonged periods is that the screen and the keyboard are so closely connected. This means if you have the keyboard at a good height (arms relaxed by your side with the keyboard close to elbow level) the screen will be too low. If you have the screen at a good height (at eye level or very slightly below) then the keyboard will be too high.
The obvious solutions to this dilemma are either:
a:- use a detachable or seperate keyboard or
b:- use a desktop computer and normal keyboard.
Here at Back To Health Physiotherapy we can help with advice about your home setup. We can even check out your home work space via video link. We can also help with postural advice and relief from back and neck problems through a teleconference or with a one on one visit in our rooms in Newport. Give us a call to discuss your issues and we look forward to making the next couple of months as comfortable and productive as can be possible.
