How to Turn a Zero-Gravity Recliner into a Workstation
for Reduced Back Pain

Some years ago, a coworker welded together an elaborate contraption with counter-balanced weights to allow him to easily work at the computer from a reclining position without back pain. He said it's made a huge difference, and if he has a flare-up now, he recovers much faster.

Now that lots of ergonomic accessories are available, it's quite a bit easier to put something like this together. Here's what I did...

1. Get a "zero-gravity" recliner chair.
   
   For example, Faulkner makes an inexpensive recliner intended as an outdoor chair for pool decks. A higher-end leather model is at http://www.amazon.com/Faulkner-40588-Executive-Recliner-Standard/dp/B0012VRPL8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337706980&sr=8-1
   
   This kind of chair is excellent for working from a very reclined position, but maybe not the most comfortable for sitting up normally; a regular office chair is better for that. Also, since this chair doesn't have rollers, it can be a little difficult to slide it back to dismount; you could try to attach some kind of rollers or glides.
   
   Ergonomics experts recommend frequent changes of posture – "The best position is your next position" – so you may want to alternate between the zero-gravity chair and a traditional office chair. With recliner chairs, you may feel a little locked in place, though you can easily change how far the chair tilts back. Anyway, the reclined position seems to put a lot less pressure on the back.
   
   See update below...
   
   
   
2. Attach your computer monitor to an articulated monitor arm.
   
   One option is to use a monitor arm that mounts to a pole screwed in to your desk; for example, http://www.ergodirect.com/product_info.php?products_id=15714 . This should allow you to lean way back, with minimal pressure on your spine, and adjust the monitor to the correct angle and distance.
   
   
   
3. Do something for the keyboard.
   
   Initially I tried using a keyboard tray that mounts under the desk and slides out, but it was too crowded – there wasn't enough room for the large keyboard tray – so now I just rest the keyboard in my lap, in a fairly relaxed position.
   
   
   
4. Do something for the mouse pad.
   
   I bought something like this:
   http://www.amazon.com/XFX-FXGS2LAYER-WarPad-Edgeless-Support/dp/B005AT5VW8/ref=sr_1_49?ie=UTF8&qid=1337707774&sr=8-49
   and performed some surgery so it would fit on the right arm of the recliner chair. The chair arm tilts down to the back, so I tape the mouse cable to my desk to keep the mouse from sliding too far. This is not an ideal solution – sometimes I can get some slight pain in my right arm if the mouse pad is too far back, but after sliding the mouse tray forward, it seems to work pretty well.
   

Update: I can no longer recommend this specific solution, at all, because the chair arm is not a good ergonomic position for the mouse pad. Placing the mouse pad on the chair arm caused my shoulder to be too high, leading to minor but persistent shoulder pain (impingement, "frozen shoulder syndrome"). It might be worth finding a more expensive chair designed to fit an ergonomic keyboard tray. Any setup that discourages frequent changes of position is probably a really bad idea. Again: "The best position is the next position."