Healthy Computing-Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel and any other form of tendonitis or repetitive motion injury can be crippling for computer users and artists. There are even people who can no longer sit at the computer and have to stand or kneel down to get their work done. Even artists find it difficult to use their hands due to this problem.

What should you do?

It is very important that your hand and wrist are in level with each other. There should be no angling up or down of the hand. They should be in the same level when your forearm is horizontal and parallel to the floor, and your upper arm should hang straight down, in a relaxed position.

Hence, your keyboard and mouse area should be fairly low, close to your lap. If you find yourself lifting your shoulder, unconsciously, or tilting your wrist to raise your forearm to a comfortable level, your keyboard and mouse are not low enough.

You can raise your chair, especially if you remove the center drawer of your desk, and use a footrest to keep your legs in a comfortable, supported position. Don’t tense your legs to keep from falling forward -- if you find yourself doing that, your chair is too far from the desk, is tilted forward, or is not giving you good back support. A footrest can help. Make sure you are sitting comfortably upright, with your lower back supported.

It is equally important that your arms and wrists are fully supported on a resilient surface. See to it that your arms are not resting on the sharp edge of a table or shelf! You can use a folded hand towel for padding. It provides a soft surface with an easily adjustable height. Moreover it is very comfortable and inexpensive.

Once you establish a comfortable position for your arms and body, you are not still fully safe. As your keyboard and mouse force you to hold the same position for long periods of time, you have all chances of incurring repetitive motion injury. You can try changing the mouse types every couple of weeks.

You can shift from a rolling mouse to a track-ball, from a track-ball to a graphics tablet or other pointing devices. The longer you stick with one, the more repetitive motion injury you will cause. Once a tendon is inflamed it may take months or years to heal because very little blood flows in that area. Learn more about Healthy Computing habits.

Note: While every care is taken to provide medically accurate and up to date information in this web site, it is to be noted that this advice is not intended to replace the advice of your physician. Before undertaking the advice contained in this web site, you should consult a medical professional.

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Other pages on healthy computing: Awkward Postures

chairs Desk Exercises Eyestrain

Keyboard Lighting Monitors Mouse Msd

Other Computer Hazards Telephones Ventilation

Work Station Setup