Ergonomic Resources » Health

How to Survive in a Cubicle

emily — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:00:38 +0000

Cubicle farms are pretty common fare these days because they maximize office space and minimize cost. Some people love ‘em, some hate ‘em, but we all have to survive ‘em. Instead of begrudging your cubicle, why not embrace what you do have and make the most of it?

Tips for Surviving in a Cubicle

Cubicles can make us all go a little crazy.

Clear the clutter. Nothing cramps a space more than a general lack of tidiness. Take an hour or two and get organized. It’s a nice break from the monotony of your normal responsibilities, and it will also serve to help you get reacquainted with lost papers.
Get rid of knick knacks. A framed photo or two is perfectly appropriate, but a whole collection of miniature cows, for instance, really knocks down your level of professionalism, especially if you entertain clients in your work space. Choose one or two tasteful items, and keep the rest of your knick knacks at home.
Rearrange your work space if necessary. Your monitor should be at eye level and at least 20 inches away from you. Your keyboard and mouse should be next to each other for efficient typing and mousing. If desk space is minimal, mini keyboards are a great option for freeing up a few inches.
Adjust where you can. Most chairs have some sort of adjustment, if only up and down. Do what you need to to get your feet flat on the floor and your back as well supported as possible.
Keep your posture and positioning neutral. This means sitting straight with your arms by your sides, and starting at your elbow making a straight line through to your wrists and hands. Your wrists should never be cocked, especially when typing. Rather, your hands should hover over your keyboard, in a curved position so as to avoid repetitive stress injuries.
Try white noise. The options are endless, and so is office noise. If you are frequently disturbed by office shenanigans or overly zealous sales guys, turn on a little white noise. You can try this free online white noise generator or you can try a desktop system-either way, it’s important to keep you mind on work and not in other people’s business.
Take breaks. If you feel overly cramped, take your coffee break outside, or at least out of your small space so you can stretch out. Speaking of stretching out, make sure to take hourly stretch breaks.
Take care of your eyes. Whether you wear glasses or not, make sure you rest your eyes often by taking them off the screen and focusing on an object farther away. You should also blink them regularly to restore moisture. When possible, rotate your computer and other tasks so that you’re not on the computer all day. Lastly, consider a good pair of reading glasses just for work. Computer users often find that high quality reading glasses require a lower prescription and allow them to work more efficiently.

Just by re-working your space and taking care of yourself, you can not only survive the cubicle, you can thrive!

How to Relieve Eye strain at Work

emily — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 13:34:07 +0000

Do you get frequent headaches at work? Are you eyes tired and dry by the end of the day? These are good indicators that you may be suffering from eyestrain. Other symptoms include blurred or double vision, pain in the eyes, red and watery eyes, burning sensation when you close your eyes, and muscle spasms in the area around your eyes.

Here are some practical tips for relieving and preventing eyestrain:

Adjust your monitor – Your screen should be centered directly in front of you at eye level. If it is too low, consider using a monitor riser to raise it to the necessary level. Also, confirm that your screen is the correct distance from your eyes for optimum focus. While sitting with your back against your chair, extend your arms straight out toward your monitor; your middle fingers should barely touch your monitor.
Blink frequently – Keeping your eyes hydrated will reduce soreness and irritation. You may find it helpful to use over-the-counter eye-drops; talk to your pharmacist or doctor about recommendations.
Look away – Refocus your eyes approximately every ten minutes. Look away from your monitor for at least 20 seconds and focus on something in the distance, about 20 feet away, then resume work.
Take a vision break – Once an hour, just close your eyes and relax for about a minute. This can significantly reduce the pain and strain of your eyes.
Get rid of glare – Adjust the lighting or window coverings to assure that there is no direct reflection or glare on your screen. If you are unable to eliminate the glare, use a glare filter. For best results, always keep the monitor clean and free of dust and debris.
Use a document holder – A document holder can reduce the work on your eyes, neck and shoulders while typing. Make sure to place the document as close to your monitor as possible and at same distance away from your eyes. This will reduce any repeated focus changes for your eyes.
Wear sunglasses – Sunglasses can significantly reduce glare while you are driving or working outside. For best results, be sure to find glasses that provide 100% protection from ultraviolet.
Visit your eye doctor – Eye strain is most effectively relieved by rest. If you continue to suffer discomfort or notice a change in your vision, go in for an eye exam as soon as possible to ensure that other factors are not causing to your pain.

The muscles in your eyes can be overworked, just like any other muscle in your body. Many computer users and heavy readers suffer from headaches and eye strain, but this pain can and should be avoided. Follow these tips to relieve to your current discomfort and protect yourself future pain.

Tips for Better Keyboarding

emily — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 12:59:04 +0000

Are your shoulders sore after a day at your computer? Do your hands or wrists ache when you spend too much time at your keyboard? Here are a few tips to help you stay healthier and pain-free while typing.

Confirm proper keyboard placement. Your keyboard should sit flat on a surface, or even better, at a slightly negative slope away from your body. It should rest about two inches above your legs, about an inch below your elbow height. The space bar on your keyboard should be perfectly centered to your body.

Sit up straight! Remember you mom always telling you to sit up? She was right. Proper posture while typing is one of the most significant changes you can make to relieve pain and discomfort.

Keep your wrists straight. Your arms and hand should form a straight line from your elbow through your wrist and down to your middle finger.

Float your hands. For the least amount of stress and strain, your hands and wrists should hover over the keys. Never rest them on your desk or wrist rest while you are typing.

Rest on your palms. Between keystrokes you can support the weight of your arms and hands on the ball of your hands. Do not put any pressure or weight directly on the wrists; any surface pressure on the wrists can agitate the sensitive carpal tunnel area.

Press the keys lightly. There is no need to pound on the keys. Most keyboards require very little pressure to register a keystroke. This can save you significant muscle wear in your hands and wrists throughout the day.

Never reach for a key. If your hands are properly floating over the keys, it should be an easy motion to move your entire hand and arm until you fingers hover over the needed key. By stretching or straining to press higher keys, you add wear on your muscles and tendons.

Keep your hands and fingers curved. As you float over the keys, with your wrists and arms forming a straight line, curving your hands into a loose ball comes almost naturally. Be especially careful that you don’t allow your littlest finger or your thumb to lock straight.

Use two hands for two-key combos. Whenever you use your Shift key (or Ctrl or Alt) with an additional key, always press the Shift key with one hand and the second key with the opposite hand. Trying to perform these actions with one hand will cause unnecessary wear and muscle strain.

This list may seem daunting, but these tips can save you wear and tear, and protect you from pain and injury. A reasonable plan would be to take a little time each week to focus on one or two things that can improve your typing comfort and health, or pick out one area that could benefit you the most. Even little changes in your posture and habits can make a huge impact in your keyboarding health.

Five Tips for Healthy Wrists

emily — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 21:20:46 +0000

Most computer users reach for their mouse hundreds of times throughout the day. In doing so, they have to stretch for a mouse that is not properly positioned. This stretching can cause pain and even injury to your wrists. Here are a few tips to protecting your wrists while using your mouse.

Find the best-shaped mouse for your hand.
Using a mouse that properly fits the shape of your hand can significantly reduce wrist extension and tendon damage. Take the time to handle and use several different ergonomic mice. The best mouse size and shape for you is one that promotes good wrist position and encourages mouse movement from the elbow.

Optimize your mouse placement.
When using a mouse, your body should be in a neutral position, with arms relaxed at your side and your mousing hand raised slightly higher than your elbow. This typically places the mouse one or two inches above the number pad on a properly-centered, standard keyboard. Using a platform with a separate mouse platform is the easiest way to achieve this ideal position. But if you are using a flat platform for both your keyboard and your mouse, pull the mouse against the side of your keyboard, as closely at it will fit. The key is to eliminate the need to stretch or reach for your mouse.

Hold your mouse gently.
Always use a light touch with your mouse. Cup your hand over the mouse, almost floating, without allowing the mouse to support the weight of your arm. Gripping it tightly will strain the muscles in your arm and hand.

Move your mouse from the elbow.
Never move your wrist when using your mouse. To protect yourself from injury and pain, it is important that your wrist remain straight, in line with your arm, with no movement at the wrist itself. Any bending of the wrist, either to the side or up and down, can lead to tendon damage. All mouse movement should come from the motion of the entire lower arm, pivoting only at the elbow. Look carefully at any arm rests or hand pads you may have to ensure they do not restrict free movement of the arm.

Protect your wrists from contact pressure.
Your wrists should never be in direct contact with any surface, including wrist rests and mouse pads. This contact pressure on the wrists can quickly cause significant damage to your tendons. Instead, use the base of your palms to support the weight of your hands and arms in between mousing and typing. This will keep pressure off the sensitive carpal tunnel area in the wrist.

As mouse and computer users, we all need a few reminders in wrist health. Find a well-fitted mouse that encourages you to maintain the proper hand position and healthy movement from the elbow. Place your mouse in the optimal position to reduce improper stretching and to protect your wrist as you move to and from the keyboard. Following these few tips can reduce your risk of injury and encourage more comfortable mousing.

What’s the deal with Mini Keyboards?

emily — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 17:36:13 +0000

During frequent computer use, a neutral body position is one of the most important factors in lowering muscle strain and preventing injury. Mini keyboards are ergonomically designed to provide comfort and minimize muscle strain in order for a keyboard user to perform his/her job without pain or injury. Here are some of the beneficial features of mini keyboards.

Compact Design

The compact design of mini keyboards reduces the amount of effort and muscle use required for each key stroke. The keys themselves are closer together, thus eliminating the stretching and straining to reach the higher keys. The mini keyboard’s ergonomic design also allows the wrist and the hand to rest on the same surface, minimizing pressure on the wrist.

Built-in Mouse

The mini keyboard’s built-in touchpad eliminates the arm and wrist movement between the keyboard and mouse; that movement is a significant cause of strain on the shoulder and arm. Removing the external mouse also lowers the pressure on the wrist and hand often caused by a standard mouse.

Flexible Positioning

The compact design and wireless flexibility of the mini keyboard allows the user to easily position the keyboard on any work surface and at any angle that will provide for the most comfort. Proper use can encourage a neutral arm and wrist position, thus lowering muscle strain.

Portable Design

With a separate keyboard, laptop user can also find a neutral hand position, and they can eliminate the stress on the upper body resulting from looking down at a laptop screen. This small keyboard is as easily portable as a laptop and its design allows for proper keyboard placement while not compromising screen height.

Ergonomically designed, mini keyboards can encourage neutral arm position and reduce wear on the muscles caused by poor posture. Through their flexible and portable design, everyone can benefit from the good posture and lower muscle effort encouraged by the proper positioning of a compact, mini keyboard.

Five Tips for Relieving Shoulder Pain

emily — Tue, 11 May 2010 22:51:07 +0000

Many computer users complain of pain in their shoulders and necks. This pain is frequently triggered by poor posture and overuse of these muscle groups. Computer users often place their shoulders and entire bodies into awkward positions, such as slouching or holding shoulders in a raised position. While sitting at a computer, the goal is to maintain a natural, relaxed sitting position. These tips can help provide immediate relief of shoulder pain and reduce future discomfort.

1. Rest and Stretch: Give the tired muscles a break and stretch the tight muscle area. A significant break like 24 to 48 hours provides the most effective relief, but even taking a three minute break from your computer every hour can help significantly. The National Institute of Health recommends these shoulder stretches.
2. Apply Heat or Cold: Hot compresses increase blood flow and relax tense muscles; however, do not apply heat to an inflamed area. The application of cold packs can reduce inflammation and numb the pain; just remember not to place ice directly on the skin. Use hot or cold for about 20 minutes at a time and wait at least an hour before repeating treatment.
3. Restore Proper Sitting Posture: The ultimate goal is to maintain a neutral typing posture to prevent shoulder, neck and back pain. Your chair, as the basis for good posture, should be adjusted specifically to fit you. First, evaluate the back rest. Does the shape of the chair properly support the curvature of your lower back? A rolled towel or additional lumbar support can encourage proper posture and relieve muscle strain. Next, adjust the chair height to ensure that your feet rest flat on the floor. The back of your knees should also not touch the edge of the chair seat or pan. Finally, the armrests should be placed low enough that you can relax both arms and shoulders freely at your side during computer use.
4. Adjust the Work Space: A significant contributor to shoulder pain is the improper height and placement of your keyboard and mouse. When a keyboard is high, the user raises the shoulder keeping the muscles tensed. When it is too low, muscle strain is cause by reaching for keys or the mouse. An adjustable keyboard tray allows the freedom to properly position they keyboard one or two inches above your legs, just below your elbow height. A slight angle away from your body will help you relax your hands as well. Your computer mouse should be tight against the keyboard, at the same height and angle. A mini keyboard, that does not have the number pad, would bring the mouse in closer, reducing muscle strain.
5. Reposition the Computer Screen: To reduce bending and strain on your neck and shoulders, your monitor should be at eye-level. Consider a shelf to elevate your screen above the top of your desk or work surface.

Most of the shoulder and neck pain experience by computer users is caused by poor posture and overuse of these muscles. Resting and stretching the tense muscles can bring immediate relief, and if done regularly, can decrease future pain. But the best long-term solution is to restore and maintain good posture. Adjusting your chair and work space can bring quick relief and provide posture habits of that will benefit you for years to come.

Sit and Be Fit…for work

emily — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 22:26:01 +0000

Most computer users suffer from shoulder and neck pain on a regular basis. One of the primary problems is poor posture throughout the work day. The foundation of good posture starts with your chair. You spend hours each day sitting in your work chair, and if set correctly, your chair can help encourage a neutral typing position. But few people take the time to adjust their chair, and most people don’t know the best settings for themselves. Here are some tips for adjusting your chair.

Back Rest: Raise or lower you back rest to best fit the contours of your spine. If your chair does not properly support your lower back, consider adding additional lumbar support

Seat Height: Adjust the height of your chair so that your feet rest firmly on the floor. You can use a foot rest to provide additional height if your work space or keyboard is too high.

Arm Rests: Shoulder pain is often caused when the shoulders are held up, in a shrugged position, for long periods of time. This can happen when your armrests are too high. Lower the arm rests to allow relaxed, free movement of your arms while typing. You can use them for short periods of time to support the elbows while your arms and shoulders are in a relaxed position, but they should not be used permanently while typing.

In summary, you can minimize shoulder and neck pain by maintaining good posture while working on your computer. Adjusting your chair appropriately can provide a strong foundation to encourage good typing position and relieve muscle soreness.

Left Handed Keyboards – The Typing Solution for lefties

admin — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:08:42 +0000

Left-handed keyboards have been around for some time now, but remain quite a mystery to most people. For some, they didn’t even know that such a contraption actually existed! Simply put, left-handed keyboards are designed to cater specifically to someone who is left handed.

A big chunk of the population is right handed and only 10% are lefties. So it is rare that a tool or equipment is specifically designed for the left handed populace. Overall, left handed people adjust to the present keyboard design, but the left handed keyboard can provide southpaws with a great level of convenience.

This keyboard focuses shift facilitates faster typing speeds for southpaws who can manipulate the alphanumeric keys with increased accuracy with their dominant hand. This experience is akin to the keyboard use and efficiency enjoyed by right-handed people who make use of right-handed keyboards.

Though the QWERTY layout of the keyboard is still used; the new shift of the alpha numeric keypad to the left side now helps alleviate the frequent hand shuffling endured by left-handed people when they try balancing alpha numeric keypad use in conjunction with the repositioned mouse. This move also allows left-handed users to reposition their center of typing focus to lean more naturally to their stronger side.

Some versions of left-handed keyboards even go as far as adapting the layout for both right and left-handed individuals by allotting alpha numeric keypads in both the left and right portions of the keyboards. Thus anyone can use the keyboard, but they are not widespread and suffer from the need of increased desk space.

This keyboard is a great help to left handed users since it offers a whole new level of convenience at it increases their performance in their keyboard use. It also completely solves the shoulder issues caused by lefties using a normal keyboard.

A Left handed keyboard is a southpaw’s best friend! It is specially designed to provide a hassle free experience for left-handed people by strategically adjusting the alpha numeric keys en route to easier keyboard and mouse manipulation! It is the solution for all types of keyboard related activities for lefties ranging from office work to gaming to effectively take away the usual wrist and shoulder pain experienced by left handed people when using the normal keyboard.

- Frank Barnett

Electronic Cigarettes Give You Smoking Freedom

admin — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:03:07 +0000

As society becomes more judgmental of smokers, it is getting harder and harder to find places to smoke without incurring the judgment of those around you. Many people think that their only option is to give up the habit. However, there other options. One product that allows you to enjoy smoking without many of the negative side effects is electronic cigarettes.

Lots of folks haven’t a clue as to exactly what they’re getting when they buy electronic cigarettes. It’s actually quite easy to understand. They appear very similar to regular cigarettes and give you that taste and nicotine hit you crave. But, they function electrically rather than by burning tobacco. That offers you all sorts of benefits.

Position of all, electronic cigarettes can be misused anywhere. Instead of having to go maximal and defend huddled in the glacial you can just move the trigger and aver benefit of the nicotine move indoors. You’ll no soul jazz to look shunned as you standpoint far away from your friends and line.

Additionally, you won’t be exposed to the harmful effects of really smoking a cigarette. By using electronic cigarettes, there is no exposure to tar as in an old-school cigarette. This ameliorates many of the health hazards associated with smoking.

If you have read enough, and decided that electronic cigarettes are a path you want to pursue, you need to shop around. A wide array of products have come entered the market in recent years. Although these brands may be equally effective, they do not have years of marketing and research. We advise you to pursue a line that has been around since the beginning of this product.

You will certainly want to shop around and examine all of the alternatives. Everyone wants to save cash wherever and whenever possible. Fortunately, the brands that have been on the market the longest are not only the most proven, but the least expensive! Look into it.

After you give these cigarette substitutes a try, you will find yourself thinking that you should have started using them long ago. Since these products are both easier to use and more socially acceptable than regular cigarettes, there’s no good reason not to try them out.

It is becoming more difficult to find smoking locations that provide escape from the judgmental glances of others. Most smokers believe that the only choice is to quit smoking, but, other choices are available. It is possible to continue to enjoy smoking and avoid most of the associated pitfalls by using electronic cigarettes. With these cigarettes, you won’t be getting the tar that you would with a traditional cigarette. This can help cut down on the health issues that are related to smoking. Once you’ve decided to give these cigarettes a try, you’ll want to look for a company like njoy npro which makes the njoy cigarette.

- Jonathan Drake

Ergonomic Carpal Tunnel Mouse Pad: A Lifesaver For Computer Workers

admin — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 11:02:15 +0000

If your job requires that you spend a lot of time sitting at the computer, and of course, using a keyboard and mouse, then you probably already know of the strain and stress that this can put on both the wrist and the hands day in and day out. As technology continues to advance making our lives easier and more efficient, more and more of us are spending large amounts of time at the computer, but unfortunately as a result, we are suffering from the all too common condition known as carpal tunnel syndrome or CTS as well as other repetitive stress injuries.

Carpal tunnel syndrome can be thought of as a comparatively recent health issue; yet in reality it has been around a long time, however it has just lately earned more attention since computers have largely taken a role in our daily routines.

To understand the great difference an ergonomically designed mouse pad can make when dealing with the pain and discomfort of carpal tunnel syndrome, we must first learn about this delicate area of the wrist that the condition was named after.

The carpal tunnel is actually a void created by ligaments, tendons and bone that are located along the bottom of the wrist. Within that void, a major nerve relays signals that it has received from the brain to the hands and fingers. This nerve is called the median nerve.

When excess pressure is put on this area, or it becomes irritated due to overuse or the use of repetitive straining motions, fluid builds up causing swelling and inflammation, as well as pain.

Selecting a Mouse Pad That’s Ergonomically Designed

Ergonomically designed mouse pads have a pair of extremely important functions. They provide cushioning for both the wrist and its carpal tunnel, and they maintain the proper positions for your wrist and hand. Anytime you are standing, those parts assume a natural inward facing position. You want to ensure that they are in an equally natural and unharmful position as you sit too.

In order to minimize the pressure on the carpal tunnel as well as its surrounding tendons and ligaments, some mouse pads have been designed ergonomically and these have an attached wrist rest which is filled with some type of soft material, usually a gel.

Keeping one’s wrist on a hard surface places too much pressure on the wrist, causing the median nerve to get compressed, in turn causing symptoms such as numbness and tingling to occur in the fingers, along with a loss of feeling, weakened grip, and swelling and pain.

Even with mouse pads that contain a soft gel, you still ought to be in the habit of resting the edge of your palms on the wrist rest instead of putting full force on the center of the wrist proper.

Furthermore, when utilizing your ergonomic mouse pad, you have to be certain that the remainder of your work area is ergonomically accurate too, or you won’t get the full benefit of the mouse pad’s unique design.

The chair you use needs to be set at the appropriate height in order for your arms to simply lay relaxed on the desktop, wrist upon the ergonomically designed mouse pad, naturally. In addition, attempt to maintain your two feet flattened to the floor as you work with your back erect.

Be sure to pause often. During these rest periods, stretch and flex your wrists, your hands, and each finger individually.

For additional Ergonomic Tips and Productivity helps, visit Ergonomic Resources!

- Frank Barnett