I first experienced knee pain back in 2011.
I stopped running and weightlifting for 6 months, but the pain persisted.
Why? ⁉️
Because I was still sitting at a computer with incorrect knee position for 8 hours daily! 😖
This article will talk about what exactly caused my computer knee pain. It’ll also go over how to fix those computer posture mistakes.
This article is not professional medical advice. It’s based off my personal experience and opinions. For years, my poor computer posture caused muscle tension, inflammation, and chronic pain. Bad posture also decreased my mental clarity, energy level, and work productivity.
All the desk worker health tips I write about are directly related to improving posture at a computer. We are our own primary caretakers. Do your research. Make good decisions. And be the best advocate possible for your own healthcare.
Computer Knee Pain: Why It Happens and How to Fix It
➡️ What Exactly Causes Computer Knee Pain?
❌ Not keeping my feet flat on the floor
That was my biggest mistake as far as knee pain goes.
I’d contract my hamstrings, pulling my feet under my chair.
This created a dangerous 45° knee angle instead of the proper 90°! 📐
❌ Hip height was too low
I used to sit with my hip level below my knee level. This caused excessive activation of my hips.
It overextended my quadriceps, which put more strain on my quadricep tendon.
This pulled the soft tissues in my quads away from my knee and up to my quad.
➡️ The computer-related pain consequences were serious
⚠️ Shortened hamstrings and tendons behind knees
⚠️ Lengthened quadriceps and tendons in front of knees
⚠️ Stiffness in back of knees from compression
⚠️ Pain in front of knees from overextension
➡️ How to Prevent Knee Pain When Sitting at a Computer
✅ Keep feet flat on the floor at all times!
This naturally positions my knees at least at a 90° angle.
I like to keep my knee angle at slightly more than 90°.
This means my ankles are slightly ahead of my knees (from a side view).
It allows me to relax my hamstrings just a little bit extra.
I like this because years of sitting at a computer have caused me to be excessively dominant with my hamstring activation (compared to my quadriceps).
✅ The user on the right has his feet flat on the floor, at slightly more than a 90° knee angle. This one small posture change set off a chain reaction of decreased computer-related pain for me.
Image by Inegvin via Megapixl.
✅ Adjust chair so that hip height is slightly above knee level.
This takes a lot of strain off my quad muscles, the quad tendon, and the soft tissues around my knee cap.
✅ Right user: His hip height is slightly above his knee level.
Image by Burlesck via Megapixl.
✅ Switch between sit and stand positions multiple times each day.
You may think standing would’ve made my knee pain worse.
But instead, it lengthened out my hamstrings after years of sitting at a computer.
This evened out my imbalance of muscle activation between my hamstrings versus my quadriceps.
When I first started using a standing workstation, I’d slowly feel the lower part of my quadricep muscles start to activate again.
After each hour of standing that first week, I’d feel my quadriceps tendon be less and less overextended.
I could feel it pulling from the sides of my knees, back to the front middle of my knee caps.
My knees immediately started feeling better each day.
✅ Use an anti-fatigue mat when standing on a hard surface.
An anti-fatigue mat is a simple mat to stand on. It’s kind of like a doormat, except it’s made of cushioned rubber.
This mat softened the repetitive strain throughout my legs in a big way.
It was a very inexpensive purchase that made a huge improvement in my computer posture.
I got mine for $14 on Amazon! (not paid promotion).
Remember: This article doesn’t contain any medical advice – just my personal experience.
Do your research and be the best advocate you can be for your own healthcare!
THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST IN COMPUTER POSTURE.
If you’ve read this far, congratulations! You’re taking valuable steps to reduce computer-related injuries by improving your posture. That’s something to be very proud of!
If you liked this article on computer knee pain, check out my free ebook titled 3 Ways to Improve Computer Posture Immediately!
>>> Click here to download your free copy
This ebook is a great supplement to the article you just read. In this ebook, you’ll learn 3 of the most painful, poor computer posture mistakes. Then, you’ll learn how to fix those mistakes immediately with 3 simple changes to your ergonomic computer desk setup.
Go to SittingPosture.com/ebook to learn more.
Take care,
Todd Bowen
