Here are the reasons you should think carefully about a standing desk

 If you've been considering a standing desk, read on.  There are many benefits and a few challenges you should know about.

I didn't plan to buy a standing desk.  

After we remodeled our sunporch and turned part of it into office space for me, I went looking for a desk.  OfficeMax had quite a few to choose from.  

And then I saw standing desks and my brain went into overdrive.  How cool would that be?  If I got tired of sitting, I could stand for a while!  Just push the button and the desk would raise or lower to whatever height I needed.

And so I bought it.

When it was delivered and we set it up, it was high, even at its lowest setting.  So I raised my chair as high as it could go.

I've used this setup for almost two years now.  

Here's what I like:

• The workspace area is huge.  I have lots of room to spread out.  
• When you get tired of sitting, you stand.  I'm good for 20-30 minutes before sitting back down.
• Moving it up and down simply means pushing a button.  Nothing has to be moved onto or off of the desk.
• It adjusts for any height.
• It is reasonably priced.

Here's what I don't like

• There are no drawers
• They're not designed for people under 5'6".  

What?!

I started going to physical therapy because of a problem that suddenly appeared with my right hand.  I couldn't point to anything I'd done to hurt it, but all of a sudden, I had tightness and couldn't bend my fingers very easily.

After trying all kinds of things, and thinking I might have to live with this for the rest of my life - or have surgery - I made a discovery.

I started to read up on standing desks and found a couple of articles that said that standing desks start off higher than regular desks.  I talked to my physical therapists about whether my desk could be causing my issues with my hand.

The short answer is yes.

I've been working with hunched shoulders to accommodate the increased height on the working surface.

I stopped using the desk a week ago until I come up with a workable solution.  

And the pain in my hand?

It's going away.  

I still like the standing desk.  But I'll need to add a sliding tray underneath to make it work for me.  

I hope this helps you if you're considering a standing desk.