| I have been asked many times by my customers | | | | spine to retain the curvature of the back and |
| over the years about how the posture knee | | | | keep the body in a more slightly reclined posture. |
| office chairs can help ergonomically. With the | | | | Studies show that even in the standard office |
| kneeling style of chair becoming quite popular | | | | chair, a person should stay or lock their chair in a |
| recently, employees have heard about them from | | | | slightly reclined posture to maintain this lumbar |
| friends or other employees at the office. Although | | | | curvature. |
| not simple, the answer can be stated shortly in | | | | Even though the term "kneeling" is often used due |
| that "it helps the body take the correct position | | | | to the appearance of the person when seated in |
| while sitting to reduce stress on the lower lumbar | | | | a posture knee model, a person is actually still |
| (back) region". | | | | sitting and bearing of the main body weight is |
| Posture Knee models are fast becoming popular | | | | really not placed on the knees at all. Some |
| as people spend more and more time in front of | | | | doctor's have started recommending posture |
| the computer. America is starting to see epidemic | | | | knee chairs for people with certain injuries or |
| problems with back pain, carpal tunnel and various | | | | even diseases of the backbone or knees due to |
| work related injuries due to all of this sitting in | | | | the extra benefit and lumbar support this |
| front of a workstation for longer periods of time. | | | | positioning enables. |
| Kneeling chairs are used differently then the | | | | When seated in a posture knee chair, the body is |
| standard task office chair with a typical seat and | | | | really in a position which is between that of a |
| back. The kneeling chair models are used while | | | | person sitting or standing and keeps the curvature |
| sitting in position with your thighs dropped to an | | | | of the spine at a very realxed "place" and many |
| angle of about 60 to 70 degrees from the | | | | people seem to be trying and loving this new |
| standard vertical. When sitting in a normal chair | | | | mode of sitting at the workstation. |
| your posture would be more 90 degrees overall | | | | History: |
| with your upper thighs 90 degrees from your | | | | Invented in Norway in the 1970's the kneeling |
| lower leg and your upper torso 90 degress from | | | | chairs seemed to stress finding a design that rid |
| your upper thighs. | | | | the problem of strain placed on a person's spine |
| This would be the posture while sitting in a | | | | when seated in the conventional right angled task |
| normaloffice chair. This posture no matter how | | | | computer chair. |
| ergonomic requires some of your body weight to | | | | One of the first designers was Hans Christian |
| be supported by your shins putting a strain, | | | | Mengshoel, who used experiments with different |
| however small, on your spine. When seated for | | | | types of sitting devices which placed support |
| long periods of time, a small strain can become a | | | | under a person's shins. Furniture designers Peter |
| large problem eventually. | | | | Opsvik, Oddvin Rykken, and Svein Gusrud |
| The designs of these chairs, wanted to correct | | | | followed suit, each developing their own version of |
| the body's ergonomic posture to essential "open | | | | the posture knee chair to promote. |
| up" the angle of the body between the thigh and | | | | |