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repetitive strain injuries
Medical technology seems to find a new syndrome, disorder or dysfunction every hour these days. Remember all the press over carpal tunnel syndrome just a few years back? It seemed that everyone required myriad contraptions, braces and therapy to get through the same work they had for years without complaint. The evening news on every channel had either a special report or an investigative correspondent inundating us with information. What happened?
Well, nothing, really.
Even though it seems to have lost its infamy, repetitive strain, or repetitive stress, injuries continue to plague computer users around the world, costing businesses billions of dollars each year. The Department of Labor estimates that more than 60 percent of all work-related injuries are due to repetitive strain injuries. They include widely known conditions such as tendinitis and bursitis and many that are less familiar, such as myofascial pain and thoracic outlet syndromes.
So what can you do to prevent such injuries?
According to Joanna Clark, occupational safety and health coordinator of ISI Health Enhancement Services, a subsidiary of Hawaii Medical Service Association, "The key to reducing repetitive strain injuries in the workplace is increasing employee awareness of the conditions that may lead to it." Businesses that take the lead to reduce such injuries also generally improve the health and happiness of their employees. Furthermore, if you're a manager or business owner, other potential benefits include lower worker's compensation costs and insurance premiums, as well as higher productivity and morale for your workers.
By now, most people know that repetitive strain injuries for computer users are caused primarily by prolonged use of the keyboard and mouse, coupled with poor ergonomic layout of a workstation. Remember how your mother used to complain about the amount of time you spent playing on your Atari and Coleco game systems? Today, children of all ages spend so much time on systems like Xbox, Playstation and GameBoy that repetitive strain injuries have begun to crop up from excessive or obsessive game playing.
The two basic components of a proper ergonomic layout are the monitor and the keyboard. The goal is to try and set up your work area so you do not need to flex your wrists use the keyboard and position the monitor such that you do not need to bend your body or neck to see it. It should be directly in front of you and approximately arm's length away. If you can't read the screen easily from that far, most every software product allows you to magnify the viewing size for comfort whether it's a spreadsheet, network diagram or word processing document. Don't forget, you can always use a larger font.
What about laptops? It's almost always true that if the keyboard is positioned correctly, the display won't be and vice-versa. Fortunately, most laptop users don't rely upon their laptop for full-time use, and those who do usually have external keyboards and/or displays that allow greater flexibility for positioning. If you are a heavy user of your laptop and don't have external devices, I highly recommend you get some; the cost pales in comparison to the potential health risks.
In addition to repositioning your peripherals, you can try replacing them. For example ergonomic keyboards, such as Microsoft's Natural Keyboard, are said to allow better hand and wrist positioning. Certainly, wireless keyboards and mice allow much greater positional flexibility. Several vendors market wrist rests for keyboards and mice to ease symptoms, and some have wireless keyboards and mice that allow greater positional flexibility. Bear in mind, however, that Microsoft avoids claiming their keyboard will actually prevent repetitive stress injuries and, to date, there is no conclusive medical evidence proving that other similar products do, either. Based on reports from colleagues, some people feel their symptoms are reduced after using these products, but for others, they actually felt worse.
I'm not a doctor, so if you feel that you are afflicted with a repetitive strain injury you should consult a medical professional for a diagnosis and recommendation of treatment. Some sufferers have claimed that alternative treatments, such as yoga and acupuncture have proven successful. Traditional treatments generally consist of some combination of immobilizing splints, anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, or even injections of cortisone to reduce swelling. In extreme cases, there are surgical options, one of which involves cutting the ligament at the bottom of the wrist (ouch!) to relieve the pressure.
Possibly the cheapest, most readily accessible and often effective solution for many of us is common sense. Don't forget that no matter how you set up your PC or what devices you acquire to make it easier to use, taking a break every hour or so will go a long way toward avoiding injury. Often, when we are hunched over, typing furiously under the stress of a looming deadline, our brains don't realize that hours have passed, but our joints and muscles do. As usual, your mother was right -- a little common sense today may head off problems tomorrow. So if you'll excuse me, I need a break.
John Agsalud is president of ISDI Technologies, Inc., a Honolulu-based IT consultancy, specializing in software development, systems integration, and outsourcing. He can be reached at jagsalud@isdi-hi.com or by calling 944 8742.
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