Sit-Stand Workstations: Relations Among Postural Sway, Task, Proprioception and Discomfort

Abstract

Adjustable-height desks are promoted to reduce the detrimental effects of prolonged sitting. Musculoskeletal benefits may arise from increased postural variability, often measured as postural sway. We assessed postural sway using inertial measurement units while participants used computer workstations in seated and standing postures and during both typing and clicking tasks and related the sway data to proprioception and discomfort. Median acceleration of the head and trunk was significantly lower in typing compared to clicking tasks, but there were no significant differences between seated and standing positions. Proprioception did not change after computer work, but subjects with increased neck discomfort had greater head and neck repositioning error. The results suggest that different cognitive demands of tasks may play a larger role in postural sway than workstation configuration and that proprioception may be an effective measure to assess the development of discomfort.