Spending most of the day seated seems to aggravate my sciatic pain. The pain is worst when standing up after spending a few hours seated in the same position. One solution that I’ve found is to work standing up; it was a bit tiring initially, but one quickly gets used to it and any discomfort is outweighed by the absence of pain.
However, I don’t have a standing desk. So, I’ve improvised a temporary solution using the wall unit in my living room. It works well, but it’s less than ideal. There’s no room for legs, the keyboard is slightly lower than I would like and the screen is a bit too high.
I’ve been looking for a reasonably priced standing desk without much success. Ikea used to have one, but they don’t carry it anymore. I’m looking for something like their Galant desk, but with adjustable heights of up to 42”.
Steelcase has something that’s pretty close to that, but at the whooping price of $749.00, and it only reaches 41”.
I really like the WorkRite Sierra rectangular desk, but I haven’t been able to find it for much less than $1,200, which is just too much.
GeekDesk sells adjustable frames for $550, and while it seems to have good reviews, it doesn’t inspire me much confidence.
Do you have any recommendation?
14 Comments
I have the same problem, so I got an Ikea Fredrik desk and configured it so that I could stand. It’s pretty comfortable. It’s about $150:
http://factoryswblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/fredrik-desk.jpg
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60111123
That looks good, but the maximum height is ~38”. That’s exactly the height of my current setup, which is a bit too low. :(
According to this applet it seems that my ideal desk height is between 42” and 42.5”, and that seems to match my experiments as well.
Hm, strange. I’m 6′0″ and I could have configured the main shelf as high as my shoulders if I wanted.
Just +1 for the GeekDesk frames. I bought one last year, and am very happy with it. It is kind of odd they only sell on Bonanzle, but I went ahead and went for it because the price was so good. I’m glad I did: The frame is top-rate, and my experience with them was fine.
My $0.02 …for what it’s worth…
Chad, maybe the new model is not as flexible… I any case, it’s probably worth going to Ikea to check it out.
Hi, just thought I should let you know that your sciatic issues may be due to muscular problems, even just tight or spasmed muscles. This can be due to low Vitamin D levels. If you are at risk for Vitamin D problems, e.g. working indoors a lot, not getting much sun, taking a Vitamin D supplement on a regular basis could have you feeling much better.
There is a lot of information out about this now, so though I don’t have time to compile a bunch of references, you can google about this. And trying a supplement probably wouldn’t hurt anyway. Try looking up the Vitamin D Council’s website. Another site is one that you can find by searching for Vitamin D miracle.
Best regards!
Hmm… I should try that just in case, but I think I have good levels of Vitamin D; eat fish and eggs frequently, drink supplemented milk, take plenty of sun, etc. Thanks for the advice, though!
In Europe it’s the duty of the employer to provide an appropriate standing workplace in case of medically testified back problems. In my laboratory, I know several employees with such provisions.
But I suppose in the US many computer people rather have a relatively “loose” relation to their employer?
Fridger
NVIDIA does provide standing desks for employees in our offices, but I work at home. In any case, I think they finance part of the expenses on ergonomic equiment, though.
How about trying one of these big air-filled plastic balls to sit on? I had a PhD student who wrote his thesis on such a ball…It’s a pretty clever device, actually, despite it’s apparent simplicity.
Fridger
http://www.anthro.com/cpage.aspx?ssid=12
For ergonomic computer furniture, I think they are the very best. In particular look at the link I’m posting for the Elevate series of carts — designed specifically for your situation.
cheers
Ouch, that is even more expensive! I finally went with the Ikea desk suggested by Chad, and it’s working pretty well. Turns out the maximum height indicated in the specs was wrong, you can put the main surface much higher. So, far I’m very happy with the new arrangement.
GeekDesk finally got their site up (www.geekdesk.com if anyone’s interested). It inspired enough confidence for me that I went ahead and bought their GD1C. Been watching them awhile and researching, and only found good things about them online, so took the plunge. We’ll see how it goes! : )