There are many kinds of medical conditions that have ergonomic causes among office workers, including muscle disorders, tendon disorders, and nerve disorders. These are often collectively referred to as MSDs, or Musculo-skeletal Disorders which describes the affected tissue rather than the inferred cause of the disorder. See our MSD Descriptions further below on this page for more details about these conditions. After reading through the list below you may want to learn and use our Recommended Keyboard Shortcuts (pdf). These will help reduce static positioning on the mouse and encourage relaxed hands while working- very popular with many computer users! 10 Things You Should Know about Hand & Arm Injuries 1. Because of the complexity and subtle differences between disorders, physicians don’t always diagnose MSDs correctly or easily. The most knowledgeable medical specialists for MSDs are generally considered to be Physiatrists, or physical medicine specialists. 2. MSDs can happen when there is very little repetitious work.
Possible causes of MSDs include: 3. Keeping these causes in mind, some of the rules of thumb for preventing MSDs are: 4. “Fitting the physical workspace to the worker” is often touted as the best way to prevent MSDs. This is an incomplete view. Although physical workstation design, physical tool design, and adjustability are important, there are many other work-related factors. Three less tangible but extremely important factors are: 5. Most MSDs are preventable and curable if caught early. The key is to notice trouble when it starts — and do something about it. Early signs may include persistent pain, tingling, numbness, burning, or aching. The signs may be constant or may occur mostly after certain activities. The drastic cures — such as surgery — are not reliable and should be a last resort. Nevertheless, a health professional should be consulted when you are concerned about possible early signs. 6. Some people get MSDs because their bodies are vulnerable to them.
For example, carpal tunnel syndrome seems to be related to diabetes, overweight, thyroid conditions, hormone conditions such as those caused by hysterectomy or removal of both ovaries, rheumatoid arthritis, previous injuries, and other conditions. Smoking may also increase the risk. Anyone with any of these conditions — particularly obesity — should be especially careful about prevention. 7. MSDs can happen because of non-work activities. Hobbies, sports, driving, and even sleeping positions can contribute to them. Any attempts at treatment or prevention should include a look at off-the-job factors. 8. One of the most important preventive measures is ‘variety.’ In other words, change posture and activities often. If possible, take breaks before getting tired. Extremely short breaks can be very helpful of frequent enough. A “break” doesn’t have to be a rest break — it can simply involve doing something else for awhile. 9. Don’t follow MSD prevention rules without looking for consequences.
Every fix has a possible drawback. Every ergonomic rule or gizmo has a downside which can possibly make matters worse rather than better. The best way to evaluate ergonomic fixes is by considering all the ergonomic risk factors described above in #2. Example: a wrist rest may force a straighter wrist (vertically) but may put too much pressure on the underside of the wrist or make the individual bend the wrist sideways to reach side keys. 10. Total MSD prevention involves ergonomics (changing the environment), ergonomics education (changing work styles or habits), medical management (optimizing treatments and return-to-work procedures), and management (monitoring statistics to find the most hazardous jobs and working proactively). MSDs usually cannot be adequately dealt with without all four approaches happening together. Many obstacles to good ergonomics are not scientific, medical, or engineering reasons … they are political in nature. Descriptions of MSDs: Computer-related injuries can be broadly termed Musculo-Skeletal Disorders or MSD’s – which include a range of medical conditions affecting muscles, tendons, joints, or nerves.
MSD’s have also been called RSI or Repetitive Strain Disorders, CTD or Cumulative Trauma Disorders, however many experts prefer the MSD term since it doesn’t imply or suggest the cause of the injury. Some examples of MSD’s include muscle sprain & strain, tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome. Possible Causes: Most employees can use computers with little risk of discomfort or injury. However, improper work habits, poor ergonomics, or the presence of risk factors can increase the risk. Ergonomic and Personal Risk Factors are conditions or behaviors that can increase your chances of developing an MSD or other work related injury. Examples of Ergonomic Risk Factors include: Examples of Personal Risk Factors include: The symptoms of MSD’s may include pain, muscle fatigue, soreness, spasm, or numbness. If you have symptoms of MSD’s which don’t improve after making ergonomic changes please seek appropriate medical advice. Muscle Spasm: A spasm is a sudden, involuntary contraction of a muscle or a group of muscles.
It is sometimes accompanied by a sudden burst of pain, but is usually harmless and ceases after a few minutes. Muscle Strain: A strain is an injury to a muscle in which the muscle fibers tear as a result of overstretching. Strains are also known as pulled muscles. The equivalent injury to a ligament is a sprain. Myalgia: means “muscle pain” and is often caused by overuse, over-stretching of a muscle, or by stress. Cervical Myalgia, neck tension syndrome and cervical strain are common examples related to computer work. These can occur if the work involves chronic tension, awkward postures or repeated bending of the neck. Myofascial Pain Syndrome is described as a painful, chronic muscle condition associated with Muscle Trigger Points that can make symptoms worse when aggravated. Tendonitis is an inflammation of the tendons or sheaths surrounding the tendons, and causes movement to be painful. Tendonitis can occur from keying or mousing with the wrists bent, or in the shoulders from frequent reaching.
Tenosynovitis: A painful swelling and thickening of the sheath surrounding some tendons. Stenosing Tenosynovitis: Irritation and roughening of the tendon surface. This condition may lead to stiffness, snapping, and jerking motions when moving a finger for example. Epicondylitis is a tendon disorder that occurs at the elbow where the muscles controlling wrist and finger movements attach to the arm bones. Ganglion Cyst is a disorder of the tendon sheath. It occurs when the sheath swells up with too much lubricating fluid causing a bump under the skin. Rotator Cuff tendonitis occurs in the shoulder and often results from working with the arms held out away from the body or when repeatedly reaching up too high. Ligament Sprain: Ligaments are tough fibers that connect bone to bone. A sprain or tearing of the ligamentous fibers can occur if a ligament is over stretched. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is an irritation of the Median Nerve as it passes through the narrow Carpal Tunnel in the wrist.
Symptoms include pain, numbness, and tingling of the first three fingers and the thumb. This nerve irritation can occur from swelling of the wrist tendons or from fluid retention and other conditions. Cubital Tunnel Syndrome is a pinching or compression of the Ulnar Nerve at the elbow. This nerve is often referred to as the “funny bone”. This condition can occur from working with flexed or bent elbows. Guyon canal stenosis is an Ulnar Nerve compression at the wrist. This can occur from working with the wrist bent to the sides when keying or mousing. Thoracic Outlet Syndrome involves compression and irritation of nerves and blood vessels as they exit the thorax near the upper chest and shoulder area. The symptoms can be similar to carpal tunnel syndrome and the entire arm can feel like it is going to sleep. Other disorders related to extensive computer use Computer Vision Syndrome symptoms vary and may include; dry eyes, or red, itchy, watery eyes; fatigue & heaviness of the eyelids;