I got a treaddesk treadmill and a standing desk about 4 years ago. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself. I now only sit when eating or driving. It’s helped my posture tremendously.
She should go to a doctor, because from what I just read at the Mayo Clinic’s website, having her stand all day doesn’t sound like the best thing to do:
Make sure she has a good ergonomic chair. A good one is going to cost around $700 like from Steelcase.
So I’m skimming through this post thread on mobile, not realizing it’s a zombie, when I read a post by a very articulate, intelligent sounding gentleman who had a standing desk experience exactly like mine. I was about to quote him with a “me too” when I realized it WAS me :smack:
It’s been a year now since my OP. She’s seen a doctor; whatever she has, it isn’t sciatica. Less sitting has helped, but it hasn’t gone away completely, even with the PT that she was assigned. She has another appointment scheduled to see what else can be done.
As I mentioned a few posts up, she now has an Aeron high stool for whenever she chooses to sit.
To follow up on my post from February of last year, I had to stop standing because of a really intense flare up on a Morton’s neuroma in my right foot. It took about sixth months for me to get back to a state where I could use a standing desk and by then I had changed jobs and didn’t have the option. So, I sit at a sitting desk, temporarily.
I feel much better when I stand and need to get a sit-stand desk or a tall chair to use with a high desk.
Have you tried a cushioned mat?
As a result of an unexpected surplus of reasonableness this afternoon I will restate my position:
If you think you want a standing desk then find some reasonably safe and inexpensive way to try out standing while you work. If you are then sure that you want a standing desk then go ahead and get one of reasonable quality. Then use it for at least a week before you decide you’d like to go back to sitting again. Above all else, if you don’t want to stand anymore don’t go sit at my desk and mess with my chair.
We have a couple of standing desks at work in a mutual area where people can plug in their laptops to give them a try. If an employee tries one a few times and thinks they want one, we’ll order one for them. I find it distracting to stand up, then sit down, then standup again while trying to work. But then again, I’m usually on the go up and down the halls all day for one thing or another. I don’t sit for long stretches at my desk.
I have a standing desk at work, with a hydraulic lift system that lets me raise or lower it as desired. To go with it, I have a padded floor mat and a regular office chair.
My company offers two types of standing desk, fixed w/ a bar stool type chair, or the one I got. They explained that the bar stool chair is pretty uncomfortable so it’s not a good option for people who really work at their desk. Managers, who go to a lot of meetings all day, are a better fit for a static standing desk. With me, at my desk all day, they gave the hydraulic. I bought the floor pad after a few weeks and determining that my soles were giving out way before my legs were.
The ergonomics specialist suggested something like 45 minutes standing and 15 minutes sitting, in rotation. I think I generally do something more like 2-3 hours standing and 1-2 hour sitting, at random. It’s nice to have the freedom to switch.
Without making any judgment about your “unexpected surplus of reasonableness”, I’ll just observe that your statement above is in no way a restatement of your previous post, to wit:
Stranger
You are missing the point entirely. Someone with a standing desk messed with my chair.
I tried a standing desk and hated it, plus most medical authorities say that standing motionless is just as bad as sitting motionless-the problem is the lack of motion, not your posture. I then tried a “bike chair” where you sit and pedal while staring at your computer and I just could not concentrate on the screen. I currently use a yoga ball and get up and walk around every 15 minutes.
A complaint that presumably applies to approximately none of the people participating in this thread, nor reflects anything about the utility of a standing desk.
Stranger
The last 8 words are good no matter what position you work in.
Cite? Not doubting you, just would like to see more.
This article from Cornell UniversityHuman Factors and Ergonomics Research Group briefly addresses both the pros and cons of sitting and standing. Standing in place for long durations or leaning can be fatiguing and introduce new issues such as circulatory problems (carotid atherosclerosis, varicose veins), musculoskeletal disorders (neck flexion, carpal tunnel syndrome), and reduced productivity. (Note that the use of treadmill desks and the like result in reduced productivty and a potentially safety hazard.)
This indicates a need for ergnomically optimized standing workstations (that is, those where the monitor and workpieces are elevated to the eyeline, the keyboard is located in a non-stressing position for the shoulders, elbows and wrists, and the work surface is neither too high or low for objects that may be manipulated frequently) as well as periodic mobility, e.g. walking around or performing moderately vigorous exercises (like squats, lunges, windmills, et cetera) every 20-30 minutes. It also indicates that for detailed or intellectually challenging work, sitting at least part of the time is necessary to maintain focus.
So a standing workstation should either be elevatable or should come with an adjustable high chair for periodic use. Workers probably need to be trained and condition to follow a schedule of alternating standing and sitting to get the best benefit, e.g. with a timer. Just plunking a cardboard box on a desktop and piling monitor(s), keyboard, and mouse on top of it isn’t doing yourself any good nor wil you likely maintain that configuration for very long.
Stranger
I have an adjustable height desk at work, but never use it in the standing position. I don’t like to stand. My knees get sore when I stand to do dishes, or other relatively short stints of standing in place. I’m sure it would be troublesome for me to stand all day, especially if I got engrossed in a project and didn’t move much.
but…
this intrigues me. Can you say anything about brand, cost, comfort, etc. If I could get used to concentrating while walking, I think it would be really good for me. And unlike standing in place, I can walk slowly for extended periods without any discomfort.
puzzlegal, IANAD or your Mom, but mine found that her standing problems diminished shortly after joining a taichi group where one of the first things we were taught was to stand with our knees and hips a little bit flexed; she’ll never be comfortable standing in place but it did help. Give it a try.
Yeah, the way most people stand is even worse than how they sit; often hunched over, hips akimbo, favoring one leg, and generally introducing new and even more damaging musculoskeletal disorders. I’m still making my way through Starrett’s Deskbound (mentioned upthread) but he writes extensively on what is wrong with most people’s standing posture as well as the issues of extended sitting. The solution isn’t just standing up; it is maintaining good posture and exercising mobility and flexibility for good musculoskeletal and circulatory system health.
Stranger
Look, it’s just a cautionary tale. On the other hand, reading the thread shows me that the standing desk would be beneficial to many people, especially one that rises up and down and lets them vary their position and sit sometimes. So as long as they don’t mess with my chair I won’t stand in their way.