Make sure that the user can reach the keyboard keys with their wrists as flat as
possible (not bent up or down) and straight (not bent left or right).
It starts from the ground
up.
First, the proper height for
your chair seat is determined by the length of your lower legs. When you sit in your chair, your thighs should be parallel to the ground, your knees at 90 degree angles, and your feet flat on the floor. Then the keyboard height and position should be such that your upper arms can hang straight down, and your elbows are also at 90 degrees. Then the monitor height should be set so that the top edge of your monitor is at or slightly below eye level. It should be far enough away that when your hands are on the keyboard, you should be able to reach up and just touch the monitor. And it could possibly even be farther away. You need a desk and a keyboard tray that allow that room. That is the ergonomic common wisdom, but I personally like to lean back a bit. So my monitor is set a little lower, and I use a very long keyboard tray arm, so it can reach me even when I am leaning back. Other problems can create subtle tensions. I find that a regular mouse doesn't work for me. Since it forces your hand to lay flat, you have to hold your elbow out a little. That causes problems all up and down the arm and into the shoulder. I use a Renaissance Mouse from 3M. It looks like a joystick, but you use your entire arm to skate it around on the mousepad. Your hand takes the the natural handshake position. I love mine. I have three. Sometimes people with vision problems will unconsciously bring their heads closer and closer to the monitor, so they are hunched over their keyboards with their heads about a foot away from the monitor. They need to either get new glasses or get a bigger monitor. But all that is just about the equipment. It is possible your stiff neck is caused by poor posture or seating position. If you are habitually tight or out of position, you should see a massage therapist to begin to loosen those muscles, so your range of motion can increase. You can't hold your head in the right position if your muscles don't let you. You can also try electric massagers or just stretching, but in my experience, a therapist is most effective and gives the longest-lasting results. Then you can try to hold your head up. Visualize your head hanging from a thread attached to the top of your skull, and your neck hanging vertically below it. It won't actually be vertical, but it may be close. Take regular breaks to stretch and relax your neck and shoulders. You can't do it quickly by snapping your head to one side or twisting violently. It takes a few minutes of steady, gentle stretching. Here are some stretches for your entire body, including your neck. And be aware of your general state of tension. Stress can cause you to tense your neck and shoulder muscles unconsciously. By noticing your state of stress and consciously relaxing, you can prevent that. |
