By June Cheong

Work can be a pain - literally.

Bad ergonomics at the workplace, coupled with poor posture, can lead to a world of pain later in life.

Mind Your Body invited chiropractor Matt Kan Wai Ming to The Straits Times newsroom in Toa Payoh North to assess the ergonomics of the work environment there and the postures of three 'volunteer' colleagues.

Before starting on his checks, Dr Kan said: 'One's posture is the window to the spine. The more flexible a part of the spine is, the more susceptible to injury it is.'

Dr Kan diagnosed all three volunteers - two reporters and an assistant editor - as having slanted bodies and left shoulders that were higher than their right from 'twisting their bodies towards their computers'.

Two also had 'acute misalignment of the neck from looking down at their computer screens a lot'. He said: 'Their screens should be bigger and placed slightly above eye level.'

While one colleague was too tall for his chair and had to 'lean forward, slouching towards his computer' to view his laptop screen, another was too short for her chair which had no arm rests.

Dr Kan explained: 'People who are seated a lot should be able to adjust their chairs to different positions so they can move from leaning forward to sitting straight to leaning backwards.'

He added: 'Proper ergonomics is very important. The positioning of the keyboards and mice here are all wrong. There's no one universal standard for a workstation but they should meet the individual requirements of each person.'

Dr Kan also advised the two reporters, who are often on the phone conducting interviews, to get headsets so that they will not need to cradle the receiver between their neck and shoulder during phone interviews.

The chiropractor was unimpressed with the lack of keyboard trays in the newsroom. He said: 'The keyboard should be placed as close to the lap as possible so that your shoulders are rested and relaxed. If not, you will hunch forward.'

After he had surveyed the trio, Dr Kan found another source of work stress - lighting that was too dim.

He said: 'My eyes are straining just from the time that I have been standing here. It feels cosy but when you're here working for hours, it will be a strain on the eyes.'

Dr Kan advised office workers to stretch themselves every 11/2 to two hours. He also recommended a neck exercise that involves gently moving one's head up and down, tilting it and turning it from side to side, holding each position for 30 seconds at a time.

He added: 'Just stand up and stretch your neck and arms backwards. You can also tip-toe to stretch your calves, glutes and lower back.'

This story was first published in Mind Your Body, The Straits Times, on Oct 9, 2008.

For more The Straits Times stories, click here.