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Specialized Workstation Assessments
for Chronic Pain

I started my career in a role where I frequently assessed a client's seating and positioning in a wheelchair. At that time, I analyzed the impact of seating on a person’s function, pain levels and fatigue over the day.  

 

Now, I take those principles and assess workstations with the understanding that 

a seat is not just a place to sit – it can increase or decrease function.

Chronic pain can make sitting or standing uncomfortable—employers frequently provide standard ergonomic assessments that promote alternating between sitting and standing, active sitting postures and anti-fatigue mats. For many employees, this can help them remain productive and reduce discomfort and the risk of work-related musculoskeletal problems.

For some employees with chronic pain, though, this isn't enough.

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Sometimes employees report:

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  • a sit-stand schedule isn't realistic for their work role or condition

  • their ability to tolerate seated or standing positions fluctuates

  • their pain seems to go from manageable to unbearable without warning

  • the typically recommended positions seem to increase fatigue rather than reduce it

  • even the best ergonomic chair isn't comfortable for long

When employees have to spend much of the day adjusting their position, maintaining focus and productivity can become more difficult. Over time, this may affect their ability to sustain their usual work hours.​

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Many chronic pain approaches focus on education, pacing, exercise, mindfulness or symptom management. These strategies can be helpful, but they may not fully address how seating support, postural effort and nervous system activation interact during the workday.

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Rather than looking for one “ideal” position, I assess how the employee’s body and nervous system respond to effort, support and changes in position. I then look for ways to balance active working with periods of “working rest”—when the body can recover while the employee continues to work.

SEATING AND POSITIONING

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I don’t just take measurements - I investigate:

  • How does the employee’s pain change with anterior or posterior pelvic tilt?

  • What happens when stability is added or removed from their seating?

  • How does changing where stability comes from (closer to their core or farther away) change their pain or fatigue?

  • How long can an employee tolerate each position, and are they aware of their pain changing?

  • How does gravity affect painful areas, and does this lead to compensation elsewhere?

  • Do changes to the seating surface change how pain is felt?

Anterior vs Posterior Tilt

THE WORKSTATION AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

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When assessing the workstation, I also look at:

  • How does changing the position of peripheral devices impact pain over the course of the day?  Can they be repositioned or used in alternate ways throughout the day?

  • Do lighting changes affect headaches or other pain symptoms?

  • What happens when environmental noise is modified?

  • Does the current configuration affect cognitive or psycho-emotional symptoms? (desk near window, desk near or far from others, etc).

  • Can this setup be recreated in other settings where the employee must work?

THE EMPLOYEE'S PAIN AND FATIGUE PATTERNS

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With the employee, I also assess:

  • Can they detect their pain and/or fatigue increasing?

  • Can they describe what the progression feels like?

  • Do they have a system for monitoring their own pain and identifying triggers?

  • Do they get distracted easily, or have increased difficulty focusing when they get tired?

  • What is the most comfortable place they can sit, remain focused and alert?

  • What strategies and techniques have they tried for pain self-management? What worked and didn’t work?

  • Does temperature affect alertness, swelling, muscle tension or other symptoms?

POST-ASSESSMENT REPORT

 

​Each assessment includes a written report, which may include:

  • relevant job demands, functional barriers and areas of concern

  • findings related to seating, positioning, symptom patterns and the work environment

  • practical, job-specific recommendations for workstation setup, positioning, environmental modifications and work routines

  • strategies for balancing active working and working rest, including individualized approaches to changing position

  • prioritized options, from immediate or low-cost changes to longer-term equipment solutions

  • equipment specifications, setup instructions and, if requested, sourcing and quotes

  • guidance for trialling and implementing recommendations across work locations

  • indicators for follow-up or reassessment, when appropriate

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The goal is to provide the employee and employer with a practical plan that supports sustainable work while adapting to changes in symptoms and job demands.

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