Workplace Assessment
A 42-year-old medical secretary with a 17-month history of constant low back pain (due to degenerative changes in her low back and pelvis) reported two seven-week periods of sickness absence in the previous six months due to low back pain and also took an occasional day off when the pain was severe. She was the sole user of her computer workstation and 90% of her duties were performed while seated at the computer.
A workplace assessment identified that she couldn’t sit properly at her desk – she was almost six feet tall and her chair could not be raised high enough to enable her correct posture. This enforced bad posture exacerbated lower-back pain in her low back and pelvis. In addition, her monitor was too low, which reinforced poor posture at the upper back.
She was provided with an adjustable-height table and a tall draughtsman's chair, and was shown how sit correctly. She was also shown some simple stretches to perform regularly during the day to rest and relieve the affected muscles.
Six months after intervention she reported that her levels of pain had been significantly reduced. She felt that pain did not increase as the week progressed and she had not required to take any sick days due to back pain.