They are becoming more and more common in the workplace amid fears our increasingly sedentary lifestyles could send us to an early grave.

But new research suggests standing desks can lead to swollen veins that cause leg, lower back pain and heart damage.

Experts also claim they slow mental reactiveness but can lead to a marginal increase in 'creative decision making'.

The study has been published in the Ergonomics journal and warns of the 'feverish' trend of choosing standing desks at work, because there is little evidence to prove their benefits.

Research carried out by Curtin University in Australia saw 20 people working at standing desks for two hours.

After around an hour and a quarter their ability to respond to tasks slowed and their lower body began to ache 

Commenting on the study, Professor Alan Taylor, a physi, therapy expert at Nottingham University, told The Telegraph: 'The bottom line is that this expansion has been driven more by commercial reasons than scientific evidence.

'But the evidence is catching up and it's showing there are some drawbacks.

The study has been published in the Ergonomics journal and warns of the 'feverish' trend of choosing standing desks at work, because there is little evidence to prove their benefits
'They are not a panacea for back pain, yet companies are worried that if they provide them they'll be sued.'

Professor Taylor advised workers to take regular breaks instead of standing up at their computers all day. 

The demand for standing desks has improved with increasing research to show office workers can spend up to 80 per cent of their day sitting down.

They can be bought on the high street anywhere from £200 to £1,000. 

Some offices have taken a step beyond and offer employees 'walking desks', which combine a laptop space with a treadmill. 

The Daily Mail

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