How to Set Up Your Desk to Stop Causing Yourself Pain

If you sit at a desk for most of the day, your setup is probably contributing to whatever ache you're dealing with. The good news: small changes make a big difference. Here's the practical checklist we walk patients through at our Burlington clinic.

Monitor height and distance

Top of the screen at or just below eye level. Roughly an arm's length away. If you have to tilt your head down or up to see the screen comfortably, your neck pays for it all day.

• Laptop users: get a separate keyboard and mouse, then prop the laptop up on a stand or stack of books. A laptop screen at desk level guarantees neck pain.
• Dual monitors: position your primary screen straight ahead. If both monitors are equal-priority, center the gap between them in front of you.
• Screen brightness and contrast matter — eye strain creates compensatory neck and shoulder tension.

Chair height

Your hips should be slightly higher than your knees, with your feet flat on the floor (or a footrest). Knees roughly at 90 degrees, hips roughly at 100. Sitting too low compresses your hips; too high lets your feet dangle and shifts pressure forward.

Keyboard and mouse position

Your elbows should be at roughly 90 degrees with your shoulders relaxed. Wrists in a neutral position — not bent up or down — when typing.

• Keep the mouse close to the keyboard. Reaching for it puts your shoulder in a stressed position.
• If your wrist hurts, try a different mouse shape (vertical or trackball mice) or move the mouse to your other hand temporarily.
• The tray-style keyboard drawers can help if your desk is too high to allow proper elbow position.

Feet

Flat on the floor or on a footrest. Don't tuck your feet under the chair or cross your legs for hours — both shift your pelvis and load the low back.

Lumbar support

Your chair should support the natural curve of your lower back. If it doesn't, add a small lumbar pillow or a rolled-up towel. The goal isn't to force perfect posture — it's to give your back something to rest against so the muscles don't have to hold you up all day.

Phone and headset

If you take a lot of calls, get a headset. Cradling a phone between your ear and shoulder is one of the fastest ways to develop neck and upper-trap pain. We see this all the time.

Standing desks

Standing desks help — but only if you alternate between sitting and standing. Standing for 8 hours straight is just as bad as sitting for 8 hours. Aim to switch every 30-60 minutes.

When standing: monitor still at or just below eye level, elbows at 90 degrees, weight evenly on both feet. An anti-fatigue mat helps if you're standing on hard flooring.

If pain persists after fixing your setup

Sometimes the setup is fine but the pain has another driver — old movement habits, an underlying mobility issue, or a flare-up that needs hands-on treatment. If you've adjusted everything and you're still uncomfortable, an assessment is worth it.