Transcription:

Bill Klaproth:(Host) So what is ergonomics and how can it help you set up your office for maximum working efficiency. Well, let's find out what Christy Gould Occupational Therapist at Summit Therapy and Health Services of Pullman Regional Hospital. Christy thank you so much for your time It is great to talk with you, so first off what is ergonomics and why is it important?

Christy Gould:(Guest) Thank you for having me. Ergonomics is the study of interactions between people and their environment. The elements in their environment can include things like their home, their workplace, and even where they go in the community. These elements can also include the office furniture, equipment, and systems or procedures that they use, in those environments.

Host: So the relationship between people and their environment. So how we interact with the physical things around us.

Christy: Exactly.

Host: Okay, that's really good. So what are then some of the most common issues people face as a result of poor work setups, poor, relationship with their environment?

Christy: Having a poor work set up can affect, the Employee's comfort. It can reduce their productivity and it can increase their sick days due to injuries or surgeries. This is bad for the company. And also more importantly, bad for the worker themselves. A poor set up can put them in bad body alignment, which is what can lead to the stress and strain of their joints, muscles, and other body structures. If left unchanged, over time, this can develop into further problems with tendinitis, disc injuries, and their neck or back and nerve injuries that can affect the arms and legs. One of the most common is carpal tunnel, which can affect your hands and wrists.

Host: So there is a definite financial impact then to poor ergonomics, is that right?

Christy: Very much so.

Host: Wow. So it really pays to have a good ergonomically set up work area. So then let's talk about that. What are some home office set up tips you have for people who are working remotely, which many of us are doing right now?

Christy: Yes. And that's why I'm talking about this today. It's most common to be thinking of ergonomics in a workplace, in the office building, or such. But it's not as common to think of it at home. But yeah, it's just as important. We want to avoid activities like lifting, bending, working in an awkward body posture, or performing repetitive tasks. Those are the things that put us at risk. So when you're looking at your environment, one of the most important factors is to promote good body alignment and posture, at your workstation. Whether at a workplace or at home. So what should this look like? The ideal alignment includes good back support. Most people think you have to be ramrod straight, but that's not actually true. To put our back muscles in the best position you want to be just slightly reclined. When you want to have good lumbar support either that's built into the chair or added as a cushion. You want your feet flat on the floor with your knees and hips both had about 90-degree angles. And for the upper body, you want to be facing forward with your elbows close to your body and supported. You want your wrists straight and your hands and wrists in line with your forearms. Wrist tendinitis and carpal tunnel are two of the more common injuries that can occur from a poor desk arrangement of your work equipment. Using an ergonomic keyboard or mouse to keep your hands and wrists and good alignment. And using a wrist rest, we'll help keep things straight and will help prevent those strains or repetitive type injuries like this.

Host: So we want to avoid anything like lifting, bending, like how you put it, that awkward positioning, and watch out for repetitive tasks. And then ultimately, we're looking to promote good posture and alignment. So if you're trying to do that on your own, but you're like, I just don't think I have it yet. Why and when should someone consultant ergonomically trained person for assistance?

Christy: I think, first of all, there are some online resources that can help you. If you're trying to self-assess your environment and fix your workspace. One of the more reliable sources is OSHA, which stands for occupational safety and health administration. Their website is osha.gov. They have some diagrams and postural tips for, setting up your station at home they call it the computer workstation e-tool. And so that's something that you can check out when you're getting started looking at this if you are having consistent or increasing neck back, hand, or wrist pain, then it might benefit you to see one of our occupational therapists, at Summit Therapy. You would need to get an order from the doctor if you want your medical insurance to cover this but, once you're in, then the OT will evaluate your ergonomic setup and needs and then help you decide what equipment and or what changes are needed to help you achieve a great set up for work.

Host: I can see where that is a great resource, Christy. Have you helping someone making sure that their workspace is optimized and it's ergonomically correct. I can imagine that really does help. And again, there's financial impact to this. If you're able to help someone with a keyboard setup and you help them not develop carpal tunnel syndrome, then only saves you money, but less stress on our health care system as well.

Christy: Yeah, we're really happy to be able to help people do that.

Host: Yeah, really good stuff. This has really been interesting. I love talking about this Christy. Thank you so much for your time. This has really been informative. Thank you again.

Christy: Thank you so much for having me.

Host: That's Christy Gould. And to learn more about ergonomics providers and services at Pullman Regional Hospital, please visit Pullmanregional.org. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and check out the full podcast library for topics of interest to you. This is the Health Podcasts from Pullman Regional I'm Bill Klaproth. Thanks for listening.