Computer Related Injuries: How to "Delete" Them from Your System

After almost nine hours of office work, you would think that the muscle pain and fatigue you feel at the end of the day are just normal. Well, they're not! In fact, these computer-related injuries are unhealthy and may cause worse harm than you thought eventually.

But, do not fret just yet as these conditions can be prevented!

These injuries caused by computer usage are divided into three categories: back problems, repetitive strain injury (RSI), and eyestrain and discomfort.

Starting off with back problems

The body is not accustomed to a sedentary position for a very long time, especially if the user has a low level of fitness. However, office work or computer usage entails the user to be in a deskbound position. Studies show that almost 30% of adults become chronic sufferers of muscoskeletal back problems. Poor workstation design, bad posture, and sitting down for extended periods of time cause musculoskeletal problems, with symptoms including stiffness, headache, backache, and sore muscles. And because the vertebrae of the spine is S-shaped, with a slight curve in the lower back, the office chair offers little support and forces you to round out your lower back and hunch your shoulders, thus encouraging poor posture.

To prevent this, make sure that you always sit with a straight back. Position your legs comfortably by putting your feet flat on the floor with the hips and legs relatively perpendicular to the spine. Also, stand up from your seat once in a while and walk around the room.

Especially in cases where the computer is used by more than one person, choose a chair that can be adjusted in comfort, height, armrest and back angle.

When the injury repeats over and over

Repetitive strain injury (RSI) is the term to describe the various types of disorders associated with doing the same task over and over again in an awkward position. It damages the tendons, muscles, nerves and soft body tissues. Aside from computer users, musicians, meatpackers and factory workers are prone to suffer from RSI.

The two most common RSI forms from computer users are the tendon injuries and carpal tunnel syndromes. Tendon injuries may either be tenosynovitis, or the inflammation of the tendon sheath or tendonitis or the inflammation of tendons. Tensoynovitis happens when the recurring task is stressful enough to exceed the tendon sheath's ability to lubricate the tendon, causing the tendon sheath to thicken, causing pain. Tendonitis is due to repeated tensing of tendons causing it to get inflamed that may eventually lead to breakage of the fibers.

These forms of RSI can be prevented by using a wrist rest to keep the wrist in a neutral position. Modern keyboards and mouse pads come with built-in wrist rest for users' comfort and convenience.

Take into consideration also that the elbows should be close to the body to prevent it from bending to the side when typing. Moreover, make sure the keyboard of your computer is situated 27 to 29 inches above the floor.

Looking at computer eyestrain and discomfort

Structurally, the human eye favors looking at objects farther than six meters away. Working in front of a computer for hours and hours causes tired eyes, headaches and discomfort. The illuminated computer monitor not only causes tired eyes, but dryness which could lead to a drop in the normal blink rate that hydrates the eyes.

In order to minimize computer eyestrain and discomfort, locate your computer monitor as far from your eyes as possible. For best position, align the top of the computer monitor with your forehead and sit at least two feet from the computer screen.

If your eyes start to get tired or dry, look away from the computer for a while. Close and rest them, if necessary. You may also keep a handy eye drop that you may use when your eyes become dry because of the light, heat, and radiation brought by your computer monitor.