Advice for the Terminally Seated

By Carol Triest, P.T.

Repetitive stress injuries (RSI) from computer use are common in today’s work environment.  Repeating the same motion for extended periods of time can cause damage to muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerves. The most common parts of the body affected are the neck, back, shoulders, elbows, wrists and hands.   Symptoms vary, but can include pain, decreased range of motion, numbness and tingling.   Heavy computer users are more prone to injury.

Preventing and treating repetitive stress injuries requires adjustments in the setup of your work area, as well as modifications to your behavior. The following guidelines are helpful in setting up your workstation:  Start with the chair.  Your feet should be flat on the floor, knees and hips bent to right angles.  There should be lumbar support to encourage good posture.  If your chair is not adjustable, you can use a raised platform to get your legs in the correct position.  The next step is the worktable or desk.  Ideally, it should be at a height where your forearms are parallel to the ground when keyboarding and mousing.   Some individuals with long legs and short torsos will need a keyboard tray to get the arms in the proper position.   If the table is either too high or too low, stress is placed on the shoulders and neck.   The keyboard should be close enough to the body so that the upper arms are at an angle of about 20 degrees from the torso.  Finally, the monitor should be positioned so that when looking straight ahead, your line of vision falls about two inches below the top of the screen – a monitor that is too high or too low places stress on the neck musculature.

Laptops are designed to be portable, compact and lightweight.  They are not ergonomically ideal, but more and more people are using them as their primary computer.   A separate keyboard and mouse can be attached to the laptop to make it more ergonomic.

Workspaces are fairly easy to adjust.  Bad habits and behaviors are not. Specific worksite advice includes taking a 1-minute break every 20 to 30 minutes.  During this break, stand and stretch your shoulders, arms, wrists and fingers.  Pay attention to posture.  Keeping the head and shoulders aligned properly can prevent many neck strains.   Be aware, that sitting up straight can initially be uncomfortable, but will become easier with time.

Do not rest your wrists or forearms on the computer, table or armrests.  Picture instead, floating over the keyboard, much like a piano player does.  This will avoid nerve compression.  Mix computer use with other work duties.  Vary computer tasks such as spreadsheets with less mouse intensive work such as emails.  Limit computer time.  Our bodies were designed for movement, not for sitting and typing.

Finally, attention to overall health minimizes the risk of RSI. Increased strength and improved circulation are important benefits of regular exercise. People that exercise regularly are less prone to repetitive stress injuries. Their injuries tend to be less severe and more easily treated.  Decreasing stress is invaluable. Taking a Yoga class or getting a massage may be helpful in reducing tension.

If you have pain or questions about your posture, sign up for a free injury check at a BaySport Physical Therapy location.  More specific information is available at the OSHA website http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/computerworkstations.