For most of today’s workers, the keyboard and the mouse have become part of our lives – after all, these two are our faithful companions as we about our day-to-day tasks.

Dr. Gary Tho addresses your body’s pain points in his new book The Pain Free Desk Warrior. Here, he shares an excerpt in hopes that you can start living your life free of pain, fatigue, and illness!

Keyboard and mouse are the most essential tools you need – there is no way you can work these days without a keyboard and mouse! Since these are the most essential tools for work, it is important to use and position them well.

Your Wrists Should Be In A Neutral Position (Flat, Not Bent) And Level With Your Keyboard Height

Like pianists, your fingers should be hovering on top of the keys, without cocking your wrist backwards and causing the heels of your palms to bear all the weight. This requires proper shoulder, elbow and wrist position.

Your wrists need to be level with or slightly lower than your elbows. If your wrists are higher than your elbows, you will tense up your shoulders and neck, and hunch forward to get the correct alignment. This will create excessive stress and strain on your muscles and spine.

Your Upper Arms Should Hang Straight Down From Your Shoulders So Your Elbows Are Directly At Your Sides, Not In Front Or Behind

Shoulders are relaxed. Elbows should hang by your sides (not too far from your body) and be flexed around 100°. Elbows should be level with your wrists or slightly higher; never lower. Keyboard height should be level with your elbows and wrists. This allows the wrists to be the neutral position described earlier.

Unless You Can Adjust Your Keyboard Height (Adjusting Tray) Or Desk Height, You Must Adjust The Chair Height To Suit The Keyboard Height

Most computer monitors are moveable so this should be an easy adjustment and one that you shouldn’t skip.

Having your computer monitor at the right height and distance will help you avoid workstation problems like neck pain and eye strain. Monitors should be placed directly in front of you. If you use two monitors, place both evenly in front of you.

If one monitor is dominantly used, place that further in front of you than the other. Laptop users will benefit from a docking station, separate keyboard and mouse or secondary monitor to help avoid bad posture, neck pain, shoulder pain and headaches. The best monitor distance is arm’s length, so from your shoulder to your fingertips, reach your hands toward your monitor without moving your body. The best height for a computer monitor is where the top of the screen is at eye level. Larger screen sizes, 22 inch and above can position the top 1/4 of the screen at eye level.

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