The ergonomic problem isn't about standing vs. sitting. It's about having a properly designed desk. The traditional 29 to 30 inch high writing desk isn't ergonomically correct for extended computer use.
Many years ago, after developing intense pain in my wrists and shoulders I decided to look into it. I was spending 14 to 18 hours a day in front of the computer (which was part of the problem, of course).
After many experiments I finally arrived at a desk design that worked wonders. I welded the frame out of mild steel for rigidity --which I found was important-- and surfaced it with plywood and formica. It's a two level desk with the front dropped down to about 26 inches. The drop alone wasn't enough. The front edge of the keyboard shelf has a 1.5 x 1.5 inch piece of oak running the entire width. This piece has a generous radius and is highly polished and waxed.
During use your arms hang naturally on your sides. Your forearms are pretty much parallel to the floor and a point just behind your wrists rests on the oak support. Picture your hands lightly hanging into a cavity that contains the keyboard and trackball. No muscular tension to speak of.
This made ALL the pain go away and the carpal tunnel soreness evaporated. I went from being on a road to surgery to, well, feeling perfectly normal, even after extended sessions. And, BTW, ditching the mouse was a huge part of this. Mice introduce tension. A thumb operated trackball does not (after you get used to it).
I also like to work standing up but recognize that comes with it's own set of issues.
Do you have pictures of this anywhere? I'm pretty young (28) and worried a bit that I might be going down this path. I seem to be dealing with injury after injury while training for my running races and am fairly convinced that part of it is due to muscle tightness and tension from sitting so much during the day in a bad setup.
Any luck with those photos reboot? I'm building a desk myself and have found that a shorter desk than typical has been a game changer for rsi issues I had. Would be very interested in seeing what you've done.
Many years ago, after developing intense pain in my wrists and shoulders I decided to look into it. I was spending 14 to 18 hours a day in front of the computer (which was part of the problem, of course).
After many experiments I finally arrived at a desk design that worked wonders. I welded the frame out of mild steel for rigidity --which I found was important-- and surfaced it with plywood and formica. It's a two level desk with the front dropped down to about 26 inches. The drop alone wasn't enough. The front edge of the keyboard shelf has a 1.5 x 1.5 inch piece of oak running the entire width. This piece has a generous radius and is highly polished and waxed.
During use your arms hang naturally on your sides. Your forearms are pretty much parallel to the floor and a point just behind your wrists rests on the oak support. Picture your hands lightly hanging into a cavity that contains the keyboard and trackball. No muscular tension to speak of.
This made ALL the pain go away and the carpal tunnel soreness evaporated. I went from being on a road to surgery to, well, feeling perfectly normal, even after extended sessions. And, BTW, ditching the mouse was a huge part of this. Mice introduce tension. A thumb operated trackball does not (after you get used to it).
I also like to work standing up but recognize that comes with it's own set of issues.