Can Standing Desks Help With Knee Pain?

Research suggests that sitting for long periods is harmful to a person’s health. Sitting down for too long may increase the risk of chronic health problems like heart disease, diabetes and some cancers in the long run. Because of this, standing desks have gained much popularity since workplaces are adopting new ways to make life in the office easier for their employees.

A study shows that people around the world sit for an average of 4.7 hours a day, with more people sitting for longer in more developed countries. Standing and standing desks are the solution for this sedentary lifestyle that has harmful effects. Standing can help burn calories, alleviate neck and back pain, and encourage more movement to have more circulation in our bodies. 

Knee pain, on the other hand, is one of the conditions for which standing desks are blamed. But, it can come from a host of different causes—cartilage degradation, overuse, and aging too.

Standing is not a complicated posture. Unlike sitting, it stimulates a more active lifestyle, but everything in excess is still harmful. Just like sitting, standing for long periods is also bad for you. You may feel fatigue, tension, knee discomfort, joint stiffness and muscle pain in your legs and lower back. 

In this article, we will discuss and determine if standing desks help or do more harm to our knees than standard desks. 

Why use standing desks? 

Standing desks can be very beneficial for your health. A study suggests that it also increases your productivity and performance. To reap these benefits, we must first know how to use standing desks properly.  

Advantages of Using a Standing Desk.

Standing desks have numerous advantages over traditional desks. 

Firstly, it encourages movement throughout the time that an employee is in the office. Movement is important in keeping our muscles healthy and our joints properly lubricated. Lack of motion also contributes to joint stiffness and makes your them wear down faster. We shift our bodies and posture when we are in a standing position. In that way, we can maintain our bone and muscle health. 

Secondly, core muscles are almost always utilized when standing to maintain an upright posture, which helps maintain the spine and the hips. It also helps people avoid feeling drowsy while on the job. 

Lastly, standing desks, especially when set up correctly are more ergonomically friendly than traditional desks which also helps productivity in our day-to-day tasks.

How to Use Standing Desks Correctly.

• Alternate between sitting and standing - Ideally, we should alternate standing and sitting. Rather than maintaining a standing position immediately after obtaining our standing desks, we should practice a gradual transition between standing and sitting. For example, if we stand for 45 minutes and sit for 15 minutes. This method should be evenly spread out throughout the day. 
• Wear comfortable footwear - If we are standing for quite some time during work hours, we might as well wear comfortable shoes. High heels, stilettos, and pumps are huge no-nos for women using standing desks. For men, they should wear shoes that have decent padding and arc support. 
• Observe proper posture - Comfortability doesn’t mean proper posture. Checking the alignment of our backs and our feet is of utmost importance. Many people forget to keep their backs straight. We should avoid leaning or hunching over our desks and ensure that our desks and chairs are ergonomically positioned. Our monitors should also line up to eye level so that we can decrease neck pain as much as possible. 
• Use an anti-fatigue mat - Using the right anti-fatigue mat could exponentially reduce the pain we experience from sitting down and standing up. These mats are sources of cushion that support the arches of our feet and help decrease soreness. As most offices have hard, flat floors, these anti-fatigue mats also help adapt to flat floors. 
• Avoid wearing tight clothes - these types of clothing that hug our bodies force us into poor posture and cause fatigue, knee pain, neck pain, and shoulder strain. Men can wear loose clothes, while it is advised for women to wear dresses and skirts. 
• Listen to your body - our bodies will tell us whether we are standing up or sitting too much. If we notice that we are already sitting in a slouching position, it may be the right time to stand up. On the other hand, if we start shifting our position and posture while standing up, it may be a sign that we should sit. This will immediately be noticeable once we change up our sitting and standing routine when we get our own standing desks.

The Perfect Standing Desk

We should find the perfect standing desk for us. Whether we are finding a full-sized sit-stand desk or a frame that can be placed over our existing desk should depend on the available space. 

Standing desks have become a popular alternative to more traditional sitting desks in recent years, and for good reason: standing, rather than sitting at a desk, can help alleviate knee pain, especially for those with existing joint-related issues. Studies suggest that standing better distributes the stress on joints, allowing your body to stay comfortably in motion as opposed to being hunched over in one position as you would be while sitting. Additionally, standing desks can even offer long-term benefits to those with chronic knee problems by improving posture, strengthening muscles and enhancing overall physical health. With the proper use of standing desks and diligent adjustments based on comfort levels and posture preferences, knee pain can be noticeably diminished.

The height of our standing desk should be adjustable because we will indeed have different preferences when approaching different tasks. A specific height for working on our computer and another varied height if we want to write something. The Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) has a recommended height range of 22.6 inches to 48.7 inches. Still, the measurements depend on the person that will be using the desk. 

Standing desks, when used correctly, are beneficial not just for our physical health but also for our productivity. Obtaining a standing desk will correct any issues acquired from a sedentary lifestyle because of sitting. 

There is no "one perfect" standing desk for everyone - finding the best one depends on your personal needs and preferences. There are important benefits to maintaining motion and being upright during our workdays, and standing desks play a vital part in attaining these. So if you're looking to buy or build a standing desk, make sure you take all of these factors into account!

Sources: 

Are Standing Desks Bad for Your Knees? 

How to make my standing desks easier on the knees. 

Pain & Joint Relief: The Benefits of Standing While Working