| Humans have 2 natural positions, laying down and | | | | 2. Regularly tilt backwards to minimise the pressure on |
| standing up. Sitting down is actually not natural at all, | | | | the intervertebral discs. |
| however, people who work in an office could spend | | | | 3. Maintain a good posture and use a chair that will |
| more than 280,000 hours in this position - that equates | | | | provide good support to the body |
| to around half their lifetime! An incorrect posture can | | | | 4. Use a chair with ergonomic movement that is easy |
| significantly increase the pressure on the intervertebral | | | | to adjust. |
| discs. Too much pressure may cause a negative | | | | Movement on your chair allows contraction and |
| influence on your back's health. This article looks at the | | | | relaxation of the muscles and stimulation of blood |
| office chair and ergonomics. | | | | circulation which distributes nutrition and oxygen. Chairs |
| Ergonomics is the scientific discipline concerned with | | | | that allow tilting backwards are best because they |
| designing according to human needs, and the | | | | offer the following benefits:o Decreases the pressure |
| profession that applies theory, principles, data and | | | | on the intervertebral discs. These discs provide the |
| methods to design in order to optimize human | | | | flexibility in your vertebral column and act like a shock |
| well-being and overall system performance. The field is | | | | absorbero Opens the angle between the back and |
| also called human engineering, and human factors. | | | | seat to avoid compression of the breathing and |
| When it comes to the office chair, the following | | | | digestive functions and to stimulate blood circulationo |
| ergonomic facts exist:o Back injuries, such as lower | | | | Enables the back to relax |
| back pain or a slipped disc are the principal cause of | | | | The health of the intervertebral discs depends on the |
| absenteeism from the work place.o Approximately | | | | supply of rachidian liquid that contains nutritive elements |
| 18% of all absenteeism due to illness relates to back | | | | necessary to the regeneration of the cells within the |
| problems (the no.1 cause in Western Europe).o The | | | | disc. The supply of these discs is related to the |
| total cost of this is estimated to add up to several | | | | pressure placed on them. High pressure is bad and |
| billion pounds. | | | | gives no supply. Lower is good as there is higher |
| To avoid back problems in the office and to reduce | | | | supply. The pressure is dependent on the posture of |
| absenteeism, office furniture manufacturers have | | | | the person. |
| designed the ergonomic chair. An ergonomic chair is a | | | | It is recommended to always purchase office chairs |
| chair that will respond to the basic rules of ergonomics. | | | | that are manufactured to ISO quality specifications that |
| In order to take care of your back, the following | | | | comply with European standards EN 1335-1,2,3 for size |
| ergonomic rules should be followed: | | | | and component materials. In addition to this, look for |
| 1. You should be able to move on your chair in order to | | | | chairs that carry the GS label, which provides further |
| have a dynamic sitting posture. | | | | recognition of safety and high quality of a chair. |