Guest Author - Anne Asher

Many people who work at a computer all day worry about getting Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. The truth of the matter is that Carpal Tunnel is one of a number of conditions belonging to a category called Repetitive Strain Injuries. Repetitive Strain Injuries are a category of Cumulative Trauma Disorders. Much of the cause of these types of conditions can be traced back to our sedentary and over-processed lifestyles. More specifically, sitting at a computer all day challenges both postural alignment and the ability to move our bodies.

In the RSI Network Newsletter, according to an article entitled, MOTION BASED ERGONOMICS� KEYBOARD RETRAINING by Norman J. Kahan, MD, and Vivienne Griffin, computer-related injuries �can be attributed to specific faulty movements and awkward postures inherent in the act of typing, which may cause fatigue, inflammation of muscles or tendons, compression or entrapment of nerves, as well as pain or weakness in the upper limbs and neck�.

Ergonomist and researcher Dennis Ankrum suggests that the main culprits in Cumulative Traumatic Disorders are: 1) holding and non neutral postures, 2) local pressure, 3) forceful movements, 4) overexposure to cold or vibration. Almost every author suggests that a lack of movement is at the root of these types of computer related injuries.

Dr. William Turner, an Occupational Physician from New Zealand categorizes the injuries into 3 types. The categories are: local, compression and syndrome.

Local injuries to the musculoskeletal system are confined to a particular structure. An example would be a strained muscle, or bursitis.

Carpal Tunnel is a compression syndrome. In Carpal Tunnel, a nerve (the median nerve) is pinched by the inflamed (swollen) structures that are around it.

Lastly, pain syndromes are either regional or whole body affairs; they affect areas, with pain and causes of pain darting around without much rhyme or reason, especially to non-medical people. In fact, doctors are often are remiss to find out what actually cause pain syndromes. Dr. Turner suggests that sub categories of diagnosis can be determined by the type of tissue that is affected. For example: Tendonitis is differentiated from a pain syndrome such as Fibromyalgia based on how much of the musculoskeletal system is affected.

I love Dr. Turner�s perspective as he gives a listing of the �Employee�s Responsibilities�. He clearly lays out what a computer worker needs to do in order to avoid wrecking havoc on her/his musculoskeletal system:

�In terms of individual employee�s responsibility to maintain fitness for work he/she must consider the following:
1. Daily [at least 4 times] stretching of muscles and nerves.
2. A warm up routine.
3. Working the muscles aerobically [aerobics, swimming, brisk walking, jogging] for half an hour three times a week.
4. Increase strength and improve posture, perhaps join a gym.
5. Become more relaxed, reduce anxiety and stress levels
o Start an exercise programme
o Learn abdominal breathing techniques
o Consider stress and/or anger management
o Consider counselling
o Control weight at an ideal level
o Keep fit [become a working athlete].
6. Establish a work rest break routine in consultation with your work supervisor
o Micropauses every 3-6 minutes for relaxation exercises
o Macropauses [a longer break] 5 minutes every hour for stretching exercises
6. Avoid the FAT CATS [fat, caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, sugar]�