I’m sure that you’ve heard the term ergonomics before thrown around at your work. Ergonomic is the discipline of correcting bad posture in accordance of the specific person. Ergonomic office products are designed to help a person with their bad posture and correct any movement that could result in Repetitive Strain Injury, also known as RSI. Using certain computer items, such as a mouse or a keyboard the wrong way could lead to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, paralysis of the hands, and could result in tendon damage and other problems with the joints, cartilage, spine and ligaments.
Some warning signs to look out for is having difficulty making a fist, weakness in body parts, lack of coordination in body parts, soreness, pain, swelling, and cold hands.
Ergonomic products may help an individual who are having difficulties, but the most important thing to be aware of is posture. There are numerous things that we do on a daily basis that go undetected until it is pointed out by somebody or themselves.
When a person is typing, keep these things in mind:
Is the person slouching? Do they lean too far back when typing? Are the hands in an awkward position? Once the problem is figured out, they need to figure out why they’re doing this and come up with a solution. Some things could be, moving the keyboard closer to the individual, adjusting their chair, getting a new desk, and using specific ergonomic tools.
There were over 800,000 cases of work related strains in 2003. Now thanks to employers being aware of these potential problems, cases have been fewer. These injuries make up for a third of the workers compensation claims. Repetitive Stress Injuries harm close to 2 million workers a year.
Is your keyboard too high when you type? Is it too low? Is your mouse too far to reach? Is your monitor too far away from you? Could the monitor be too high? Too low? Do your feet touch the floor when you’re sitting in your chair? When you use the phone at your desk, do you place the phone on your shoulder and move your neck to hold the phone in place? All of these tasks could lead to stress on specific body parts if they’re repeated several times in the day.
When working, be sure to take short breaks from time to time. Learn some new stretching exercises to help loosen up your hands, arms, shoulders, neck, and legs. A small one minute break every half hour or so will work wonders and will help reduce the risk of repetitive strain injuries.
