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Long, long ago, when humans learned to stand upright and use a pen, they scribbled in the age of writer's cramp.
The age of technology has spawned a range of complaints with more exotic names, such as Cumulative Stress Disorder, Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI), Carotid Artery Dissection and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Whether we use the computer for work or play, we are at risk of overuse injuries.
Accumulative stress can occur with as little as 4 hours of computer use a day. Stress injuries to wrists, hands, shoulders and neck are most common and can lead to nasty things like tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Long periods at the Keyboard, and hours spent gripping the mouse, can damage wrists and arms. Simply resting them on the edge of the desk as you work is inviting soft tissue damage. Watch out or symptoms like pain, swelling, weakness, numbness or restricted mobility of the joint.
To reduce the likelihood of injury it is recommended:
- That we use an adjustable desk designed for use with computers.
- The height of the keyboard should allow elbows to rest comfortably at your side, parallel to the floor and level with the keyboard.
- Chairs should be adjusted so that feet rest flat on the floor. (Use a footstool if your legs are left dangling.)
- Poor chairs encourage bad posture by forcing us to round our lower back and hunch our shoulders.
- Long finger nails lead us to type with flat rather than curved fingers.
- The mouse should be at the same height as the keyboard and positioned as close as possible to the side of it.
- When using the mouse the whole arm should be used rather than the wrist.
- Type lightly and gently.
- Avoid long stretches of continuous typing.
- Remove hands from the keyboard when not actually typing.
Blurred vision, headache or inability to focus on far away objects are signs of eye fatigue. Health authorities recommend:
- The monitor should be positioned at eye level or slightly lower.
- Tilt the monitor slightly to eliminate reflections or glare.
Reduce the contrast and brightness of the screen.
- Frequently (not less than every 20 mins) look away from the screen and focus on faraway objects.
Sitting for long periods impedes circulation so experts recommend taking an exercise break every hour. Stand, move around, stretch and swing your arms.
Be aware of how much time you have been using the computer. Taking frequent breaks actually improves productivity and, with a well designed work station, will reduce or eliminate the possibility of injury.
Sources
www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au
www.nightcats.com
www.rsihelp.com
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