Sitting at our desks isn't supposed to hurt but for too many of us, it leads to a sore back, stiff wrist, or some other musculoskeletal disorder. Women are more than twice as likely to develop the problems and it's costing us and our employers.

In August's Health Check: a look at how ergonomics can make all the difference.

Jennifer Stoj practically lives at her desk. For hours a day, she enters data and does research but she had no answers for her pain.

The Alegent employee says, "I'm sitting here. You shouldn't be physically tired from eight hours of sitting but I was physically tired and my back just had pain. I had shooting pain."

The injuries are often the result of micro-tears or strains that happen over time. Women are more prone to them for a variety of reasons. One example: most equipment is built for men.

Ergonomic specialist Pramila Kalaga focuses on solutions.

"A lot of changes might be making adjustments to what they already have," she says. "For example, change height and reach distances of keyboard; mouse; monitor; giving them a footrest."

Kalaga used Tracy's workspace as an example and before long, her notebook filled up. The keyboard was too close to the computer, and the chair was too close to the monitor. Kalaga believes that's leading to eye strain, causing frequent headaches.

Changes can pay off for employees and their bosses.

Pramila says, "They're going to perform more at their optimum. They're less likely to be injured -- less likely to be a worker's comp case."

Jennifer Stoj notices the difference with a footrest, new chair, wrist pad, and document holder.

"I couldn't believe the improvements by the end of the day," she said.

She feels great, despite being four-and-a-half months pregnant.

She says, "We're still trying to get a baby's room ready. All this stuff, I can actually stay up and get stuff done and not be tired by seven o'clock."

She breaks up her day with frequent walks to the copier or somewhere else and now when she heads back to her desk, it's a perfect fit.

Studies show that 15 percent of workers in the U.S. have musculoskeletal disorders. The cost to employers is in the tens of billions of dollars.

Instead of just heading to a store that sells ergonomic gear, experts recommend working with someone who is board certified. Look for "BCPE" by their name.

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