Working many hours at the video terminal can cause neck, shoulder, and wrist pain. With a correct ergonomic workstation, however, it is possible to prevent a large part of these disorders.
Neck pain and posture in front of the PC
Poor ergonomics is often the main cause of cervical pain. Here are the most frequent errors and how to correct them.
- Screen positioned too high: the upper edge must be at least 10 cm below eye level. For monitors of 24 inches or more, lower it to the desk surface.
- Side screen: the monitor and keyboard must be parallel to the body, avoiding twisting the spine.
- Unaligned documents: they should be placed between the keyboard and the monitor, preferably with an inclined document holder.
- Laptop without supports: for use over an hour, use an external mouse and keyboard. With displays smaller than 15”, an external screen is better.
- Phone between shoulder and ear: prefer earphones or headphones to avoid contractures.
- Standard progressive glasses: use PC lenses with a wider field of vision.
Shoulder pain from video terminal work
Shoulders can also suffer from a non-ergonomic workstation. The most common errors are:
- table too high: follow the “elbow rule” (elbow height = desk height);
- chair too low: your knees should form an angle ≥ 90°, with feet well-supported;
- mouse and keyboard too far away: keep about 10 cm between the keyboard and the edge of the table;
- mouse too big: it should fit your hand, otherwise you risk shoulder movements.
Elbow and wrist pain: how to avoid it
Wrist and elbow disorders often result from incorrect use of the mouse and keyboard.
- Devices too far away: the mouse should be close to the keyboard; models without a numeric keypad are better.
- Incorrect pointer speed: adjust it so that just 5 cm of movement is enough to cover the screen;
- Mouse too big: if your hand doesn’t rest properly on the table, you risk shoulder and wrist pain.
✅ Article updated August 2025 according to the best practices of office and video terminal ergonomics.
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