Having just seen the doctor again, she reckoned that the most likely cause is the long time I spend sitting in front of a computer desk. This is hard to avoid, as I work with computers, albeit from home.
So my answer? To sit in front of a computer for even longer, researching how I can make things better.
I have considered this a few times, but find it a difficult idea to commit to. I have been on customer sites before where the only option is to stand, and after a few hours, I have found it uncomfortable; although that may be more to do with my fitness than anything. But a desk where I could sit or stand… that’s an idea, especially if it was simply to change during the working day. So I started looking at adjustable desks.
One item I found was the Varidesk. This is a platform that sits on top of a conventional desk, and allows for the surface to be raised by up to 16″ when necessary. I liked the look of it, but I wasn’t sure of it. The fact that any monitors are just free-standing on a platform you are moving gave me concern, and I wasn’t quite sure if the height adjustment was suitable of someone of my height. In the end, the lack of any YouTube reviews (allowing me to look at the thing in action – *real* action, as opposed to marketing videos) ruled this out for me.
Now this option tempted me; and I may be tempted again in the future. However, now isn’t the right time for me to buy a new desk. For the last couple of years, I have been planning to move my home office into a different room. Laziness, junk storage issues, and, yes, my bad back have continued to delay that; and I will be astonished if I achieve anything before 2014, now. So if I am going to buy a new desk, especially an expensive, height-adjustable one, it will be after the move.
So I’ve ordered it. If it can ease my back problems, it will be worth the money – I even went for express delivery from Amazon, so I can set it up over the weekend, ready for work next week. The WorkFix-S comes either with single or dual monitor mount. A lot of my colleagues use dual monitors, but I don’t. However, the Amazon deal includes an adapter that replaces one of the monitors with a laptop fixing, so I have gone for that.
If it works, who knows, I may even go for the full sized desk when I kit out the new office next year.
What with one thing and another, I didn’t get to set up the WorkFit-S over the weekend, so I did it after work today. Surprisingly easy to do, and I now have a choice of standing up or sitting down at the computer.
The big question is whether it is going to help me, or be a waste of money. It feels a bit strange typing while standing, and I seem to be making more typos this way – presumably because of the position of my body to the keyboard. But it is worth a try.
Pros: It is really easy to change from seated to standing, just pull or push the whole thing into place.
Cons: There is an appreciable wobble of the monitor as I type. Not a lot, but enough to be irritating. It may be that I can tighten up some of the mounts, or I may just get used to it.