Office Space Set Up
You may spend a large number
of hours in front of a computer at
your work. If you sit in a poor
position, you may be putting a
lot of stress on your back and
neck. Having good support for
your back can prevent pain and
injury.
You may be able to make some
adjustments to your work space
to improve your health. Simple
changes may:
• Decrease back, shoulder and
neck pain.
• Reduce headaches.
• Improve your concentration.
Chair
Adjust the height of your chair so your feet are flat on the floor and your
hips are at a 90 to 120 degree angle to reduce strain on your back.
If you cannot adjust the chair height to have your feet flat, use a foot
rest or make a foot rest from some firm books or a small stool.
Your back should be supported and straight but slightly reclined if you
are working long hours at the computer.
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© Copyright August 21, 2012. The Ohio State University
Wexner Medical Center - Upon request all patient
education handouts are available in other formats for
people with special hearing, vision and language needs,
call (614) 293-3191.
Page 2
Use a support for the curve of your lower back. You may want to try a
towel or small pillow or purchase a lumbar support. It may take some
trial and error to find the right support.
• The chair seat should not touch your legs at the back of your knees.
Keyboard
Position the keyboard below the height of your desk on a pullout tray so
your shoulders are relaxed. Avoid typing with the keyboard on your
desk top or in your lap.
Have the keyboard at elbow height. Your lower arm should be parallel
to the floor or just slightly lower (90 to 100 degrees) when using the
keyboard.
Do not rest your wrists on the sharp edges of your desk because this
position can harm nerves in your wrists over time.
Type with your wrists in a straight position. You may find it helpful to
tilt your keyboard back slightly, about 10 degrees, to keep your wrists in
this position.
• Use a rest to support your wrists when you are not typing.
Mouse
• Have your computer mouse next to your keyboard tray.
You may want to switch to use the mouse in the other hand if you have
pain or tingling when using the mouse.
You should be able to move your arm easily to use the mouse when
seated with your elbows close to your body. It can cause more strain to
have to reach to use the mouse.
Monitor
Your monitor should be about an arm’s length away or 20 to 30 inches.
If you wear bifocals, you may want to have the screen just a bit closer at
16 inches. You should not be leaning forward or straining to see what is
on your screen.
The screen should be slightly below eye level.
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Place your monitor so the brightest light is at the side, if possible.
Avoid glare on the screen. Consider using a glare screen or filter or
close window blinds. You may need to turn off overhead lights.
Lighting
You may need to have different lighting to do different tasks and your
lighting needs may not be the same for another person.
It takes more light to read from a paper than it does to read from a
computer screen for most people.
Avoid having your work space too bright. Consider using a lamp or
having task lights as you do different things at your desk.
Work space organization
Have things you use often within easy reach, such as the phone or pens.
Things you rarely use should be away from your primary work space.
Avoid clutter, especially on the floor where it may cause someone to
trip or fall.
Change your position
Adjust your sitting position often. Move your legs or dangle your arms
at your sides.
Look away from your computer screen every 10 or 15 minutes to focus
on something farther away or closer to limit strain on your eyes.
Take regular breaks to get up and walk around or stretch. Stand up and
walk around when talking on the phone for example.
Take a few minutes every few hours to do some stretching exercises.
See the handout, Office Stretching Exercises, for more information.

Talk to your doctor or others on your health care team if you
have questions. You may request more written information from
the Library for Health Information at (614) 293-3707 or email:
[email protected].