Avoiding Repetitive-Stress Injuries

1. Avoiding Repetitive-Stress Injuries By Geoff Hart Presented by: Sungho Han April 16, 2007

2. Repetitive-Stress Injury (RSI) • Any injury that results from overuse of a body part without giving it time to recover. • Ex) Computer users experience serious physical problems.

3. Most Common Problems • Aches and Pains • The seat of the problem • Layout of your work area • Mouse alternatives • Hand Problems • The key to the problem • Reinventing the keyboard • Beware the laptop • Rest your wrists? • Eye Strain • Help your eyes focus • Crisp pixels, relaxed eyes • Stamp out flicker • Arrange for suitable lighting • Computers aren’t “tear jerkers”

4. Aches and Pains • The seat of the problem • Sitting for hours reduce blood flow to your legs. • Improper positioned backs can misalign your spine and places additional stress on muscles, bones, and connective tissues. • The seat and back cushions must comfortably distribute and support your weight. • Your chair must be back and height adjustable. • High footrest may help, improving blood flow to the legs and reduces compression of the tissues of your legs.

5. Aches and Pains • Layout of your work area • Let your body adopt a “natural” position • Arms should hang straight down from your shoulder when seated at your computer. • You should be at a height that doesn’t require you to keep it tilted while viewing the monitor.

6. Aches and Pains • Mouse alternatives • Replacing mouse with a different pointing device. • Ex: Trackballs, track pads, graphic tablets, keyboards with integrated pointers, keyboards that replace mousing with gestures.

7. Hand Problems • “Carpal tunnel syndrome” (CTS) results from compression of the nerve that runs thorugh the “carpal tunnel” in your wrist. • Over time, the abused nerve tissue swell, loss of grip strength, decreased ability to manipulate objects with great pain.

8. Hand Problems • The key to the problem • Switch to Microsoft’s Natural Keyboard: Splits between left and right of keys with upward twist. • Adesso for Macintosh users (www.adesso.us)

9. Hand Problems • Reinventing the keyboard • August Dvorak invented a solution based on careful studies of letter frequencies, as described at the Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing Web site (www.mavisbeacon.com)

10. Hand Problems • Beware the laptop • Pay close attention to your hands, and take frequent breaks. • Try to avoid “bottoming out” (jarring your fingers at the end of each keystroke). • Interested in evaluating a higher-tech solution? Consider a “keyless” keyboard.

11. Hand Problems • Rest your wrists • Use cushions or other devices to support your wrists. • Your hands should float above the keyboard rather than resting on it. • Occasionally rest your palm on a firm support can indeed prove helpful, but only if done in moderation

12. Eye Strain • Take frequent breaks (at least hourly) to look at something more distant. • Help your eye focus on moving targets at varying distances.

13. Eye Strain • Help your eye focus • Try placing your monitor at arm’s length from your body. • If you need glasses, ask your optometrist about obtaining “computer glasses” to help focus at the distance of your monitor.

14. Eye Strain • Crisp pixels, relaxed eyes • Get a high-quality monitor for your vision. • Purchase an LCD monitor for its sharper display. • Test several typefaces to see which ones display the best on your screen. • Try using larger font sizes.

15. Eye Strain • Stamp out flicker • A flickering monitor compounds cause viewing problems. • Set the refresh rate high, near the maximum or get a new video card. • Try to get LCD monitor or a screen with good brightness.

16. Eye Strain • Arrange for suitable lighting • No matter what lighting you use, arrange the lights and computer to eliminate reflections. • Position a screen away from windows and lights.

17. Eye Strain • Computers aren’t “tear jerkers” • “Dry eye”: Make a conscious effort to blink more often while using computer, keeping your eyes moist. • Work in a room with appropriate level of humidity.

18. Solutions • Invest in good tools • Stay in shape • Let technology help • Listen to your body

19. Solutions • Invest in good tools • Take time to set up an appropriately ergonomic workspace • Invest in a good keyboard and monitor • Try alternatives to the standard mouse until you feel comfortable

20. Solutions • Stay in shape • Strengthen your muscles that support your neck, arms, wrists, and fingers by a balanced exercise program. • Exercise also strengthens your heart and improves circulation, thus keeping muscles more limber and reduce fatigue. • Learn how to stretch.

21. Solutions • Let technology help • IBM’s ViaVoice product: reduce amount of typing and mousework. • Dragon Naturally Speaking

22. Solutions • Listen to your body • Ask a family ember or friends to report any obvious problems such as hunched shoulders, slumping at the keyboard, squinting eyes, etc.

23. Conclusion • If you spend long enough doing anything, you will be tired, and if you push past the point of fatigue, you’ll greatly increase the risk of injury. • Take a break from the computer and enjoy the other things that life has to offer.

24. Conclusion

25. Any Questions?