As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are finding themselves working from home–with very little notice to prepare. Some without a dedicated home office are using coffee tables, recliners, kitchen tables and counters, and any number of other surfaces and locations as makeshift workspaces. All can potentially lead to aches and pain.

Scott Donkin, DC, DACBOH, and Scott Bautch, DC, DACBOH, ergonomics specialists and members of the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) Council on Occupational Health, are accustomed to making recommendations for their patients’ traditional workspaces, but they also understand that in times of unexpected change people must find ways to adapt quickly.

At the start of the pandemic, the two doctors noticed that many of the workers forced to go remote were working on laptops, which was contributing to their musculoskeletal issues. Here are their suggestions for making a home workstation work with your laptop:

• Pick a spot. If you do not have a regular desk at home, working at a kitchen table is generally much better than sitting on a couch with your laptop on your lap.
• Adjust your seat. For those without an ergonomic chair, use a seat wedge to help maintain better posture. Sitting on the wedge makes you tilt your thighs forward and down, which causes you to arch your back and sit up straighter. You can purchase seat wedges online, or you can make your own by folding a bed pillow in half to form a wedge.
• Adjust your monitor. The kitchen table is often too low for the laptop screen. Try placing large coffee table books or reams of paper underneath to raise the laptop in a stable way so that you do not have to raise your hands up uncomfortably, or bend your head down uncomfortably. Consider purchasing a wireless keyboard, which enables you to raise the laptop screen higher—to eye level—and place the keyboard on the table top, which will encourage better posture.
• Create a DIY sit/stand station. The popularity of standing desks has increased significantly over the past several years. You can create your own standing desk at home by simply working at a raised counter (such as in a kitchen) but be sure that the height of the counter does not cause you to bend your elbows too much. You should be able to comfortably reach your keyboard with elbows bent at about a 90-degree angle. While you’re at it, consider using a wireless keyboard and boosting the height of your laptop screen to eye level with books, reams of paper, or a stand, which in turn will prevent neck strain

Download The American Chiropractic Association's Work From Home Working For You advice sheet to learn more.