Increasingly corporates are consulting spine specialists and physiotherapists to modify their workstations as per ergonomics. So don’t just park yourself in the office. Sit. Stand. Move. That’s the new office mantra for redemption.
For nearly three long years, Divya Ahluwalia Sethi inched her way through the unforgiving GurgaonNoida traffic. A gruelling journey, no less, to office and back home. Hopelessly in love with her job as a media procurement deputy manager at consumer durable company LG Electronics, she ignored the initial warning signs that her body silently whispered to her. “These must be just a few nagging stress knots,” she recklessly muffled the doubts. “At 30, you feel more or less invincible. Even in the wildest of dreams, you don’t imagine your body betraying you. Perhaps, it is an age to be reckless. Perhaps ambition does that to you. If only…,” her voice trails off as her own conviction despairs. She leaves the “if” hanging in the air, scrounging to find more words to complete the sentence.
Four hours on the road along with another eight-odd on the office chair. As sedentary as it could get, the routine assault nearly broke her back – and not just literally. The slight backache eventually turned into a severe one. So much so that she could no longer stand erect and was bed ridden for four months. She could get back on her feet but not before undergoing a painful spinal fusion surgery that involved bone grafting aided by two screws and ample metal spacers!
The storm has passed and the dust settled. The turbulent journey is over for her. But Ahluwalia is one amongst scores of knowledge workers battling vices of sedentary lives. The back is usually the first one to take a direct hit. Globally, it is amongst the top three occupational health problems. “Prolonged sitting causes the maximum intra-discal pressure. It is one of the causes for progressive disc degeneration. We strongly advise avoiding prolonged sitting. One should get up every 30 to 45 minutes and take a walk to offload the disc,” says Dr Hitesh Garg, Consultant, Orthopaedics & Spine Surgery, Artemis Hospital, Gurgaon.
He further adds that increasingly corporates are consulting spine specialists and physiotherapists to modify their workstations as per ergonomics. Some even have physiotherapists on roll to create a health-conscious environment at the workplace. A good posture is not just a factor of health but also of productivity. “Just one hour spent standing each day can help workers burn extra calories, and maintain or renew their energy levels and focus,” reasons Allan Guan, Steelcase spokesperson. Steelcase, a global company whose portfolio spans furniture and technology products and services, has some interesting products to offer in this space.
Consider Walkstation, the treadmill desk. It allows the employee to walk comfortably and burn calories while working on the computer! Or the Airtouch which enables users to change their working positions from seated to standing. The basic premise – adjusting the height helps address the stress and strain of intense computing activity. Collaborative chairs such as Buoy are designed to promote movement in the workplace, its curved base supports the body as it tilts, wobbles and spins.
“An increasing number of organisations are beginning to recognise the importance of offering various postures in the workplace to support their workers’ wellbeing. A healthy day should find a balance between sitting, standing and walking. Movement during the day isn’t just critical for physical wellbeing. We also become more engaged, more creative, and more productive when we incorporate movement and activity in our day. In India, many customers in the oil and gas sector such as Shell and ExxonMobil have actively incorporated options for various postures in their workplaces,” adds Guan.
Understandable, considering the enormous disease burden. A study by Ohio State University’s Spine Research Institute estimated the average total cost of back pain in the US at nearly $200 billion! Unfortunately, there are no clear estimates available for India. “Nor do we have any standard of our own,” reflects Dr B R Chaitanya who co-founded ErgoWorks in 2003 with the mission - “Work should not hurt.” Having worked with clients such as Google, Amazon India, Intel, Philips, Ericsson, Alcatel Lucent, Goldman Sachs, he has his finger on the pulse of the industry. “There has been no work in this area since 1962, the year Dr Debashish Chakravarty released his seminal work.
In the absence of a standard of our own, architects in India follow American and European standards like Business Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA). Those standards suit the anthropological measurements of that region, not ours. The average height of a man in India is 5.7 inches; in US it is 5.10 inches. How do you compare the two. That’s the reason why lower back pain, neck pain and wrist injuries have become so common today,” he reasons.
Dr Chakravarty strongly recommends using a height adjustable table and a good chair. “Their cost is nominal and the return on investment good. The employee has to take onus of his own health. Take a break every 30 minutes… Walk for about 20 feet. It is the least you can do.” Apart from customised ergonomic training, injuryrisk analysis and workstation evaluation, ErgoWorks also offers a host of products such as wrist pillow, angular laptop stand, lower back support accessories and more.
Vinoth Kumar Ranganathan, a product marketing professional with Ford Auto, took the cue early on. A timely consultation with the doctor was enough for him to understand that he wasn’t sitting right. Engrossed in work, he had been unmindfully leaning towards his computer, thus disturbing the alignment of his neck, head and spine. It was a juvenile folly that could have easily lead to cervical spine deformation. Kumar didn’t just stop at checking his posture, he also invested in a standing desk. “I take short breaks from my chair to stand and work on my desk. The idea is to break the repetitive motion pattern of the chair. That, coupled with a quick stretch and a stroll to the water cooler improves blood circulation. My neck pain is gone and my energy levels have certainly improved.”