Common Problems in the Office Environment

1. Tendonitis

Symptoms: swollen tendons, pain, restricted movement, weakness

Tendons connect muscles to bone. As tendons move up and down to control the fingers, heat and friction is created in the tendon sheath. Years of work or even short-term intensive stress (like working full-tilt for a deadline) can cause tendons and their sheaths to react by swelling. It is a protective reaction of the body: stop movement to prevent further damage, and thus stop the pain. This condition often becomes chronic unless the work method is changed immediately.

Where Problems often occur: data entry workers, project writers, graphic designers, heavy

e-mail management, cut/paste operations and drag and drop features that use the mouse intensely

2. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Symptoms: discomfort or persistent pain in hands, numbness, cold, tingling or burning sensations

The median nerve runs between finger tendons that pass through the carpal tunnel of the wrist. When tendons swell, the median nerve is often compressed. The classic symptom is tingling in the thumb, index and middle fingers, especially at night.

Where Problems often occur: Workers who perform tasks with wrists in awkward postures, who do repetitive work with the fingers, or who are exposed to direct or forceful pressure on the wrist

Simple Solutions for Tendonitis and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

· Keep wrists and hands in line with forearms, not bent up or down

· Don’t compress the wrists by resting them on hard surfaces or edges

· Use function keys rather than mouse clicks

· Become ambidextrous: switch the mouse from right to left sides occasionally

· Take frequent breaks from repetitive tasks. Alternate tasks throughout the day

Products that can help Tendonitis and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

· Keyboard and mouse pads with proper palm supports, NOT wrist rests

· A responsive mouse, one that fits your hand (beware the newer hump-back mice which bend the wrist even further.) Use scroll and function keys on keyboard and/or mouse, plus a palm support

3. Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

Symptoms: numbness, pain, fatigue in fingers and hands due to compression of the nerves and blood vessels between neck, shoulder and upper arm. Difficult to diagnose. Symptoms mimic other conditions such as herniated disc, carpal tunnel, even bursitis of shoulder.

Where Problems often occur: looking up and bending the neck back, frequent reaching above shoulder level, away from center or behind body, lifting shoulders to accommodate desk height, slouching forward and dropping shoulders, cradling phone between neck-shoulder while working.

Simple Solutions

· Ensure legs are well under the desk or keyboard tray to avoid reaching

· Keep mouse, calculator, and other accessories in front of and near user

· Use footstool to help push you back into the chair. Use chair back…don’t “perch” or slouch

· Use a headset. Use non-dominant hand to hold the receiver, leaving hands free to write

Products that can help

· Keyboard tray with palm rest, so elbows remain at near 90 degrees, shoulders relaxed

· Palm support for keyboard/mouse so shoulders and hands can rest during every pause

4. Shoulder Bursitis

Symptoms: swollen, tender shoulder joint, limited movement

A swelling of the bursa, the thin fluid-filled sac surrounding joints. Usually caused by constant pressure or friction from too much movement or contact stress

Where Problems often occur: data entry; reception/switchboard operator

Simple Solutions

· Maintain an upright posture, with elbows at near right angles to body. Use chair arms

· Avoid far reach to manage documents. Use palm supports to take pressure off shoulders

· Phone, calculator at a near reach and on a slant board for ease in viewing/handling

Products that can help

· VuRyte document holder, to position work in front of and near user

· Read/Write Slant Board, to keep work close to body and at a good angle for reading

· Mouse bridge to lessen far reach to the mouse

5. Eye Strain

Symptoms: dry itchy eyes, blurred vision, squinting, headaches, and irritability

Where Problems often occur: offices with florescent overhead or florescent task lighting; bright office environment; too much contrast in light from screen and room; glare from windows. Fluorescent lighting is hazardous for your health…studies show undiffused fluorescent lights are a major occupational complaint

Simple Solutions

· Avoid light from reflecting off monitors or from shining directly into eyes

· Purchase good quality monitor filter screens. Adjust contrast and brightness levels

· Turn off overhead lighting or remove certain tubes. Use soft light tubes with diffused covers; use task lighting with incandescent light bulbs

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and other Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI) are not surgical problems, they are ergonomic problems. Fortunately, there are very effective ergonomic solutions, especially when initiated early.

If primary prevention measures were taken BEFORE the development of symptoms, essentially all these problems could be eliminated from the workplace. Surgery is a last resort, and cannot be successful if independent of ergonomic solutions.

Call us for simple, effective solutions to ergonomic problems in your workplace.