Help My Hurt Ergonomic Week & a Contest!
April 13, 2008 by Marijke Durning, RN
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
Do you have a repetitive stress injury (RSI) or does someone you know have one? RSIs don’t necessarily have to come from work, but can come from pleasure activities, like golfing or quilting. While many of RSIs can be prevented just by changing how we approach certain tasks – some of them require all out refitting. Unfortunately, that sometimes isn’t a priority for some employers.
This week, I’m going to be looking at all things ergonomic for our work (and play) environments. I’ll offer tips on how you can use available products and tools to make your work or play station more comfortable and I’m also asking you for tips and ideas of how we can prevent injuries.
Contest!!!
So, here’s the contest part.
I’m giving away an ergonomic mousepad to the lucky winner of my
Work Safe, Play Safe Contest.
To enter the contest, all you need to do is post your story of an RSI or a tip on how to prevent an RSI. It could be sometime simple like you put a thick book under your feet to use as a foot rest or something more complicated like you had carpal tunnel syndrome and you had surgery.
Share your RSI tips and stories, and you may have yourself a new mousepad.
The contest will run for two weeks, ending midnight (EST- daylight savings) April 27, 2008. All entries will be given a number in the order they were submitted and a number will be chosen at random. You can enter more than once but all entries must be original. Please do not copy ideas or stories from other sources without attributing them.
Contest…. Contest…. Contest…. Contest….Contest… Contest… Contest…. Contest…. Contest…. Contest….Contest…
I’m now retired but when I was working I had pain in my right wrist, hand and right upper back. When I developed a ganglion cyst in my wrist, I went to the doctor. He gave me oral meds and had me wear a wrist support which seemed to transfer the pain further up the arm. He agreed that the cyst and my pain problems were a result of my computer use and assisted me in submitting a workers compensation claim. My employer had people knowledgeable in ergonomics look at my workspace which resulted in a new adjustable chair and wrist support in front of the computer. There were times during “hot” projects when I was constantly using the computer that my hand and wrist hurt so much I had to tell my employer I had to take a break from using the computer for a awhile. It didn’t take too long after retirement for the pain in my hand, wrist and back subsided.
I would to win ergonomic mousepad!
Great prize !!!
I have “Mouse Elbow”, formerly known as Tennis Elbow! I am on a computer many hours of the day and I can’t find a mousepad that helps relieve the pain and discomfort in my arm. When I was diagnosed with tennis elbow I told my Dr that I never play tennis! He asked what I did do all day and I told him, “it’s that darn computer mouse!” He laughed and decided he had a new name for it, as so many other patients suffer from the same thing.
nice looking
Oh I would just love this! I have carpal tunnel so badly and anything would help so if I’d win I know I will enjoy it and put it to Good use!
Take a break and go for a walk.
I cajole my partner into giving that part of the body a massage.
nice
I take frequent breaks to avoid stress on my joints.
I had carpel tunnel surgery, but working on the computer seams to just aggravate the problem.
Being left handed, I use the mouse with my right hand, so my right wrist is swelling from the constant use, or abuse.
Less sweepstaking would help the wrists. And more walking would have the legs…. Would love to win this for my admin asst!!
I have carpal tunnel syndrome which all began from spraining my fingers while sleeping last year. I think they were curled in and I slept on them like that and it caused a sprain. I do a lot of work on the computer so I was using my sprained hands and they were really hurting but I just kept typing and I realized after a couple of days that it was getting far worse and turned into unbelievable pain. My hands would turn to ice and go numb whenever I used them and there was just a constant pain. I couldn’t even hold a fork without having pain. It was excruciating. I went to the doctor and he diagnosed it as CTS and gave me a prescription to bring down the inflammation and started me on exercises. I also started wearing wrist braces at night. It’s a year and a half later and it still flares up sometimes but now I know better and rest my hands when I get the feeling they have had enough. It took about 15 months for me to feel like I might be over the worst of it. Unbelievable.
It’s all about having the correct furniture. The right chair desk aand arrangement of your phone system and computers can work wonders when workers are taught correct posture and work positions.
I utilize two therapy tools to relieve the should/appeandage/arm/hand/finger/wrist casulaties by utilizing a physical therapy squeeze ball and utilizing putty/occupation therapy. These help DRASTICALLY!!!!! many Thanks SW
ty 4 the contest!
I have carpal tunnel syndrome from using my computer.
Sounds just what I need for my problems with my fingers. Thank you for this great contest!
take periodic breaks