In the modern working world office staff maintain a static position for between 25-40 hours per week. As if this weren't enough, there are the hours then spent in buses, trains and cars, either sitting in confined spaces or standing up.  It's easy to see why collapsing onto the sofa after dinner is what most people want to do, instead of appreciating that a little physical exercise would greatly help to compensate their sedentary lifestyle. Not doing so can only worsen the situation and as a result it is the back, in particular, that suffers.

Ergonomics, or Human Factor Engineering, "is the term used to describe concern for the above as well as all kinds of muscular and skeletal problems in general. The word 'ergonomics' (taken from the Greek, 'ergon' or work, and  'nomos', law,) means the scientific discipline involved in understanding the interplay between several elements of a system (either human or otherwise) and the function for which it has been devised (as well as the theory, principles, data and methods that are applied during the planning stage). This is with the goal of optimising the user's satisfaction as well as the general performance of the system" (Source: I.E.A.: International Ergonomics Association). Founded in the UK in 1949, the discipline was originally advanced by the psychologist H.F.H. Murrell as a planning approach that involved scholars in different fields (psychologists, physiologists, engineers, doctors and anthropologists) with the aim of protecting safety and health and promoting people's well-being at work.

So let's talk about backache. It's one of the most common health problems caused by work and particularly in the office environment, which the press often blatantly terms as 'dangerous'. It's also expensive: backache and related problems are estimated to cost companies 10 billion dollars a year in absenteeism.

As awareness of the risks linked to bad habits at work grows, so different alternatives to the problems increase. Ergonomic products are one example: they are user-friendly, safe, easy and above all easy to use.

Their main aim is to counteract muscular and skeletal problems: it has been confirmed, for example, that headphones (used for telephone work) can reduce up to 41% of tension to the neck, the top of the back and shoulders. And that's not all: an American study has proved that a combination of headphones and free hands in the office increases productivity by 43%. That's without taking into consideration that improved health implicates a reduction of damage costs for employees. More awareness and different alternatives are also available for pc screens, joysticks and mice.

Pc screens, for example, should have 85 hertz minimum frequency and low radiation emission (like most recent models), in order not to cause vision strain, plus should be positioned at face level to avoid cervical problems.

The most ergonomic keyboard is divided into two. A useful alternative is a wrist-rest. Desktop surfaces should be matte in order to limit reflection, and their depth should measure at least 80cm, in order to be able to position the monitor at a proper distance from the eyes. A five minute rest for every half hour spent in front of the screen is a good idea to avoid overstraining eyesight.

In conclusion, ergonomic seats are definitely best but take care you are adopting the correct posture: the entire seat should be used and the thigh and leg should form a right angle. When resting hands on the desk arms and forearms should be at a right angle. And make sure your back is straight, not curved!