Sore Back From Soldering?

[steveyraff]

Hey guys,

I pretty much build pedals every day now. Sometimes I'm at the workbench for a couple of hours in the evening, other days I might be there up to 12 hours.

I'd like to hear about other peoples workbench set ups? I think I need to stop using a standard office-style desk. I often lean in to look closely with what I am working with. I think it means my posture is hunched over, no matter how much I try to straighten the back of my chair. I'm thinking perhaps if I have a raised bench so that the circuit I'm working on is closer to eye level?

It's getting to the point that after soldering for a while, I have to lay on the floor to try to ease my back - and lately I've been waking up in the morning with a really sore back in bed. I know its directly because of soldering. So my technique is obviously very wrong.

Does anyone else have this problem, and more importantly, does anyone have suggestions to improve my posture/technique and help prevent my back getting worse?

Thanks.

[thermionix]

Does anyone else have this problem

Absolutely.  I also take breaks to lay on the floor.  Real damn familiar with the ceiling, lol.  (I've mentioned it before, but I have a bad back from an old injury).

[bean]

The best thing you can do is take a break for a couple of days and let your muscles heal. Then after that makes sure you stand up and move around a bit about every 45 minutes when you go back to your soldering routine.

Also, ICY HOT patches and/or Aleve.

My medical degree is from the Cayman Islands so take this advice with a grain of salt.

[marcelomd]

At college the electronics labs had these heavy workbenches with matching stools that were higher than a regular office desk/chair. I hated every minute of lab work because I had to hunch (tall guy, bad eyes) and would get sore by the end of class. Whoever designed it probably never worked there.

One day I took a regular chair from a classroom so I could sit lower, with the work surface almost at "nipple level", like a kid at the adults' table, and it was ergonomically perfect - straight back and neck, with shoulders relaxed. I try to replicate the setup whenever I can, usually lowering my office chair. At one point I had a swiss/exercise ball at home that was awesome for work, but took too much space.

So, try to set your work surface, or your chair lower. And take a break every now and then =)

[bluebunny]

I solder in the kitchen where the worktop is indeed higher than a desk.  I'm sure the height helps.  Having said that, extended shifts are not good and I make a point of getting up and moving around every half an hour or so.  Usually that happens automatically because I've forgotten something (and the parts stash is upstairs).  Or I need to drink/pee...  (Also recommended.)

[BetterOffShred]

Take breaks man, I haven't found a good way to perform the soldering part of pedal building without hunching over and really getting in there.  .. I just had sinus surgery so leaning forward is causing a lot of drainage heh.. but I'm still doing it

[EBK]

Or I need to drink/pee...

That slash is very important.  Reminds me of a sign that is probably still hanging in the airport near where I grew up.  It said, "Toilets/Drinking Water".  There, however, I think the slash seems a bit awkward and suggests water conservation gone awry.

[BetterOffShred]

Well when you're thirsty .. a mud puddle is an oasis .. 

[steveyraff]

Thanks all. Yea, I often have these back pains from soldering, its just worrying me more that I'm not starting to wake up with it in the morning - suggesting its going to become permanent if I'm not careful. I have a habit of just getting in the zone and sitting there for hours on end without taking a break. I need to stop more regularly for breaks, tea, slashing, stashing, etc  I think I am also going to try a higher work surface. My seat is already as low as possible with the back as straight as it adjusts to.

Thanks for suggestions so far - appreciate it all!

[Kipper4]

I feel you Stevey.
My solution lower the chair. Stretch out the legs.
stay safe man.

[BetterOffShred]

I'm not sure if you're able to, but if you are, try wall sitting. Where you sit with your ass against the wall and your legs up it .. watch a YouTube video if you need.. this has helped my back a ton.

[FUZZZZzzzz]

I know someone who uses something like this. I was impressed, but have not tried one yet for more than an hour or so. It is often used as a massage chair on location.

[Ice-9]

I pretty much sit and build as a full time job and can be at the bench 5-6 days a week all day, sometimes more than the usual 8 hour shifts as well, I have all my gear set up at a computer desk/bench and a decent adjustable office chair.

I do get the odd back pains after sitting too long, but lately most problems are in my foot, I tend to sit with my left foot heel over the top of my right foot, weird I know, this has started to cause pains on the top of my right foot and pains in the same knee.

Also remember it always makes sense to get up and move around out of ya chair a lot, ie every 15 mins or so, give your muscles and your eyes a little break.

[Mark Hammer]

A great topic for a thread.
This hobby should bring one happiness, not regret.  I realize it's probably shovelling sand against the tide, but having a landline on the other side of one's residence provides many opportunities to get up, walk over to that phone, realize it's a telemarketer, and put the receiver down again, before walking back to the bench.

Bottom line: provide yourself with prompts, reminders, and opportunities to change your body position regularly, in addition to what I think are excellent suggestion to re-arrange the work-surface/seat height to reduce bending over.  I should probably heed that advice myself, and stick something under my drill press to raise it up a bit so I don't have to stoop as much to drill PCBs.

At the moment, my soldering tends to be interpolated with a great deal of gardening, home-repair, and assorted yardwork.  Of course, once colder weather sets in, there will be much less of that, and I'll have to be more vigilant about getting up and moving around more.

[dennism]

Patient:  "Doctor it hurts when I do this".

Doctor:  "Don't do that"

Seriously though, play some guitar once in a while (standing up).   Don't forget why we are building effects in the first place.

[pinkjimiphoton]

i use a drum throne. about the time it starts makin me nards go numb, its time to stand up and give the back a break

[Mark Hammer]

Just out of curiosity, Jim, does sitting on a drum throne make you solder a little slower or a little faster sometimes? 

[Kipper4]

My dentist swears by these saddle stools.

[PRR]

> the work surface almost at "nipple level", like a kid at the adults' table, and it was ergonomically perfect

+1

> change your body position regularly

+1

Your back is important!! Do not abuse it the way you have been doing!

Consider your g-g-g-g-g-great-grandmother. She alternated hunching over nuts to work the meat out, with long walks and long stretches to reach for more nuts. Watch your cat. She sleeps firmly for an hour, then gets up and stretches.

[mth5044]

It sounds like you are also getting absorbed in your work, which I do to when I work from home. To help with the problem of looking up and realizing 5 hours have gone by, I set a 50 minute timer  my phone. Whenever it goes off, restart the timer, get up and move about for a bit, then continue working. Timer goes off again in 50min, etc.