Archive for September, 2008

In the world today computers run rampant. Everyone has something, ranging anywhere from a laptop to a desktop or a cell phone.

Technology is taking over. With technology come health problems, just like with cars. If someone drives a car all day long (like taxi drivers) they could have some serious back problems.

If some one is working on a computer all day long (most of the population of the US) they could end up with problems like loss of hearing, computer vision syndrome, E-thrombosis, generalized anxiety disorder, and back problems.

What do you do if you start having bad vision because you work on the computer for so long every day? First off, you might be developing a tunnel vision where your eyes are focused for so long on the computer that you start having problems with your peripheral vision. This is called computer vision syndrome.

Using a mouse and keyboard for hours on end each day can have some bad effects on the wrist and fingers for some people.

Repetitive stress injuries can cause a lot of pain and once you get an injury, it takes some specialized gear to help make things less painful.

You can get ergonomic mice like the Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 from Microsoft, but for some users that may not be enough.

Humanscale has announced an adjustable ergonomic mouse called the Switch that can be used for right or left handed people.

Many ergonomic mice are for right-handed users only. The Switch has a 45-degree angle to help minimize wrist pronation and a navigation dish helps prevent injury from constant scrolling.

It also features palm rest and size adjustability.

Source: Everything USB

It has come to our attention here at WHOA that a growing number of Americans work at home, partly because high gasoline prices discourage commuting and partly because workers are tired of getting dressed in the morning.

WHOA warns all Americans that home offices have their dangers, same as other workplaces. Hazards often are overlooked because there is no direct management supervision.

While this lack of supervision may make workers “happy,” it also means there’s no one to enforce safety regulations or say “put that down before you hurt yourself.”

People who work at home may not practice proper “ergonomics” (from the Latin for “hunchback”).

They use desks and/or chairs purchased at rummage sales and slapped together any old which-way rather than government-approved, adjustable office furniture designed to enforce proper posture. This can result in long-term health issues and bad vibes.

Exercise is simply the act of keeping your body busy, using your muscles and bones while your heart keeps pumping.

You may feel you have no time to do any such thing amid all the rapid-fire e-mails and six-person conference calls.

You’re not alone. With unemployment up at a five-year high of 6.1%, more of us are buckling down instead of getting out of the office.

According to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health, last year over 50% of adults in the U.S. reported that they did not engage in the suggested 30 minutes, five days a week of moderate physical activity or the suggested 20 minutes, three times a week of vigorous activity.

In short, over half of Americans aren’t getting the physical exercise they need.

But there are exercises you can do right at your desk to keep your body moving.

20% of chronic headaches may be caused by shoulder or neck tension.

Often, this tension is caused by poor posture while sitting at a computer or from chronic stress. The following symptoms are related to tension headaches:

• Pain at the base of the skull
• Aches behind the eye sockets
• Sore shoulder muscles or neck muscles

In contrast, mild to severe pain in the temple or the forehead may be caused by hormone changes, acute stress, dehydration or diet triggers such as with red wine or chocolate.

The Mayo Clinic offers these suggestions to help relieve or prevent tension headaches:

Exercise Regularly - Exercise helps to relieves stress, relaxes the muscles and increases the levels of one of your body’s natural stress relievers, beta-endorphin. Yoga, massage, and stretching can help prevent tension headaches.

Manage Stress - Stress is a common trigger for tension headaches. Try the following techniques to help reduce daily stressors:

Ergotron has rolled out a stand and a wireless keyboard and mouse combo to help folks use good ergonomics…even with back- and wrist-destroying notebook computers.

Those tiny screens are always at a bad angle, the keyboards are atrocious, and, let’s face it: the only time anyone really wants to use one of those hot plates on their lap is outside in the dead of winter.

Many of them hunch down over their screens, wrists bent at funny angles as they try to do something productive.

So does display mounting and peripheral maker Ergotron, which has announced its new Neo-Flex Notebook WorkBase, along with a Wireless Keyboard and Mouse.

The Neo-Flex Notebook WorkBase is designed to elevate a notebook’s screen to a height that encourages godo ergonomics, and the Wireless Keyboard and Mouse are intended to let users have proper data entry gear…and anyone who’s used a notebook keyboard for any length of time knows how vital that can be.

Computer related elbow pain is common in people who use forearm muscles repeatedly.

You can experience increased pain in the elbow, difficulty straightening the elbow, stiffness in the elbow joint, and pain when you stretch the wrist extensor muscles after activities involving hand and wrist [wrist pain].

Here are few tips to prevent elbow pain.

Tips to prevent elbow pain:

• Before starting the work, warm up your muscles by stretching your body parts. It increases blood flow and oxygen to the muscle, preparing it for work in a more effective way with fewer injuries.
• Place the mouse at keyboard height, arm relaxed at the side and the elbow at 90 degrees or slightly at greater angle. This prevents reaching forward for the mouse.
• If you change your desk setup or sit for long hours continuously, pain level increases. You should not change the setup suddenly and take short breaks from mouse and computer use frequently.

A majority of children are now using desk computers, hand-held electronics such as smart phones and PDAs, and gaming controls on a daily basis.

Parents should take an active part in teaching their children techniques that will help them prevent future injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome and tendinitis.

The American Society of Hand Therapists (ASHT) stresses the importance of developing good habits early on in children to prevent hand and wrist injuries in adulthood.

Healthy techniques learned at a young age can carry over into other aspects of life where there is a similar injury risk such as sitting in front of a computer or playing musical instruments.

The ASHT Media News Bureau provided the following overall tips and health guidelines for kids and video gamers of all ages:

Prevent Future Injuries such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Tendonitis:

Many pregnant women continue working throughout their pregnancy. But, during pregnancy, you can face many health problems while working at your desk.

You can avoid pregnancy discomforts and stress if you make your work space as comfortable as possible. Here are some tips to make your work environment comfortable.

Tips to make your work space comfortable:

• Arrange all of your necessary equipment within your reach to minimize bending and stretching.
• Back pain is the common problem experienced by most of the pregnant women and working can add discomfort. Sit in a comfortable chair that has height adjustment and you can also use a throw pillow for added comfort.
• Try to avoid sitting in the same position for more than thirty minutes.
• Your hips and knees should be at right angle. Your legs should not be crossed, kept flat on the floor and a stool or footrest can be used for keeping your feet in comfortable position.

The WorkRite Pinnacle 2 is the latest generation of the highly acclaimed Pinnacle Arm with an easy-read TiltRite gauge and full-range tilt support.

The Pinnacle 2 keyboard arm offers unprecedented smoothness and adjustability for maximum comfort.

The various features of this adjustable arm are:

• This workrite pinnacle adjustable arm consists of an adjustable arm that can be attached to keyboard and work surface in order to allow the ergonomic placement for your keyboard and mouse [Ergonomic Mouse].
• It is highly versatile and adjustable combining maximum knee clearance with a no-lever, no-knob, and Lift-N-Lock height adjustment.
• The ball bearing track of this keyboard features a sleek ThinGlide progressive ball bearing slide track for consistent, smooth operation.
• You can set this adjustable arm wherever you want i.e. with the height range from flush to 6″ below the work surface, and a tilt range of -15° to +10°.