Our posture plays an important role in the effective functioning of the nerves that supply our upper limbs. Poor posture can result in overworking of certain muscles or impingement of nerves as they move through the arm. Carpal tunnel syndrome is compression of the median nerve as it travels through the wrist. It can however be exacerbated by poor posture. Here are 5 easy changes you can make to your workplace to improve posture and help prevent carpal tunnel syndrome.
1. Sit on a chair that has a supportive backrest and let's your thighs rest fully on the seat.
2. Have your knees bent to 90˚ and your feet resting flat on the floor with your ankles bent to 90˚ (no hanging legs and no lifted legs).
3. If you work on a laptop place it on some large books so your eyes are in line with the top 1/3 of your screen. (You should not be looking down or up at your screen but straight forward).
4. Ensure your chair is pushed all the way in so you can have your forearms fully rested on the table while using your mouse and keyboard
5. Take a break by stretching or standing up every hour to avoid sitting in one position for a prolonged period of time.
Chazen Swanepoel & Partners 2022