by Brittany N. Gaddy

Some University of Maryland students and faculty are experiencing aches and pains this semester. Many point to the increased amount of time spent at their desks as the cause. 

Last March, this university transitioned from in-person to online learning amid rising coronavirus cases in Prince George’s County. Almost four weeks ago, though, the university began allowing some classes to meet in-person, but many are still taught virtually.  

But as students spend more time at their desks, some of their bodies are under more strain.

Katherine Cavanaugh, the manager of occupational safety and health at this university, says it’s important to pay attention to ergonomics – an applied science that concerns increasing a person’s efficiency and safety by the arrangement of objects used in a work environment.

“If you are sitting or standing in uncomfortable positions, it’s very easy to get hurt,” she explained.

Sitting while hunched over can reverse the spine’s natural curves, according to a report by Harvard Health Publishing. When a spine loses its natural curvature, it can cause chronic pain and make everyday tasks, like standing, much more difficult. 

Uchenna Aduaka, a senior information science and mathematics major, reported having back pain due to spending more time at his desk – something he has never experienced before.

Aduaka, who is over six feet tall, has trouble using his desk comfortably due to his height. But with taking online classes this semester, he doesn’t have much of a choice. 

“I don’t like being fully restricted,” he said. “It just makes me really uncomfortable.”

Freshman government and politics major, Felipe Veras, says he has experienced neck strain due to the placement of his monitor and keyboard on his desk. 

“If I just spent maybe an hour or two [at mydesk], it would be fine,” he said.  “But since I’m here for such long hours, I think that’s a really big problem.”

Neck pain is one of the common effects from working at a desk, according to the Mayo Clinic. 

Pamela Duffy, a lecturer in the College of Information Studies, says she’s more inclined to be stiff if she’s been sitting for a long time.

“Getting up at the end of the day requires quite a bit of stretching because my body is really not in the mood for that,” she said.

On the other hand, Nicole Mogul, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, says she doesn’t experience much pain from being at her desk. 

Mogul, who spends about five to six hours a day at her desk, made sure to consider ergonomics – researching how best to sit and the standard height for a desk. 

Still though, Mogul experiences eye strain. And she’s not alone. 

More than half of Americans experience digital eye strain, according to a study by The Vision Council. 

Elizabeth Brown, a professor in the Department of Kinesiology, warns against being sedentary for too long. “That affects how your body feels from a movement perspective — how your muscles become stagnated,” she said. “[It] also affects your brain.”

Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles found that being sedentary can thin the brain’s medial temporal lobe – which is essential to forming memories.

To prevent the effects of being sedentary for too long, Brown suggests getting a comfortable chair with back support to prevent leaning forward so much. 

Cavanaugh says that students and staff can visit the Department of Environmental Safety, Sustainability and Risk’s website for tips about how to achieve an ergonomic workstation at home.

She says it could be as simple as placing pillows or cushions on a hard chair, elevating a laptop with boxes or using wireless keyboards.

“You can have the best ergonomic setup that you can at home without purchasing hundreds of dollars of new equipment for your space,” she explained.  

Featured photo: Nicole Mogul, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, sits at her desk. Photo by Nicole Mogul.