What are Workplace Ergonomics?

Workplace Ergonomics are simply the study of how to adapt man to a machine or environment in a way that is not stressful to man. Many people think of ergonomics relating to computers, but many of the things you do can cause work related pain. We'll try to help out with basic concepts that you can apply as you are working to keep your energy levels up and your pain levels down!

What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

The carpal tunnel is an area in the wrist and palm where the nerves and tendons of your forearm and hand pass. When this area is aggrivated, it swells, putting pressure on the nerves, and causing pain. Most people feel this pain at night when they sleep with bent wrists or awkward positions for a long time. While awake, many people ignore the pain until permanent nerve damage occurs.

To prevent this aggrivation, and eventual intense pain, there are simple exercises you can do that will greatly help and extend your comfort level while working.

Here are the things that cause the damage:

• Bent wrists for long periods of time - usually caused by the keyboard being higher or lower forcing wrists to adapt.
• Pressure on the wrists or palms - usually caused by leaning on a desk while typing
• Vibrations that last more than several minutes - like from power tools.

Solutions to these problems are:

• Gel pads - get them almost anywhere, for keyboards and mice, about $20 at walmart.
• Padding - wrap all vibrating tools with them. Most hardware stores have it for a few dollars a roll.
• Adjust your chair so that your wrists are straight on the keyboard.
• Free break software reminds you to stretch every so often. This is awesome software and has saved me so much pain.
• Wrist braces that keep your wrists from bending, about $15.00 at walmart.
• Wrist Exercises - do wrist curls, tie a gallon of water to a dowel and roll it up and down.

Once you start having pains, do not ignore them. I work about 12 to 18 hours a day on a computer and have reversed the onset of carpal tunnel by using these devices.

What Causes Neck Pain and a Stiff Neck?

Most computer related neck pain comes from trying to hold your head at an incorrect angle. Muscles in your neck and shoulders fatigue and eventually cramp, causing headings and other pain.

Your monintor should be at eye level or slighty above, so the head can balance without using hardly any muscles to keep them up. Most people have their monitors down, below the level of their eyes and this puts strain on the back of your neck as your head lowers to look at the screen. You can raise your monitor by stacking it on a crate or other object.

Using the break software above, you can also force yourself to stretch your neck and shoulders every so often. This will help tremendously to relieve the strain.

A very good exercise is to interlace your fingers and push them outward, with your thumbs down, stretching your upper back. Also do a slow neck rotation a few times every once in a while. You'll want to do these exercises before you start feeling the pain for them to be most effective, and then many times throughout the day. They REALLY help!

Are there Eye Exercises?

Muscles control the movement of the eyes, and the focusing of the lenses inside your eye. Every 10 minutes or so, you should look at objects that are far away to relax your eye muscles. Sometimes closing your eyes for a moment hurts, because your muscles are actually relaxing, but both of these are good techniques to rest the eyes.

Good lighting helps prevent eye fatigue too, but flourescent lightning is bad for many people. I personally get headaches in any lighting except low, incandescant, but that's me. You'll have to experiment and see what is causing your eye strain.

Sometimes the background behind your monitor can also cause eye strain. For example if your back ground is a bright window, you may be having eye fatigue from trying to focus out the light.

What Shoulder Exercises Stop Shoulder Pain?

The shoulder exercise above works great for the upper back, but you can also exercise the trapezius, thus making your fatique chance lesser by doing the following.

Put your thumbs down, arms out straight. Lean forward a bit and bring your pinkies up high and back far. Hold this for a 5 count and release a few times. It's a great exercise that is hard even for people who have strong backs. Don't do anything that causes burning or tingling pain though.

Sometimes your shoulders will bear the weight of your arms all day, this can cause pain too. To prevent this, get a chair with padded armrests that you can adjust so your shoulders are relaxed while typing.

What about Leg pains, Leg Cramps and Leg Numbness?

Sitting for long periods of time, especially when there is pressure on the back of your legs can cause nerve damage. To prevent this, buy a good chair that does not put pressure on the back of your legs. I bought one from office depot that has nearly doubled the amount of time I have been able to work.

Get a good chair as they really help!