Step 4:

Keyboards and Mice may be pains in backs!

After making sure your feet are well supported, scooting your buttocks back in the seat, and adjusting your chair’s lumbar support are you still having back, neck or shoulder pain? Did you know it may have nothing to do with your chair? One of the common reasons for back pains at the computer is reaching for the mouse and keyboard all day long. When you sit back in your chair, can your arms rest down by your sides while you use the keyboard and mouse, or do they stick out in front of your ribs?

Try this: sit back in your chair and let your arms hang comfortably down by your sides. Check out how far from your stomach your hands sit (hint: it is the length of your forearms) Now reach forward with your hands towards your knees and pay attention to what happens to your shoulders. Can you feel them rolling forward?

The forward rolling or “looking like a turtle” puts a lot of pressure on your back, shoulders and neck. When your arms are down by your sides, they don’t weigh very much. As they slowly creep away from your sides they start to weigh more and more. This pulls your body forward.

Pull your mouse and keyboard as close to the edge of the desk as you can and then scoot under the desk. You should be close enough so that your keyboard and mouse are a forearm’s distance from you ribs.