Sitting at a poorly designed work space with an unsupportive chair, glaring computer monitor and phone receiver wedged into your neck can easily lead to musculoskeletal disorders, repetitive stress injuries and fatigue. Not to mention a lack of productivity and lousy attitude.

HOME-WORK ASSIGNMENT

While it's routine for large businesses to make office work spaces functional and ergonomically correct, homebound workers are often left to their own devices. That can mean anything from working at the kitchen table to balancing a laptop on the edge of the bed.

"Just because you're working from home and might be comfortable sitting around in your pajamas, doesn't mean that you should be lounging in a recliner with a computer on your lap," says Ron Sieckmann, ergonomics specialist at the University of California San Diego Medical Center. "You need to be constantly aware of your body mechanics and treat your home-work station like you are in a regular office environment with a business suit on."

Sitting without proper back support or straining your neck forward to see the monitor can be tolerated for a few minutes while you check e-mails or return a phone call. But spend too long in these improper positions and your body will eventually complain.

"If you're in a work position that's most beneficial for your body, you can function more effectively and efficiently," says Dr. Don Herip, an occupational medicine physician and medical director of corporate health services at Palomar Pomerado Health Foundation. "Fortunately, most of the things that can lead to fatigue, strain and pain can be (remedied) with a simple adjustment of the footrest, keyboard, chair height or monitor angle."

Ergonomic experts offer the following tips on purchasing and using home office equipment for a healthy and productive work space.

CHAIR

If you spend big bucks on only one part of your home office, let it be on an adjustable chair.

"Don't use your dining-room chair at your computer. A dining room chair is made for eating. An office chair is made for using a keyboard and has various (position) adjustments," Herip says.

Optimal features:

Swivel on a five-caster frame for stability.

Adjustable lumbar or lower back support.

A back tilt adjustment so you can sit at a slight recline if you prefer.

Moveable seat pan, the part of the chair you sit on.

Proper positioning:

Adjust the seat height so that your feet rest flat on the floor or on a footrest.

Your hips and thighs should be positioned at an angle of 90 degrees to 110 degrees; your knees can be slightly lower than your hips.

When you sit with your hips against the back of the chair, there should be no more than a fist's length between your knees and the front of the seat.

When typing and using the mouse, wrists should be slightly lower than your elbows and fingers should be slightly below the level of your wrists.

If you must use a dining-room chair at your home's work station, you can modify it to make it a bit more comfortable and supportive. Using a footrest (a box or a phone book will work in a pinch) under your feet can help change the position of your knees and hips. To help support the lower back, roll up a hand towel and place it at the small of your back to maintain proper lumbar curve.

COMPUTER MONITOR

Optimal features:

Flat panel monitors usually offer built-in glare protection.

Adjustable height and tilt.

Proper positioning:

Monitor should be directly in front of you, not to the side.

It should be at arm's length away, about 18 to 26 inches, depending if you wear glasses.

Without corrective vision, adjust monitor height so that your eye level is at the top of the viewing portion of the screen.

With bifocals, your eye level should be just above the monitor.

To avoid screen glare, position the monitor so it's perpendicular to the window and tilted back slightly. If your monitor or screen is not adjustable, use a stack of books to raise it to the proper level.

KEYBOARD

Ergonomic keyboards are available but have not been proved to lessen or alleviate hand and wrist problems.

Proper positioning:

When using a mouse or keyboard, keep your elbows at an angle of 90 degrees to 110 degrees; your hands should be at elbow height or slightly lower.

Your forearms, wrists and hands should be in a straight line.

The keyboard should be at a comfortable distance, not so far away that you have to reach out to touch the keys.

When typing, relax your shoulders with elbows close to your sides, not flared out.

When using a mouse, make sure your wrist is straight, not bent to either side, and don't grip it too tightly.

If you find that using a mouse strains the muscles in your hand, try using an alternate input device like a trackball or a touch pad.

Rest the meaty part of your hands, not your wrists, on a wrist rest, if you use one.

Try not to keep your hands on a wrist rest for an extended period because you can cut off circulation.

LAPTOP TIPS

Even though it's called a laptop, it's not a good idea to use it on your lap. Or on the coffee table while you're slouched on the sofa. Or on a pillow as you recline in bed.

"Laptops were designed for quick in and out of the office use, not permanent home use," says Sieckmann, who notes that working exclusively on a laptop is asking for neck strain, shoulder pain and lower-back fatigue. "Although you can make some (ergonomic modifications), when you use a laptop, it's hard to get your entire body in the proper position."

Try to place your laptop on a hard surface so the keyboard is approximately at elbow height, and your hands and wrists are in a straight line.

If your laptop is the only computer option, consider getting a docking station, which lets you plug your laptop into a full-sized monitor and keyboard.

DESK

Optimal features:

Should have a pullout computer keyboard shelf that can be raised or lowered to fit your body and reduce strain.

A matte surface helps minimize glare.

A document holder next to or attached to the monitor eliminates twisting and tilting your neck when typing from papers or books flat on the desk.

TELEPHONE

Optimal features:

A hands-free headset will not only save your neck, it will also let you type, file and multitask while you're on "hold" or sitting through a conference call.

Consider a hands-free speakerphone.

If the first two recommendations aren't options, at least get a shoulder cradle attachment, which allows you to keep your head and neck upright while on the phone.

LIGHTING TIPS

Your computer screen should be the brightest spot in the room.

Turn off or dim the overhead bulb.

Add task lighting, placing either a floor or desk lamp at the side of your monitor, and angle it so it illuminates your desk and keyboard, not your computer screen.

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