Is Your Office Chair a Pain in the Neck? Armrest Height May be to Blame.

Frankly, not many people think about the height of their chair armrests very often.  They either work, or work well enough that it’s not the first thing you tend to think of when you’re uncomfortable in your chair.  However, your armrest height is a factor that greatly contributes to your health and comfort, especially in the neck area.

Too high, too low, too wide, too small, or too big can all cause unnecessary fatigue at the office.  Below are the factors for each situation that make a difference. 

Too low.  The armrest that is too low could cause you to lean to one side to rest on a forearm thus creating an awkward position and posture.  With this situation you will typically feel the fatigue in your neck, shoulders, and back.

Too high.  A too high armrest causes you to raise your shoulders and leads to muscle tension in the neck and shoulders.

Too wide.  When chair armrests are too wide it causes you to reach with your elbow and also bend forward for support.  The reaching action pulls arms away from the body and can result in muscle fatigue in the shoulders and neck.

Too small.  Too tight, too small armrests make it difficult to move in and out of your chair.

Too big.  The too big armrest makes it so you cannot get close enough to your keyboard thus causing you to reach further than necessary.  Reaching causes strain in your low back, arms, and shoulders.

Not all chairs come with adjustable armrests.  A good quality ergonomic one will.  Finding a chair that fits your body, or is adjustable enough to make fit your body is important to keep neck, shoulder, and back pain at bay.