Picture: Zwei Menschen in Konferenzsesslen von Dauphin

The Problem

  • 80 % of the population suffer from back pain
  • 1/3 of all 35-50 year olds already suffers from chronic back ache
  • Back complaints are one of the most frequent reasons for going to the doctor's and one of the main reasons for the approval of early retirement.
    The resulting economic damage amounts in Germany to more than Euro 35 billion each year! 
  • One day lost by an employee costs the employer on average Euro 500,- 

   

We spend up to 80,000 hours sitting during our working life - in training and on the job. And the time spent sitting behind a desk is on the increase. This in turn means growing strain on the backs of seated employees.
When you consider that more than 65% of all office employees sit incorrectly it becomes clear that something must be done.


Picture: Problemzonen beim Sitzen

Wrong sitting postures


Your body performs heavy labour as you sit. Sitting may cause discomfort through a wrong sitting posture (with the seat depth being not used to the full extend) or chairs being used improperly (e. g. incorrect adjustment of seat height or armrests). A variety of physical disorders may result from a wrong sitting posture.

There are 5 problem areas including a total of 15 problems:

 

  1. Hand (tendovaginitis) 
  2. Intervertebral discs (disorders of the lumbar or cervical spine areas) 
  3. Organs (disorders of digestion, respiration disorders, concentration fluctuations) 
  4. Legs (bruises near the knees, ischial tuberosity, blood circulation, lymphatic disorders)
  5. Muscular disorders or weakening (abdominal, spinal, shoulder, neck and hip muscle tenseness)
Picture: Sitzpositionen bei der Bildschirmarbeit

Without backrest support

Investigations carried out on persons working in an office showed that 70 % sit in a forward or front-edge position. In order to prevent a hunchback and to protect the intervertebral discs the upper part of the body needs to be supported properly.

The main disorders arising from a wrong sitting posture include:

 

  1. Stricture of the digestive organs 
  2. Impaired respiration 
  3. Concentration fluctuations 
  4. Abdominal and spinal hardening or weakening of the supporting muscles 
  5. Impaired blood circulation
Picture: Optimale Tischhöhe für Schreibtische

Wrong writing desk height

The writing desk and the office swivel chair need to adaptif properly to each other to enable ergonomic sitting. Especially the user is a small person and the writing desk is at a normal height of 72 / 74 cm (acc. to EN / NEN) the seat height needs to be raised accordingly to ensure that the arms can lay on the desk top easily with the shoulder muscles relaxed. To avoid bruises near the knees (on the bottom part) of the thigh foot rests need to be provided (and used!) and - as far as the chair is equipped in the way - the seat tilt mechanism must be employed.

A forward or front-edge position, however, means that the back is not supported by the backrest which may lead to the above disorders:

 

  1. Bruises near the knees
  2. Impaired reflux of the body fluid (lymph, blood)
  3. Hurtful pressure on the intervertebral discs and muscles
  4. Stricture of the digestive organs
  5. Impaired respiration and concentrations


Larger persons should use a desk top which is adjustable in height.