Little Evidence That Workplace Ergonomics Help

By Pat Anson

When computers first started entering the workplace in the 1980’s, there was a surge in complaints about carpal tunnel syndrome and musculoskeletal injuries caused by repetitive and awkward movement.  

That led to strong demand for ergonomic solutions, such as chairs with lumbar support, stand-up desks, split keyboards, and even vertical mice. Ergonomic products and consulting quickly grew into a $56 billion a year industry  

But a new Cochrane review found little evidence that ergonomic interventions relieve pain, reduce sick days, prevent disability, or improve quality of life compared with no treatment.

Led by researchers at the University of Technology Sydney in Australia, the review analyzed 20 clinical trials involving nearly 2,500 people with work-related injuries to the arm, neck or shoulder. Most of the participants used computers in their job, while the rest were factory or slaughterhouse workers. 

Overall, ergonomic interventions were less effective than exercise, though small benefits may occur for certain injuries, such as people with rotator cuff tendinitis.

“Ergonomic interventions can be a big financial burden for organizations,” says lead author Poonam Mehta, PhD, Senior Lecturer at Graduate School of Health (Physiotherapy), University of Technology, Sydney.  “Our findings suggest that, on current evidence, these measures alone shouldn’t be expected to reduce pain or sick leave in the short term. Employers may want to weigh that against the cost.

“We’d need more evidence to confirm this, as there is not much high-quality research in this area.”

That lack of evidence and high quality research is surprising, given the amount of money invested in ergonomics. Researchers say no data is available on the recurrence of injury or complaint, and there is little data on work-related outcomes beyond sick leave after ergonomic interventions.

Ergonomic strategies may still have value as part of workplace safety and training programs, but supporting evidence is limited.

Instead of investing hundreds of dollars in a stand-up desk to reduce back and neck strain, there are cheaper solutions. You can make it easier to see computer screens by increasing the font size or by getting a pair of computer reading glasses.