Your chair’s contact with the floor is the foundation of that desirable balance between mobility and stability.
Office chairs generally come standard with casters that are designed to roll on low pile carpet. These casters are hard plastic. If you place a chair with hard casters on a hard floor, the result will be … double axels and death spirals. OK, I’m exaggerating just a bit. You may find the chair rolling when you are trying to sit still. You might try to compensate in ways that can cause discomfort in your body: sitting near the front of the chair to get your feet more firmly on the floor; holding onto the desk; or constantly perching with your feet on the base of the chair.
Quality ergonomic chairs can be ordered with casters designed for use on hard floors. These casters are softer, in order to slow the roll and give you more stability. If you’ve already bought your chair with incorrect casters, find out if the casters can be replaced with those designed for hard floors. If you cannot change the casters, consider placing a low pile rug under your chair.
Now, if you are faced with the “dragging through bubblegum” scenario, you are probably fighting with your chair every time you want to move it. This can cause not only frustration, but also physical pain. I can think of four possible causes:
No. 1: Your chair has soft casters being used on soft floor. If you can slightly dig your fingernail into the casters they are probably soft casters. If you have soft casters on carpet and it’s a struggle to roll the chair, consider using a chair mat or replacing the wheels with hard casters.
No. 2: Your chair is on deep pile carpet and/or a thick carpet pad. If so, consider using a heavy duty chair mat designed for deep pile carpet. If you use a lighter mat the casters may create annoying craters in the mat, into which your chair will roll, limiting your positioning options.
No. 3: The casters are stuck with gunk and/or hair. Clean them out or replace them if you can.
No. 4: The casters are worn out and can’t spin and/or can’t swivel freely. Replace them if you can.
Nancy M. Lowe is a certified ergonomist, registered physical therapist and certified hand therapist. She has prevented and treated pain and injuries in the San Francisco Bay Area for more than 20 years. Contact her at nm****@pa**************.com.
