Local couple invents standing desk to solve neck pain
MONTEREY — Bill Anderson found a solution to his neck pain caused by working at a flat desk. He built a lightweight standup desk that is portable and affordable.
Anderson and his wife Carolyn of Carmel Valley founded Anderlyn Desk Company in 2007. The company’s product is taking off. Its customers include “Saturday Night Live,” Stanford University, the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Department of Forestry, National Geographic and Harvard University.
The beauty of Anderlyn desks is that they are placed on regular desks and are adjustable. You have the option of standing or sitting. The cost is $129 for the smaller desks (36 x 20 x 18 inches) and $149 for the larger one (48 x 24 x 18 inches).
Studies have found that standing while working leads to more productivity, helps maintain better posture and improved core and leg muscles, key to staying strong and preventing spinal injuries.
A study by the Spine Resource Clinic at the University of Washington found that sitting puts 40 percent to 80 percent more stress on the back than standing. The Health and Safety Regulation of Great Britain reported that “Sitting at a workstation for a long period of time … can lead to back pain.”
The annual cost of musculoskeltal disorders to the U.S. economy is between $13 billion and $20 billion, the National Institute on Occupational Safety and Health, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reported.
Impetus for the standup desks began when Anderson, winemaker for Great American Wineries, began having aggravating neck pain while working at his desk. It caused swelling at the C7 vertebra.
He went to see his chiropractor, who also is Carolyn’s employer. The chiropractor asked if Anderson was working at a desk with his computer at the side of the desk and above eye level. His answer was yes in both cases. Something had to change.
Carolyn decided it was time to build a standup desk that would ease Bill’s pain. He began with a plywood prototype placed on his desk. He also used an Ikea stool on which to sit when not standing.
“It took a real collaboration on how to get this thing functional, Anderson said.
The prototype worked so well that the couple sought out a company to build them. They found Ocean Plastic Products in Santa Cruz, and construction began. They are made mostly of PVC and ABS plastics.
“I can’t say enough about it,” Anderson said of the desk, during an interview in his Monterey office. “A lot of friends don’t stand (while working) and they’re getting ill. It’s not necessary. One of the things that we really wanted is that it be made in the United States of America.”
Anderlyn desks are shipped in a flat box and can be assembled in five minutes. Supports fold out and height can be adjusted to fit a person’s needs.
“When I first started using it in my office people laughed at me,” Anderson, 70, said. They’re no longer laughing.
“By standing I get a natural contraction of muscles …,” he said. “It gives you a sense of confidence, that you kind of know what you’re doing,” he said. “I just feel more agile and active and more mobile.”
The company’s motto is, “Think on your feet. Be in Control.”
Another reason Anderson likes the desks is that he prefers to spread his work out on his large oak desk. With the standing desk, he can still do that while using his computer on the standup desk.
Those who have used Anderlyn desks have experienced improved mental clarity and concentration, reduced fatigue and a 10 to 30 percent improvement in productivity.
In an effort to give back to the community, the company is giving $10 for each desk sold to Family to Family. It’s part of Community Human Services of Monterey County, and helps homing and adopting foster children. For more information, visit www.ftofmc.org, or call Maya Guzman at 831-757-7915, ext. 71.
For more on Anderlyn Desk Company, visit its website at www.anderlyndesk.com or call 831-917-3363.