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Headrest or No Headrest

If you spend a lot of time at your desk working, how you sit can affect how you feel towards the end of the day. If your body has been supported correctly, then you can stay focused on your work instead of your aching neck though. So how does a headrest on a chair, an ergonomic chair, help? Why is it useful?

To begin with, a headrest on an office chair is a matter of personal choice. If you’re sitting correctly at your desk, your neck doesn’t even touch the back of your chair when working. Sitting correctly is still important though, and this is where the ergonomic chair comes in then which is designed to fit the contours of your body properly. It gives your body the support it needs.

But, there are times where everyone likes to sit back and relax for a bit because no one wants to sit up straight all day. This is where the headrest comes into use. Now, the headrest isn’t something that everyone needs, but there are reasons at times that you might want one to lean your head back on one. Below are some of those reasons for a headrest and ergonomic chair then:

  • Navigator Ergonomic Task Chair with Headrest by goSITIf you have neck pain: Some people have neck pain and working all day at a desk can cause neck, shoulder pain or a headache to occur. With a chair that has good ergonomics though, you can be more comfortable when anything starts to act up, however. If you have a chair that has a headrest and an adjustable backrest, you can save yourself body aches then. This type of furniture can adjust to your body for the best comfort.
  • You also have better posture with an ergonomic chair. You’re not hunched over your desk with your shoulders scrunched forward. This puts undue pressure on your back. The seat and the use of the headrest correct this.
  • If you recline while you’re taking a break, you take the pressure off your neck. It will help you feel re-energized and rejuvenated so that you can continue working through your workday.
  • Since the headrest adjusts to the individual, you can find a height position which will suit your needs.
  • For employees who have different problems because of injuries or musculoskeletal dysfunctions, being able to recline occasionally is a necessity. An ergonomic chair will give support where it’s needed.
  • It’s a benefit to having a headrest when talking on the phone or even leaning back and talking to someone. An ergonomic chair will provide support if you’re going to be sitting for an extended period.

Navigator Mesh ChairWhether you purchase a chair or have one purchased for you by the boss with a headrest is an individual preference. After a long day with a lot of typing, or being hunched over and working, it feels good to be able to lay your head back and close your eyes for a minute though. Just those few relaxing minutes can give you the time you need to be able to pull through those long unexpected days. You know, the ones where the boss has unexpected work for you to do, and if you are the boss, you often do more work in a day than you intended to do so this is good too to have.

It’s times like those that a headrest does come in handy. If the pain in your neck, shoulders, and back become too severe too, you then may have to miss work also. With a headrest, you can take the time you need to relieve any pain you have or to prevent pain from happening.

Having somewhere comfortable to put your head can give you a break from working all day with few breaks. Because when you can get involved in a project, you may forget to get up and take a few minutes off. But with a headrest on your chair, you can lay back and close your eyes to gather your thoughts.

So, the question you should ask and answer about having a headrest on a chair is simply this, do you want something you can relax your head on when you take those five minutes to rest up for the next project?

References:

https://nationalofficeinteriors.com/product/gosit-new-pu-leather-high-back-task-chair-black-2/ 

https://nationalofficeinteriors.com/product/gosit-new-mesh-task-chair-w-headrest-black/ 

https://nationalofficeinteriors.com/product/gosit-mesh-and-leather-new-executive-chair-black/

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How Healthcare Furnishings Differ from Standard Office Furniture

One of the most common complaints from office workers are back and neck pain. Most of these complaints can be traced back to whatever chair or desk they are presently using. Now workers will adjust their bodies to their chairs so that they can keep being productive, but that isn’t how the body was designed. So, this can cause the spine to misalign. A person hunching over a desk which is too low then or a chair that isn’t close enough to the computer can be a real problem causing a loss of productivity and profits for a business. When this happens, the result can be shoulder and neck pain as well as chronic headaches for workers also which leads to turnover rates rising.

Another concern is that the basic seated position in a normal office chair can lead to the shortening of hamstrings and cause the hip flexors to tighten. This will cause chronic lower back pain as well as sciatic pain. The reason for this is that the people involved are trying to keep their legs perpendicular to their torso. This puts a lot of strain on the tendons and muscles of the legs and hips. Again, productivity goes down and turnover rates go up.

Discomfort and chronic pain can be one of the causes in loss of focus.

Herman Miller AeronSome reasons for this kind of pain are listed below:

  • A desk which infers with movement and restricts leg room.
  • Shelves and cabinets which the person has to stretch to open or to reach.
  • Back pain as well as shoulder pain from badly designed furniture.
  • Eye strain, headaches and migraines from poorly placed furniture in relation to computer screens.

The benefits of ergonomics

The way a person sits affects the way and length of time, they work. If they are in pain, the pain is distracting and cause loss of work production too. Breaks are taken more frequently just so that the person can get up and walk around to relieve the pressure on the back and in the legs. However, with the proper chair, the person is more productive and not in pain. Office furniture which is ergonomic has been designed to support a person’s natural function, well being, and facilitate comfort then. For example, below are some of the benefits of an ergonomics chair.

  • Steelcase Leap V2 in Red FabricWhen a person’s body is in the correct posture, the body stays aligned and there is less discomfort experienced. When an adjustable chair is used, it permits a person’s feet to remain flat on the floor too. The knees remain at a 90-degree angle and parallel to the person’s hips for good body support.
  • If a person sits in a chair without a head rest, it causes both shoulder stiffness and a sore neck. The headrest will support the person’s head while talking on the phone or writing a report though.
  • If a person doesn’t have proper support for the back and spine, it can cause stress on the body. This can cause minor to severe pain. The backrest of the chair should be tall enough then to support the entire spine. It needs to follow the curve of the spine at the right angle to fit the person’s body.
  • When sitting in a hard chair, it puts pressure on the hips. Selecting a chair that’s padded with a seat depth that’s sufficient will help to reduce this kind of stress and pressure. The chair needs to have seat depth of 2-4 inches when it’s measured from the back of the person’s knees then.

The chair a person sits in should be user friendly. Because discomfort and pain are distracting and take away focus on work. This disrupts co-worker teamwork too when people are in pain. With ergonomic chairs though, productivity improves, attention is retained and creativity and problem solving is at the front where it belongs.

Ergonomic office furniture promotes employee well being and provide better levels of energy. It adds to greater cognitive focus because there are less physical distractions caused by pain and discomfort. It improves the circulation of the body and reduces strain in the neck and shoulders.

When all ergonomic office furniture available is considered, the workplace is a better place.

References:

https://nationalofficeinteriors.com/healthcare/

http://www.goldtouch.com/non-ergonomic-vs-ergonomic-office-spaces/