REPETITIVE STRAIN INJURY TO THE HANDS DUE TO YOUR COMPUTER

As more and more work, education and recreation involves computers, one needs to be aware of the hazard of Repetitive Strain Injury to the hands and arms resulting from the use of computer keyboards and mice. This can be a serious and very painful condition that is far easier to prevent than to cure once contracted, and can occur even in young physically fit individuals. It is not uncommon for people to have to leave computer-dependent careers as a result, or even to be permanently disabled and unable to perform tasks such as driving or dressing themselves.

Repetitive Strain Injuries occur from repeated physical movements doing damage to tendons, nerves, muscles, and other soft body tissues. The rise of computer use and flat, light-touch keyboards that permit high speed typing have resulted in an epidemic of injuries of the hands, arms, and shoulders. Use of pointing devices like mice and trackballs are as much a cause, if not more so. The thousands of repeated keystrokes and long periods of clutching and dragging with mice slowly accumulates damage to the body: This can happen even more quickly as a result of typing technique and body positions that place unnecessary stress on the tendons and nerves in the hand, wrist, arms, and even the shoulders and neck. Lack of adequate rest and breaks and using excessive force almost guarantee trouble.

Correct typing technique and posture, the right equipment setup, and good work habits are much more important for prevention than ergonomic gadgets like split keyboards or palm rests. No amount of ergonomic changes, fancy keyboards, or exercises are going to help if you are simply typing more than your body can handle. Don't try to be the fastest, most powerful hacker around - the cost is too high. Also, the recreational computer one can reduce? And lose the computer/video games . . . which often involve long, unbroken sessions of very tense keyboard or controller use. Don't sacrifice your hands to a game! Dealing with this early is critical to limiting the damage, and to spare you a world of hurt, trouble, and frustration!!!