Check List for a Pain-Free Home Office from Relax The Back

Nearly 4.2 million people worked at home in 2000, according to the most recent U.S. Census, up from 3.4 million in 1990. That's a 23 percent increase - double the growth of the overall work force during the decade. That figure only includes people who work most days during the week at home, not the countless others whose time is more evenly divided between their employer's office and their home office. Plus, there are millions of people who spend their free time on their home computer handling finances, responding to email, and playing games (94 million people were using the Internet at home in 2000).

Invest in a good office chair that fits your body and your workspace needs.
The chair is your most important piece of office equipment - and it can save you from low back pain, the most prevalent work-related problem. Over the past decade, technology has eliminated the need to get up and walk around - so we're spending longer periods of time sitting in one place. Your task chair should encourage movement, fit the user, and position you in a slightly reclined position - not the 90 degree angle your mother always promoted when she told you to sit up straight. Understand that getting the right chair may cost as much $500 or more, but is an investment in yourself that is well worth it.

Humanscale Freedom Task Chair
Visit www.relaxtheback.com

Make sure your computer monitor is placed correctly.
Position it directly in front of you with the top of the monitor at or below eye level. We actually see better below the horizon than above. If you're using a CPU, place it on the floor - not as a base for your monitor. If you use a laptop, make sure you use a device that adjusts the monitor screen properly to avoid "laptop slouch." Also, resist the temptation to work on your laptop while sitting slumped on your couch. Laptops, while increasingly popular as home office computers, are great examples of technology advancing - with ergonomics taking a step backwards.

Avoid pressure points.
Focused pressure on specific points of the body can cause circulation problems, and even nerve damage. Fingers, palms, forearms, thighs, feet - anywhere that your body is compressed for long periods can lead to problems. The best way to achieve the right keyboard position - the source of many pressure point problems - is with the use of an articulated keyboard holder with negative tilt adjustability.

Get your lighting right.
Eye strain is the number one office complaint, although poor lighting also can be at the heart of neck and back pain. Brighter light is not always better. Different tasks require different types of lighting. For example, reading a document requires four to five times more light than viewing a monitor. Task lighting offers the best direct and adjustable source of light where it is needed most, helping you eliminate computer screen glare while boosting light for the task at hand.

Ask for help.
Most consumers are not going to become experts in ergonomics. Nor do they want to make the mistake of purchasing the wrong equipment and having to replace it long before it wears out. The solution: do your homework and your shopping where you can try out the products firsthand and where you can speak to trained professionals who understand musculoskeletal dynamics and are knowledgeable about product features and customized solutions. Relax The Back, with more than 100 stores nationwide, has the products and the expertise to help you set up your ideal home office. To find a location near you, call 1-888-63RELAX (1-888-637-3529).