Homeworking ergonomics has brought a lot of media attention to Plein le Dos, my posture manual in French. This time, two of the recently published articles have been translated in English. Click on the images below to read them.

Many of you have to stay at home due to the coronavirus spreading worldwide. One of the challenges will be to protect your musculoskeletal health while working at home, where the working conditions are usually not as good as at work. You will find detailed advice to adjust your workstation and improve your posture on the free summary of my course on screen work ergonomics. 

Below are pictures of the homeworking desk that I made for my wife, inside her Ikea closet. A ruler with double-sided tape blocks the laptop from sliding. If you do not have a proper office chair, you may consider using a lumbar support on a kitchen chair with a backrest. 

Frequent breaks are also need, as shown below. The logic is the same: the smaller the screen, the younger the user, the more frequent breaks need to be. 

Last but not least, you need to remain physically active! The two exercises below will help you preserve your musculoskeletal health: practice often, but slowly and always within your comfort zone. Simple cardio activities for home include the exercise bike that you once bought (and since then left in your basement), a jump rope for a few minutes several times a day, to jog on the spot, etc.

Video consultations are available for all those who want personal advice, wherever you live: feel free to contact me. 

​Vacuuming, cleaning under furniture, carrying: these are all activities in which many of you hurt yourself at home. Imagine what it is like for those whose job it is!

To better help them, Olivier Girard is partnering in Switzerland with Batmaid, a start-up company dedicated to improving the working conditions of home-based cleaning women. On June 26, we hosted a workshop at a cocktail reception at the Batmaids of Lausanne; we repeat the exercise in Geneva on July 4th. To join us, check with Batmaid.

The cartoon below reminds be both of my job as an ergonomist and of my job as a posture therapist. 

A recurring question usually comes when I train office workers: what is the right distance to the desk when sitting? The picture below illustrates 3 situations that I will comment below: at the right distance, a bit too close, much too close.

"Text neck" is an umbrella concept to describe the neck (and head) symptoms of those spending too much time on their smartphone (typically to write text messages). The March 2017 issue of the Spine Journal rings the alarm bell: practitionners notice an increase in the prevalence of the issue.

We absolutely agree on the fact that mobile screen devices (smartphones, tablets, etc.) are a health hazard. Our main and most effective recommendation is therefore to limit their usage time. One way to do so is to call rather than to text, another one is to send vocal messages (e.g., via Whatsapp) rather than to type. Teenagers need particular attention from adults in this respect.

Once  this is done, it is indeed true that raising the phone helps avoiding a forward head posture. However, holding the phone at eye level may also create strain in the neck and shoulders area. Hence, placing the phone on an elevated surface (e.g., shelf), inclined if possible, is surely a healthier option.

Finally, a good body awareness will help you keeping the neck aligned: make sure that your thoracic spine is not rounded, that your shoulders are not pushed forward, and that you keep your chin drawn slightly  inwards. It will also help you slowing down when your body tells you it has enough...

Many people and companies purchase office chairs without really knowing how to recognize good ones from less good ones. Let's have a look at what field experience teaches us.

First of all, never buy a chair without testing it: online, everything looks beautiful and comfortable. Secondly, there is a difference between buying a chair for one person and buying a chair for a population. If you buy it for one employee, the chair may be less adjustable, as long as it is the right size! If you buy it for a population, it needs to fit a wider range of morphologies. Hence, the adjustment ranges may need to be larger. These technical specifications will help you choose a chair for a population. 

Bear in mind that the more adjustment possibilities, the bigger the risk that it is not adjusted properly. One may rightfully ask whether more is always better. On the video below, you will discover the usual adjustments possibilities of a good office chair. 

Next, let's see the usual flaws of many chairs on the market:

• too wide: chairs are getting wider and wider. Whilst the width of the seat is per so not very problematic, the armrests tend to be too far apart. Using them will force you to spread the elbows, creating neck strain;
• too deep: if the seat is too deep, you will not make full use of the lumbar support and you will tend to slouch. Some chairs have a backrest that moves above the seat pan, but most chairs have a sliding seat pan. Make sure that you don't feel a gap under your buttocks (i.e. between the seat pan and the backrest) when you sit at the back the chair. Along the same lines, be careful with slippery fabrics: if your pelvis glides away, it is not supported;
• non-adjustable lumbar support: some chairs a backrest, which you cannot adjust up and down. If the backrest is made of foam, don't buy the chair. If it is made of elastic fabric, it was intended to "adjust automatically" to the shape of your back. However, the support will be less than a well adjusted traditional foam backrest, and it might be less durable. To resolve this, some manufacturers use a reinforcing bar behind the elastic fabric: make sure that it does not create pressure points in your lower back;
• basic armrests: armrests tend to be too far apart, too high and / or hard. Good armrests will be 3D or 4D armrests (i.e. they can be adjusted in width, height, depth, and for 4D rotated inwards). Make sure that they go low enough to not lift your shoulders, and that they are soft padded.

An office chair will last for many years (8-10). If you have the cash (400-800€), I advise you to buy a good one: the real monthly cost is actually quite low. Some shops also offer reconditioned or used quality office chairs, which are often a better deal than a new cheap chair. 

Many brands are on the market. Here are two recommendations:

• in 2017, Dauphin has asked me to review 4 chairs: my conclusion was to recommend the Speed-o for light users, the Shape for more intensive users.
• I have been working with Kinnarps for many years because of their great quality-price ratio (incl. an excellent adjustment range). My personal chair is a +8. A cheaper alternative is the Temo. 

A study published this year in the JAMA describes the evolution of the healthcare costs in the US since 1996. The results are clear: "spending on diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and low back and neck pain account for the highest amounts of spending by disease category".

The same trend can be observed in all Western countries. This shows the societal relevance of a new prevention paradigm, based in our opinion on

• empowerment of patients with musculosekeletal disorders e.g., by posture therapy
  
• early prevention (see our program in schools).
  

Dr. Vera Baadjou (university of Maastricht, the Netherlands) has been granted a prestigious award for a scientific study that was designed and performed in close cooperation with the TIPM and Mrs. Ans Samama: she will receive the Alice G. Brandfonbrener Young Investigator Award at the June 2017 conference of the Performing Arts Medicine Association.

The Presto project aims at measuring the health impact of a prevention program based on the "Mensendieck 3.0 method". The target population consists of conservatory musicians in the Netherlands. The intervention program is compared to a traditional physical activity program.

Participating in such projects shows our commitment to reinforcing the scientific documentation of the mechanisms and benefits of posture therapy.