by Judy Cordova
They are portable, stackable, and cost-efficient. But can standing desks touted to boost employee output and efficiency contribute to health woes like lower back pain? A recent study from Ontario’s University of Waterloo cited that nearly half of observed users of standing desks are at risk of developing lower back pain.
Forty male and female adults with no back issues were tested. The main study finding: 40 percent felt low back pain after standing for two hours.
The researchers found that for subjects who were previously fatigued, recovering muscle strength proved to be a futile effort. Daniel Viggiani, lead author of the study who has conducted similar studies on low back pain induced by prolonged standing positions, said that the findings underscore the need to move around and shift one’s posture often.
Viggiani did not overlook the fact that perhaps that lingering muscle fatigue may possibly be linked to an underlying health issue that puts certain individuals at risk for low back pain.
The study’s co-author Jack Callaghan, a kinesiology professor at Waterloo, has worked with Dr. Viggiani on related studies pertaining to effects on the body of standing work. They collaborated with their colleagues and uncovered initial evidence that the type and perceived demands of standing work tasks can also affect postural movement. To mitigate pain, postural movements are deemed vital.
Standing workstations have been in vogue in recent years. Organizational heads, noting how prolonged sitting tends to increase the risk of people developing bodily disorders including obesity, have turned to best-practice approaches to ease the health issues that employees are bound to experience. Social media tips by furniture companies include positioning the monitor to allow neutral neck postures, a slightly downward gaze, and about an arm’s length of distance from the body.
Uninterrupted sitting for days or weeks on end may contribute to muscles switching into a dormant mode that compromises their ability to break down fats and sugars, Canadian news media company The Globe and Mail reported. Rather than wait for discomforts and injuries to happen that may cause employee absenteeism, many companies have opted for support measures like standing desks.
Some experts counter that it will take more than standing desks, though, to avert issues like muscle fatigue and low back pain. Multi-component interventions have therefore been eyed.
Indeed, some well-meaning organizations looking after the overall well-being of employees have issued reminders like avoiding poor body mechanics (slouching in one’s office chair). Across the world, an increasing number of firms are setting up standing desks or height-adjustable desks to find the proper elevation for the specific workstyles/task requirements of their employees.
Whether your workplace has ergonomic office chairs that offer good lumbar support, height-adjustable desks, or standing desks, at the end of the day it is up to you to be in the know on what to do to avoid and ease unwanted discomforts. If you benefit from good office ergonomics and tools at work that promote creativity, movement, and wellness, consider yourself fortunate, stay inspired, and hunker down until you get wind of the next study findings.