Ergonomics Consultants | Working From Home

How to Prevent Knee Pain When Working from Home

by Solutions Northwest | Oct 27, 2022 | Ergonomics, Ergonomics Assessments, Ergonomics Solutions, Home Office Design, Office Design, Office Ergonomics, Remote Workers, Work Safety, Working From Home, Workstation Assessment

How to Prevent Knee Pain When Working from Home

How to Prevent Knee Pain When Working from Home
Do you suffer from knee pain during the workday? You’re not alone. A new study reports that one in every four Americans suffers from chronic knee pain.

Many people experience pain or discomfort in the knee joint. Some even end up requiring several surgeries if the knee pain is left unaddressed.

Knee pain can occur when working from home because of a sedentary lifestyle, environmental change, poor office ergonomics, or job stress.

This guide from the ergonomics experts at Solutions Northwest Inc., explains the causes of knee pain at work and how you can reduce symptoms. Keep reading to learn how you can prevent knee pain.

What Causes Knee Pain While Working?

Knee pain can happen to anyone at any age. Usually, knee pain is a result of lifestyle habits more so than a genetic predisposition. This is good news because it means with empowered decisions you can reduce, reverse, or prevent your knee pain.

Below are some common causes of knee pain:

Intense exercise or overexercising
Running “runner’s knee”
Unaddressed injuries
Being overweight
Poor workplace ergonomics
Bending your knees too often/for prolonged periods
Placing heavy weight on your knees
Crossing your legs for extended periods of time

One or a combination of these factors can cause your knee pain, below are five knee pain solutions to prevent knee pain.

1. Set Up Your Workstation Ergonomically

Since you spend about a third of your day at your workstation, how you sit while working from home has a huge influence on your knee pain. Keeping your knees bent for extended periods of time is not good. Make sure to stretch frequently or consider a standing desk.

Setting up a workstation with proper ergonomics can be a daunting task. Most workplace managers or human resource managers will hire an Ergonomics Consultant to design their employees’ workstations, whether in-office or remote. Contact your management today to see if this is something they offer. Or consider a virtual ergonomics assessment, which can be affordable enough to invest in for remote workers.

2. Strengthen Your Hips and Glutes

When the muscles surrounding the knees are weak, it puts all of the pressure of your body weight on the knees. Work on strengthening your hips and glutes with strength training twice a week. Doing so will build the surrounding muscles to protect your knees.

3. Improve Your Posture

Posture impacts everything from your vagus nerve to your knee health. It’s often overlooked.

The mid-day slump is a common cause of chronic pain for desk workers. Be mindful of your posture at all times.

Your feet should evenly touch the floor and your screen should be at eye level. Your shoulders should be relaxed on your armrests throughout your workday. Poor posture, if not addressed, will also strain the neck, back, arms, and legs.

Related article: “4 Tips to Improve Your Posture at Work”

4. Move Every Hour or Half Hour

Even if you’re sitting in the best position with the best posture, your knees “lock” into a position. This is never good for them. Keep things fluid by taking 250 steps every hour (about 2 minutes of walking).

Consider setting a timer on your phone to remind you to take a break.

Related article: “5 Reasons Work Breaks Boost Productivity”

5. Incorporate Self-Care

The workday puts a lot of stress on the body. Make sure to incorporate self-care into each work week. Go for walks, swim, get a massage, or try knee acupuncture.

Use Proper Ergonomics to Design Your Home Office Setup

Remote work is a luxury to be enjoyed. If you feel that working from home has worsened your knee pain, take charge.

Speak with your office manager or human resources manager and ask them to schedule an ergonomics assessment for your workstation.

You may also consider a virtual ergonomics consultation where a professional ergonomics consultant will advise you on simple changes that can prevent knee pain (all you need is access to e-mail or a smart phone). They’ll also address any other issues such as neck pain or carpal tunnel. Once your workstation is comfortable, you will likely find yourself working not only pain free, but in a timelier and more productive manner!

If you or your remote employees need to design an ergonomic home workspace, contact the ergonomics experts at Solutions Northwest Inc. for more information.

At SolutionsNW.com we value the importance of a positive workplace culture. Part of a positive workplace is a safe workplace, Contact Us to schedule an ergonomics consultation or ergonomics assessment for your office today.

Subscribe to our ergonomics blog for more ergonomics tips from Solutions Northwest Inc., ergonomics evaluations available in: Seattle, WA, Tacoma, WA, Olympia, WA, Vancouver, WA, Kent, WA Renton, WA, Beaverton, OR, Portland, OR, Salem, OR.

Virtual Ergonomics Assessment available nationwide!

Contact the Ergonomics Experts at Solutions Northwest Inc. Below:

Multiple Locations

Corporate Office: 120 State Ave. NE #397
Olympia, WA 98501
Business Hours: 8am-5pm M-F
Corporate FAX: 360-866-4773
Email: Info@solutionsnw.com

Olympia, WA

360-236-8748

Portland/Salem, OR

503-768-9742

Seattle, WA

206-521-5676

Contact our Ergonomics Experts

Virtual Ergonomics Assessments for Remote Workers in the U.S.

by Solutions Northwest | Sep 12, 2022 | Ergonomic Home Office Design, Home Office Design, Remote Workers, Virtual Ergonomics Assessment, Working From Home

Virtual Ergonomics Assessments for Remote Workers in the U.S.

Virtual Ergonomics Assessments for Remote Workers in the U.S.

Remote working is here to stay in the United States. Now, more people than ever before are setting up a home office to work out of and nearly 60% of Americans say they can do their job from home. As the desire for more flexibility grows, it is only natural that a growing share of workers will operate remotely.

One issue is that employers have spent years emphasizing and investing in their office safety, but how will this translate to a home office? It is crucial for businesses, office managers, and human resource managers to provide their remote workers with the tools to design their home office with proper ergonomics in mind.

In this blog we have gathered tips from the ergonomics experts at Solutions Northwest Inc., an ergonomics consulting company. With these tips, you can improve the situation for your remote employees.

What Is Ergonomics?

Before diving into tips for redesigning the home office, it is essential to briefly define ergonomics. Simply put, ergonomics is the study of how a person operates in their work environment.

It involves designing the workplace to make a worker most efficient and comfortable as possible. Many different human factors are considered in ergonomics, such as personal health, safety, and job performance. Not every workplace is the same, which is why many companies will hire an ergonomics consultant to perform an ergonomics assessment on the workspace.

Why Is Ergonomics Important for the Remote Worker?

Due to recent events and technological advancements, millions of people are now doing remote work in the US. However, with this being a relatively new style of working for many Americans, there was little time to ensure that their home office was ergonomically designed.

This leaves many workers operating under inefficient conditions. These workers may have gone from standing desks to dining room tables, fold-out chairs, or even couches and beds!

Without the careful planning and execution that companies have done for years, remote workers are vulnerable. They are exposed to adverse outcomes such as long-term back and neck injuries. Now that remote work is here to stay for millions, it is imperative to incorporate ergonomic design into the home office.

What is a Virtual Ergonomics Assessment?

Here, an ergonomics consulting firm performs a mini-ergonomics assessment on your home office. The benefit of this is that a virtual ergonomics assessment does not need to happen in the remote worker’s home and can be done via phone or video.

During an assessment, the ergonomics consultant starts the review with your general working space. They will look at your desk, computer, office chair, and other tools or devices that you use for your daily tasks.

Their objective is to make sure your workspace keeps you pain-free and efficient. Afterwards, the ergonomics consultants will make recommendations on how to improve your workspace.

For example, an ergonomics expert may recommend a keyboard that reduces pressure on your wrists while typing. They may suggest a new office chair to improve posture and relieve the burden on your back and neck.

Some suggestions may be related to employee safety. Ergonomics consultants are trained to identify safety hazards that place the employee at risk. Other recommendations are performance-based, with suggestions made to help improve employee efficiency.

Virtual Ergonomics Assessments for Remote Workers

Proper ergonomics must be considered in the new remote work environment. Unfortunately, the transition to remote work was hasty and did not adequately address ergonomics. This has left too many remote employees vulnerable to injury and inefficiency as a result.

The good news is that a virtual ergonomics assessment can provide solutions for a worker’s home office. If you are interested in a virtual ergonomics assessment for remote workers, contact our ergonomics experts today to schedule an appointment.

At SolutionsNW.com we value the importance of a positive workplace culture. Part of a positive workplace is a safe workplace, Contact Us to schedule an ergonomics consultation or ergonomics assessment for your office today.

Subscribe to our ergonomics blog for more ergonomics tips from Solutions Northwest Inc., ergonomics evaluations available in: Seattle, WA, Tacoma, WA, Olympia, WA, Vancouver, WA, Kent, WA Renton, WA, Beaverton, OR, Portland, OR, Salem, OR.

Virtual Ergonomics Assessment available nationwide!