Back Pain Articles

A survey of chief executives has revealed that very few of them are prepared to pay to prevent people getting health problems from computer use. Quite surprising when you consider that MSDs (musculo-skeletal disorders) account for more than half the people off sick today in the UK.

The perspective of the CEO was that the cost of the injuries over a year was considerably less than the cost of providing a better working environment. Apart from a lack of concern for the people who were working for him you have to wonder if the sums really add up.

Much research has been done to demonstrate the size and seriousness of the issue. The Chartered Institute of Personnel Development, the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists, and the Health & Safety Executive, have all published detailed accounts on the subject. Mostly the concerns are about Musculo Skeletal Disorders or MSDs or back pain to you and me, Repetitive Strain Injury RSI, whiplash, and a wide range of other conditions including, De Quervain’s syndrome, golfers elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, tennis elbow, tenosynovitis, etc.

“You don’t need to live with this waste of time, money, and people” says Paul Goddard, RSI expert and education officer at Keytools. “For example, you wear a seatbelt to prevent a possible injury, it won’t help after the event!” There are plenty of other strategies that companies put in place as preventative measures.

Your organisation very likely has a healthcare programme, safety training, fire extinguishers, and security systems all of which are there for “in case” something bad happens.” So why don’t employers do a bit more to make workstations easier to use and less damaging for employees?

It seems that many organisations have totalled the costs and simply got the sums wrong. If you add up the wages, the extra work for colleagues and the lost opportunity it is not surprising that the bill for doing nothing finishes up a lot more than the prevention. For organisations like HP, E-Bay, and Visa, that have adopted a more proactive stance the reality is that bottom line savings and productivity improvements have been well worthwhile having effectively halved their costs of employee absence.

In some case studies, organisations that have planned programme of office ergonomics and using of right equipments can feel within 2 years of return of investment. CEOs now can be proud and say that “I have no worries to fix because I paid to prevent!

Paul Goddard is the UK’s foremost expert on assistive technology for people with RSI and his company, Keytools provides a large range of ergonomic keyboards and mice to assist with the prevention of RSI.

I get a large number of people asking me which mouse will help relieve the pain of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) when using a computer. If only it was that straightforward to get an instant cure.

Repetitive Strain Injury or RSI is a term that encompasses a wide variety of conditions but is not an actual diagnosis. Its like the expression “sports injury” it could be a twisted ankle or a bump on the head!

When you think about it most ailments will get the default advice of “take 2 paracetemol and stay in bed” regardless of what might be wrong. It seems to be a method for finding out if your own defence systems will deal with the problem if given a couple of days to get on with it and if you don’t get better presumably you will come back. It is not uncommon to hear some doctors recommending that the best way to cure Repetitive Strain Injury is to stop repeating the activity that is causing the strain, which results in the injury.

However for the majority of us, this would involve a complete change of career that doesn’t involve the use of a computer. As this is impractical for most people, you are left with two practical options; avoid getting the injury in the first place, or develop a method of managing it so can continue using computers.

Avoidance is a really good plan. Anyone who has suffered an RSI can tell you how miserable it can be and how shockingly serious its impact is on your working life.

The following steps are my suggestions for working on a computer without suffering.

1. Adjust your whole workstation to fit you not the other way around

2. If your equipment is not in the right place and not adjustable it is not ergonomic and you will suffer as a result

3. Start with your posture and invest in a good adjustable chair. It might seem expensive but is less costly than back treatment and much less painful

4. Adjust your desk to the most suitable height for your own comfort. This is not the same thing as what your chair will allow. You can do this by placing wooden blocks under the feet or cutting it down if its too high. Height adjustable desks are probably an easier option.

5. Get a Goldtouch fully adjustable keyboard. Nothing else comes close.

6. Get several different mice and pointing devices in addition to the one you have. Alternate between them in order to minimise the repetition. A trackball may feel awkward to use at first but you will get used to it. Vertical mice reduce twisting or pronation in the wrist

7. Get a document holder that can sit over and behind your keyboard. There are lots to choose from, the Microdesk will fit over the Goldtouch and gives lots of space for papers. The key feature is that you want to keep all your work in a straight line head up position

8. Get your monitor at the right height and distance. Monitor arms are really good for this, easy to use with flat screens and free up space on your desk. If you must use a laptop screen then make sure you have a stand to get it the right height and always use an external keyboard and mouse

9. Use RSI Guard – ALWAYS. You are part of the problem because you think it won’t happen to you or you simply can’t be bothered. RSI Guard is simple software that can really help you be more aware of how your behaviour is hurting you.

10. Make changes now. Your body can handle a lot of abuse, but when it gives up – you are in big trouble, and the road back is painful and slow. Some people never recover.

Paul Goddard is an Education Officer at Keytools and a well known Repetitive Strain Injury expert. He claims that RSI problems are easily preventable and his company, Keytools provides assistive technology for people with Repetitive Strain Injury including the RSIGuide software for prevention of Repetitive Strain Injury