In the ideal situation, an individual that spends their 9 to 5 job working in front of a computer will have a perfectly set up work station.

They would have changed their office chair, to an ergonomic chair that provides features to prevent ailments. The armrests would offer proper support, the lumbar region would not be put under any stress and the backrest would be properly adjusted to maintain the integrity of a healthy spine.

The individual would also have an ergonomic keyboard that provides zoom features, short cut keys and padded hand rests to aid in painful wrist sensations. Finally, this person would be working with a computer that doesn’t increase straining of the eyes to focus on the screen and adequate lighting in their work environment. To complete the design of an ergonomic work place, you will want to consider using an ergonomic mouse to avoid injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome and chronic back pain.

Most ergonomic mice are pretty inexpensive, when compared to the health benefits you can receive from the absence of straining your hands and wrist. Newer styles involve the gripping of the entire hand to use the mouse and roller technology that involves more use of the fingers to navigate through pages, rather than the wrist. Hold the mouse gently, whatever the shape it may take, and glide it over the surface without putting too much strain on your wrist. Because the mouse is designed in a way with ergonomic precision, there is no need to flick the mouse with your wrist. You may notice that these products are sensitive to quick touch so play with the mouse a bit to gauge how much movement you will really need to put in place while using it. Controlled movements are key to protect your hand, as well as productivity with your job responsibilities.

While sitting back in your chair, relax your arms and lift the hand that will be using the ergonomic mouse up until the hand is just above elbow level. The mouse should be placed exactly where your hand falls to avoid any strain. The mouse pad should be positioned one to two inches above the keyboard and over the numeric keypad if you are right handed. Keep in mind that you can position the mouse and pad anywhere, so long as your wrist is in a neutral position. Also remember that any extra pressure near the wrist will disrupt circulation of the blood, which may lead to other injuries. Avoid wearing tight sleeves, watches or other types of jewelry to maintain the comfort of your hands and wrists throughout the day.

Medical research has been conducted to notify office workers that using a wrist rest can actually double the amount of pressure inside the carpal tunnel. If you have specific questions about the ergonomic mouse you plan to use as part of your ergonomic office design, you can contact your general physician or even the manufacturer of the mouse about health precautions and benefits you should take into consideration.

More and more entrepreneurs are choosing to set up their office at home, rather than pay the overhead associated with commercial office space.  But in order to create a home office that promotes productivity and good workplace health, it is important to consider the ergonomic design of your area as well as the office furniture and ergonomic computer accessories you choose to purchase.

The following is a helpful guide to some of the basics of ergonomic home office design, and what you need to create a healthy, productive and great looking work environment.

Install proper lighting

There are several things to consider in terms of lighting your home office – each a potential lighting pitfall unless you know the rules regarding good ergonomic design.

First, you should never place your desk where direct sunlight or overhead light shines right on the monitor.  This can cause you to squint when you work, which leads to headaches and eye strain.  Instead, try and place your desk away from the harshest impact of the sun’s rays.  When choosing lighting for your work area, place small lamps behind the computer – and keep the wattage down.  Both techniques will help you maintain better health and ergonomic design.

It all starts with a great office desk chair

Besides being the place where you will spend the bulk of your time, your office desk chair can also mean the difference between good health and a variety of physical ailments – including lower back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and other issues.

You can avoid these problems by investing in an adjustable ergonomic chair.  These chairs conform to the unique needs of each individual, allowing for adjustments to the back rest, arm rests, chair height and other crucial areas that help determine how long hours spent at the workplace affect the spine, back, arms and wrists.

Proper Ventilation

Setting up your home office in the attic or basement of your home is not a good idea because these areas rarely receive the proper air flow needed to promote good health in your work environment.  Instead, you should set up your home office in area with good natural air flow from windows or (weather permitting) open doors.

Choosing the Right Computer Equipment

When it comes to choosing the computer equipment for your home office, YOU are the purchasing department, so you have to be educated on the best ergonomic choices on the market.  Look for ergonomically friendly keyboards and computer mouse devices that promote comfort for the hands, wrists and fingers.  Also, anti-glare monitors (or monitor add-ons) help reduce headaches and eye strain and give you the freedom to place your computer in more locations.  These all represent nominal investments, but carpal tunnel syndrome ca not be cured once you have it – so it is a good idea to err on the side of caution.

Creating a Space to Call Your Own

In order to maintain a proper “flow” in your home office, you need to craft a space that is entirely devoted to business matters.  We know you love your family, but if they are coming through and interrupting your work day it is going to be hard to get your business off of the ground.  Try and find a part of the house that meets the requirements above, but still allows you some isolation from the comings and goings of family life.

Let’s face it, our computers are like a second home.  Wait, they are actually more like a second spouse or significant other.  After all, we spend more time staring into our monitors than the eyes of our loved ones.  And since we’re spending so much time together, we want a relationship that makes us feel comfortable…and cool. Using cutting edge design and extensive research several top PC accessory-makers have broken new ground in the area of ergonomic keyboards, which now looks better and cost less than ever before. And while some of these keyboards help us keep our joints healthy, others are just plain cool and innovative.

Here’s our top ten (in no particular order):

Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000

This hulking behemoth sports most of the features you’d want in an ergonomic keyboard, including: programmable favorites keys; dedicated back/forward keys for Web surfing and a nice, wrist-friendly design.  However, you might want to clear off some extra room on the desk for this bad boy.  It takes up its fair share of space.

Logitech Wave Keyboard

The Wave is a sleek addition to the ergonomic keyboard landscape, featuring a raised wrist pad and programmable keys like those found in many of its brethren.  The design is a bit smaller than many of Microsoft’s ergonomic keyboards and fits nicely on even the smallest of workspaces.  The real difference with this keyboard is the “wave concept” behind the design.  Commonly used parts of the keyboard are raised up just enough to save you that extra effort – which really adds up over time.

True-Touch Flexible Keyboard

Sometimes, innovation = crazy!  Check out this completely flexible keyboard from True-Touch.  It works as a totally functioning QWERTY keyboard, but when you’re done using it, you can roll it up into a ball or fold it away for later use.  And at only $30 (retail) it is a small investment to amaze and delight your friends.

Combimouse Keyboard

Not since peanut butter and chocolate has a combination looked this mouthwatering to programmers and web surfers everywhere.  From Combimouse Ply Ltd comes this ingenious amalgamation of the mouse and keyboard.  The product allows users to switch seamlessly between typing and mouse movement, without ever taking their hands off of the keyboard.  This product is currently in the final of stages of development, so look for it soon!

Fellowes 98915 Antimicrobial Split Design Keyboard

An ergonomic keyboard for those who want to avoid Carpel Tunnel Syndrome and still be able to log serious hours on World of Warcraft.  The design is no-nonsense and the additional hotkeys (7 more than most like-minded keyboards) means gamers were definitely on the minds of the good people at Fellows. One more cool feature:  if you share your keyboard with co-workers or fellow gamers, this unit has Microban antimicrobial protection to keep it cleaner and ward off dirt and germs.

Goldtouch Adjustable Keyboard

Sure, it may look a little crazy, but once you have used this customizable split keyboard for a few days, you’ll realize why it is the choice of so many hardcore PC users.   The QWERTY keyboard is split in two, and each side can be tilted at the ideal angle to suit the user’s body type of seating arrangement.  The result is faster typing and much less stress on the wrist and hands.

Virtual Laser Keyboard

Excuse us for a minute while we live out our sci-fi movie fantasies with this incredibly cool “virtual laser keyboard” from I-tech.  Developed for use with PDAs and small laptops, the device emits a laser image of a QWERTY keyboard on any surface.  When you start moving your hands over the area, VOILA!  There may be more functional keyboards on the market, but none with the kind of WOW factor this laser keyboard delivers.

SafeType Ergonomic Keyboard

Now here’s a keyboard that uses some serious science to deliver ergonomic comfort to its users. Based on the principals of biomechanics, the two towers on the sides of the keyboard actually force the hands of the typist into what the makers call an “Orthopedically Neutral(TM) position” which will remove all the stress on the hands and wrists caused by other keyboards on the market.

Kinesis Advantage Keyboard

Another design concept so freaky it HAS to be good for you!  The creators of the Kinesis Advantage spent years perfecting their design – and went so far as to field test it with people who use their keyboards the most, namely programmers and medical transcriptionists.  The result is an amazing device that lets the user flow through hours of work without reaching for their hands once!

Saitek PC Gamer’s Keyboard

Got a gaming addiction?  Live the joy without the soreness!  This keyboard has been a hit with gamers for more than the just the fact that it looks like it was plucked off the deck of the USS Enterprise.  It’s also got tons of function keys, wrist rests and a sweet back-lit display.