What causes upper extremity nerve injuries?

The average person working at a keyboard can perform 50,000 to 200,000 keystrokes a day. Small repetitive movements can disturb the delicate balance of muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the hand and cause cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs), also known as repetitive strain injuries (RSI’s) or musculoskeletal disorder (MSD's). These conditions occur over time and are also referred to as overuse articles. The use of proper keyboard and pointing device techniques, rest breaks, and a properly set up workstation, can significantly reduce the risk of developing an overuse injury.

What causes upper extremity nerve injuries?

 The nerves that supply the arm leave the spinal cord in a complicated network of nerve fibers, roots and bundles called the brachial plexus. These nerves course down the side of the neck to form the median, radial and ulnar nerves that travel down the arm and innervate the muscles and provide sensation. Motor nerves send signals to muscles telling them to contract; sensory nerves allow you to feel sensation where they supply the skin. If these nerves are compromised in any way, loss of strength and sensory changes can result.

Nerves can be compromised through repetitive movements. Repeated motions can result in compression or "entrapment "of nerves. Compression can be caused by tight muscles, inflammation of surrounding tissues, or misalignment of the nerve.

When a nerve is compressed, you feel the sensations somewhere between the point of compression and your fingertips. Ulnar, radial or median nerve compression can occur anywhere along the path they travel through, from the neck to the hand. Shoulder pain can be referred from a nerve pinched in the neck. Pain in the forearm, wrist, or fingers can originate from compression at the neck, elbow or wrist level. That is why when you have pain in your elbow, wrist or hand, you should start looking for the cause at the neck and move down the arm.

Nerves can also be compressed in more than one place. This is very common with computer users who have muscle tightness or tension in several places. This phenomenon is called a double crush injury and can be very difficult to diagnose. If you require further information please contact us at www.ergonomicworks.com
 

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)

• One of the most serious and best known MSDs, although because it is a nerve compression injury sometimes it is separated from other MSDs that typically involve tendons and tendon sheaths.
• It results when the median nerve does not "work" properly.  Usually, this is thought to occur because there is too much pressure on the nerve as it runs into the wrist through an opening called the carpal tunnel.
• Eventually, the pressure inside the tunnel reaches a point when the nerve can no longer function normally.  Pain and numbness in the hand begin and progress if the cause is not eliminated.
• Repeated forceful movements made by the hands while in deviated postures (flexion, extension, ulnar radiation, and radial radiation) are known to dramatically increase the risks of developing this syndrome.
• Ulnar and radial deviation contribute to MSDs, but it is flexion and, particularly, extension that are the real culprits.
• Remember that when the wrist is in a neutral position, the carpal tunnel is as big as it can be^__so the nerve has as much room as possible and injury can be prevented.

2.  Preventing Injury When it comes to preventing injury, adults and children need to primarily:

• Keep their body and wrist posture in neutral positions while sitting and keyboarding.
• Have an appropriate workstation configuration, let us help up u www.ergonomicworks.com 
• Take breaks at appropriate intervals.

10 Tips for Using a Computer Mouse

The following tips should help you avoid a mouse-related musculoskeletal injury. The same posture principles apply to other input devices (e.g. trackball, touchpad, pen, digitizing puck etc.). Postural variation is a key factor for good ergonomics. Try to regularly vary your posture when you work with a mouse, and in this way you will help to minimize the risk of ergonomic problems. Remember, the best ergonomic mice are designed to allow you to vary your posture while working with the mouse.

1. Mouse Grip - don't throttle your mouse (it's already dead)! Hold the mouse gently to move it over a mousing surface.
2. Mouse from the Elbow - don't skate or flick the mouse with your wrist. Make controlled mouse movements using your elbow as the pivot point and keep your wrist straight and neutral.
3. Optimal Mouse position- sit back in your chair, relax your arms then lift your mousing hand up, pivoting at the elbow, until your hand is just above elbow level. Your mouse should be positioned somewhere around this point. Don't use a mouse by stretching to the desk or out to the side of a keyboard.
4. Protect your wrist - if you look at the anatomy of the wrist it is curved away from any contact surface (you can easily see this by resting your hand/arm on a flat surface - you'll see light under the wrist and can probably even pass a thin pen under this). The forearm is shaped liked this for the wrist to remain free of surface pressure contact.
5. Avoid restricting circulation - For may people there are exposed blood vessels near the skin at the wrist, which is where the pulse is often taken. Any pressure in this region will disrupt circulation into the hand and this will increase the risks of injury.
6. Don't use a Wrist Rest - research has shown that using a wrist rest doubles the pressure inside the carpal tunnel, because the floor of the tunnel is a more flexible ligament that transmits external pressure changes directly into the carpal tunnel (the roof of the tunnel is bone so the pressure doesn't get transmitted on through the hand). Indeed, one test for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), know as Tinel's sign, simply involves tapping on the palmar surface of the wrist, which is enough to cause tingling and numbness in someone developing CTS.
7. Avoid Restricting Arm Movement - with a softly padded wrist rest, especially one that is rounded, or a soft chair arm rest the forearm becomes "locked" into position and this encourages people to make mouse movements by flicking the wrist, which also increases intracarpal pressure.
8. Keep the Mouse Free Moving - The base of the palm of the hand is the part of the body designed to support the hand when resting on a surface. For keyboard use a broad palm support is best. However, mouse use is different from keyboard use. With a keyboard the best posture is for users to float their hands over the keyboard when typing and then to rest on the palm support in microbreaks between typing bursts.
9. Mouse shape - choose a mouse design that fits your hand but is as flat as possible to reduce wrist extension. Visit our website and let us assist you in finding the right ergonomic mouse.
10. Load sharing - if you want to load share between your right and left hands, that is using the mouse for some of the time with each hand. For this you need to choose a mouse platform that can easily be configured to the left or/and right, and a symmetrical shaped mouse that can be used by either hand.

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What about ergonomic gizmos?

What about ergonomic gizmos?

These days just about everything is labeled as being "ergonomically designed" and much of the time this isn't true and these so-called ergonomic products can make things worse. If you're thinking about buying an "ergonomic product" as yourself the following 4 questions:

• Does the product design and the manufacturer's claims make sense?
• What research evidence can the manufacturer provide to support their claims? Be suspicious of products that haven't been studied by researchers.
• Does it feel comfortable to use the product for a long period? Some ergonomic products may feel strange or slightly uncomfortable at first because they often produce a change in your posture that's beneficial in the long-term. Think of some products as being like new shoes that initially may feel strange but then feel comfortable after being used for a while. If a product continues to feel uncomfortable after a reasonable trail period (say at least a week) time then stop using it.
• What do ergonomics experts say about the product? If they don't recommend it don't use it.

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Don’t Fit the Mold?

Workstations are often arranged to fit the “average” worker. This sounds good in theory. In fact, it can be a setup for sore muscles, headaches and fatigue. You see, most people are taller, shorter, skinnier or heavier than “average.”  Visit our website, and let out ergonomic specialist show you the ways to work more comfortably at your computer.

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There are safer ways to use your laptop!

Laptops are a wonderful technological tool that can increase productivity and creativity. Use of laptop computers does present the potential for significant health concerns, however, as laptops do not provide proper ergonomic positioning for the user.

The brief information below explains these ergonomic concerns and offer recommendations to prevent these health problems from occurring. To request an online or onsite ergonomic evaluation please visit us at www.ergonomicworks.com

1.            Position the Laptop and keyboard at elbow height, and keep your wrists straight while keying.

2.            Keep your head and neck in a relaxed posture; avoid excessive neck flexion or rotation.

3.            Attach an external Laptop mouse instead of using the small constricted touchpad or    trackball.

4.            Avoid resting your wrists while typing. Keep your wrists as flat as possible. Use whole hand and arm movements to navigate the Laptop keyboard.

5.            Avoid bending your neck and head forward to see the screen. This is the way to arrange your seating posture to avoid Ergonomic Laptop disorders.

6.            Your hands and wrists should be kept in a straight wrist posture when typing and should not be resting on a palm rest, table or lap while typing. This can cause you Ergonomics Laptop disorders.

7.            Place the Laptop on a stand, book or other surface that raises it to a height that you can see the screen without having to bend or rotate your neck.

8.            Schedule mini-breaks every 20 to 30 minutes to avoid repetition and static positions.

Ergonomic Exercises – The Back

Ergonomic Exercises – The Back

Forward Bend – Releases tension in the back :

1. Sit comfortably on the chair; feet parallel and resting on the floor.

2. Place hands on the knees, elongate the spine and back of the neck.

3. Bend forward from the hips. Leading with the front of the body.

4. Release hands onto floor, resting the chest on the knees.

5. Hold for 10 seconds, then gently come up

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Your Mouse

Helpful Hints:

1. Place mouse on the same level as and immediately next to keyboard tray.

2. Keep mouse in the arc line of the keyboard do that you reach it when rotating your arm from the elbow.

3. DO NOT use a wrist rest while using the mouse.

4. Your forearm needs to be free to move so you do not strain the wrist.

5. Mouse should fit size of your hand.

6. Wrist should be in a neutral position.

7. Fingers should be able to rest on the push buttons between actions.

8. Arm should be supported by the desk.

9. Minimize mouse use by using keyboard shortcuts where possible.

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The Keyboard & Keyboarding

 

Helpful Tips:

Ø  Keep forearms close to horizontal

Ø  Keep wrists straight

Ø  Hands should NOT be bent up, down or to either side in relation to your forearms.

Ø  Elbows should be close to body

Ø  Keyboard should be aligned with monitor and directly in front of you so you do not have to twist.

Ø  Keyboard should NOT be so far towards you that your wrists rest on the sharp edge of the desk.

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Essentiality of Ergonomic Training for Office Employees

Being an employer, do you wish to reduce workplace injury in your company? In order to so, you might take various kinds of precautionary steps. However, while doing these works you might have ignored the workplace structure. Do you know that workplace structure plays a major role in causing health problems or injuries? Ergonomic has identified various kinds of common flaws that do exist in almost every workplace. These flaws are responsible for causing low productivity. If you wish to identify these flaws and take necessary steps to mend it, proper ergonomic training is required in this regard.

Why ergonomic training is required?

Ergonomic training is essential in various ways. Uncomfortable position while working or inadequate ergonomic measures can create physical stress like wrist pain, shoulder muscle sprain, and back pain of the employees. These problems usually happen among the employees who are required to sit for long hours for their job. Similarly, employees who are required to stand for long hours or need to lift heavy objects suffer from lower back pain. As a result, the efficiency level of the employees gets reduced. For these reasons, ergonomic training is essential for an employer to adopt for the well being of their employees.  

To who this training should be provided?

Being the employer, your first job should be to provide office ergonomic training to your employees. This training session will teach them about the ergonomic equipments that should be included in the existing workstation. Along with this, teach the employees the correct position to sit or stand during their working hours. Employees involved in physical labor should be provided with hands-on training sessions.

Where will you get the training courses?

Manuals and online tutorials are available for help. A manual either in the form of booklet or visual representation will be of great help for your employees. These manuals are quite cheaper at rate. Hence, you can afford it easily. Employees involved in lifting heavy objects or are required to stand for their job should be training with ergonomic training courses that provide physical exercises as well.

However, your responsibility doesn’t end here. After providing ergonomic training, do follow up with the employees to check whether they are following the instructions or not.

Workplace Ergonomic Contributing Factors

Workplace Ergonomic Contributing Factors

Contributing factors are aspects of work tasks which can lead to fatigue, musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) symptoms and injuries, or other types of problems. These factors may be present in one or more of the tasks employees must perform to accomplish their jobs. The contributing factors you and your employees should be aware of include:

• Awkward postures

• Repetitive motions

• Forceful exertions

• Pressure points (e.g., local contact stress)

• Vibration

Awkward Postures

 

Posture affects which muscle groups are active during physical activity. Awkward postures can make work tasks more physically demanding, by increasing the exertion required from smaller muscle groups, and preventing the stronger, larger muscle groups from working at maximum efficiencies. The increased exertion from the weaker, smaller muscle groups impairs blood flow and increases the rate of fatigue. Awkward postures typically include repeated or prolonged reaching, twisting, bending, working overhead, kneeling, squatting, and holding fixed positions or pinch grips. They may affect various areas of the body such as the hands, wrists, arms, shoulders, neck, back, and knees. The effects of awkward postures are worse if work tasks also involve repetitive motions or forceful exertions. Awkward postures may be caused by using poorly designed or arranged workstations, tools, and equipment and poor work practices.

 

Work too low—bending, reaching, and twisting

Work too far away— extended reach

Lack of access or clearance—bending and awkward upper body posture

Pressure Points (local contact stress)

 

Pressure points result from the body pressing against hard or sharp surfaces. Certain areas of the body are more susceptible because nerves, tendons, and blood vessels are close to the skin and underlying bones. These areas include the sides of the fingers, palms, wrists and forearms, elbows, and the knees.

 

If you wish to know more about Ergonomic, visit to our website at www.ergonomicworks.com
 

Arranging Your Workspace

Arrange tools around your desk so you minimize the distance you have to reach for them. Divide your work space into three zones:

Primary work zone - the distance from elbow to hand. Things you touch on a daily basis.

Secondary work zone - within arm's reach. Use this zone to position those items that you use frequently, but don't need all the time.

Reference zone - outside arm's reach. Use this zone for your least-often used items.

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Watch Your Back! Why do workplace exercises?

CALF STRETCH…

Back of leg, below knee

Stand facing a wall, with your hands lightly resting flat on the wall, at about shoulder height. One foot forward in a lunging position.

Keeping both heels on the floor, bend the front knee. (You will feel the stretch in the calf of the back leg). Make sure that you keep your body upright (ie don’t stick your bottom out!). To stretch the deeper calf muscle, you can bend the back knee so that you are ‘sitting down’ with your weight over the back leg. (You should still feel the stretch in the calf of the back leg.) Repeat with the other leg forward.

 

BACK THIGH STRETCH…

Hamstring stretch

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Lift one knee towards your chest, support behind the thigh with both hands. Fully straighten your leg. Flex your foot towards you to add a stretch for the calf. Hold for 6- 10 seconds. Carefully lower the leg. Repeat with the other leg (x 2 each side).

If you cannot reach to hold behind your thigh use a towel to help

 

STANDING BACK RELAXATION…

Standing with your back facing the wall

Let the wall take your weight by slowly leaning back until your shoulder blades and base of your spine are against the wall. Draw in your lower tummy muscles. Adjust your feet and bend or straighten your legs until your lower back is comfortably ‘sitting’ against the wall. Drop your shoulders, breathe out and relax.e

xercises are available at

FRONT THIGH STRETCH…

Quadriceps stretch

Stand next to a wall sideways on, placing your left hand on the wall for support with your elbow slightly bent.

 

Make sure you are close enough to the wall to feel steady and upright. Keeping your S shape spine and tucked in tummy, lift the right heel off the floor up towards your buttocks. Hold this heel lift where comfortable bending your left knee gently as you stand bearing the weight on your left leg. You will be gently stretching the front of your right thigh. Hold for six seconds breathing gently.

 

MID-SPINE STRETCH…

On the floor, on all fours. You need to make sure that your shoulders are over your hands and your hips are over your knees, so that your back is flat.

 

Keeping your hands firmly in place on the floor, smoothly sit back on your heels. You should feel the stretch between your shoulders and down the middle of your back.

 

 

 

 

GOLFERS LIFT…

Imagine a golfer who leans on their putter and lifts one leg behind whilst retrieving the ball from the hole. This is a useful lift when you have to lift light objects and there is something solid to hold on to.

 

Hold onto the support (chair, table, etc) with your right hand. Pull your tummy

button in towards your spine. Stand on your right leg and bend at the hips, keeping your back straight and gently lift a straight left leg behind you as you lift the object. If one side of your back is weak, lift and straighten the leg of your weak side which will keep your spine in its natural curves and stable.

 

LIFTING AND CARRYING…

Ask yourself: ‘do I need to lift this?’; ‘can I lift this without over stretching or straining myself?’; ‘can I lift this without losing my balance or bending my back?’ Always keep the object close to your body. Keep your back straight. Bend your knees and hips not your back. Push up using your thighs. Do not reach forwards. Move close to the object.

 

Adopt a wide stable base (place your knee and foot – or both feet – about hip width apart). Hold your tummy in and breathe when lifting. Turn your feet and don’t twist when lifting. Try and lift with smooth movements.

 

ARM STRENGTHENING…

Easy press-up

Kneel on all fours. Hands placed under your shoulders, knees hips width apart; your body evenly balanced over your hands and knees and your back straight (not dipped) with tummy ‘hollowed’ (abdominal hollowing).

 

Gently, bend your elbows, lower your chin towards the floor and push up to starting position. Repeat building up from 5-10 times. Then sit up, relax, change your body position if need and shake your arms to loosen your wrists and shoulders.

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Benefit of Ergonomic Mouse:

Most people don't consider buying a computer mouse because of the size and shape. They don't check if the mouse fits their hand. They buy because of function, user ability, even color or brand!

Before ergonomic mouse came into existence, previous mouse causes an unnatural position of the palm when moving; this brings about a compression of a nerve in the wrist, elbow, which induces a tingling or even painful sensation near the fingers and other areas of the hand and wrist after a long period of time.

There is the usual problem buying a computer mouse that is too small for your hand. Of course, if you have a smaller hand, you should get a smaller mouse. With a smaller ergonomics mouse, there is not even support for your hand causing strain and fatigue. Ergonomic computer mouse (mice) comes in multiple sizes and some even for left hand users.

Allow our company to assist you in choosing a right ergonomic mouse.

Benefits of an Ergonomic Computer Mouse

1) A more natural grip.

When you choose an ergonomic computer mouse that is the right shape and size for your hand, it results with a more natural and easier grip and hold. This eases the tendon and muscle fatigue in your hand, elbow and arm.

2) Better support

Buying the mouse that is the right size for hand supports your hand.

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What is Musculoskeletal Disorders?

Also commonly known as Computer injuries, Musculoskeletal Disorders include repetitive strain injuries and back pain, posture disorders.

What are Musculoskeletal disorders?

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) is a condition that affects the part of the body that is subjected to repeated stress, strain or both. The musculoskeletal system is an organ system that enables the body to move through the use of the muscle and skeletal systems in combination.

MSD occurs when a part of the musculoskeletal system is called on to work harder, stretch farther, impact more directly or otherwise function at a greater level then it is prepared for. The initial impact to the affected area may be minute, but it can easily cause damage and great discomfort if it occurs repeatedly. It is the build up of this trauma that causes the disorder.

Work-related Musculoskeletal disorders (computer injuries) develop from repeated stress and strain to the body's muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints and nerves. The back, shoulders, neck, arms and hands are most commonly affected.

How to Prevent Musculoskeletal disorder

1. Arrangement of desk, desk chair, computer in relation to the body
2. Using comfort equipment such as footrests, wrist/palm rests, and document holders if required
3. Keep the mouse and keyboard at ergonomic levels to the body
4. Ergonomic technologies eg. Keyboards, mouse, etc
5. Regular break intervals between tasks
6. Regular stretching to relax the body
7. Avoid prolonged exposure to one task
8. Look for conditions that contribute to MSDs

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Safety & Ergonomic Tips for Laptop Computer Use

Safety Tips for Laptop Computer Use

The ideal “ergonomic” computer workstation consists of an adjustable desk and chair with separate computer screen, keyboard, and mouse. Adjustable furniture and separate computer components can be made to “fit” the needs of the user, rather than the user trying to “fit” the constraints of the workstation.

The design of laptop computers defies these basic ergonomic guidelines. Laptop users set up shop on any available surface, often in cramped spaces—a conference table, airplane tray, hotel bed, their own laps. Chairs are anything available to sit on from a folding chair to a lobby couch to a park bench. The computer screen, keyboard, and mouse are all-in-one units creating a single, fixed design with typically smaller features than in a standard computer set-up.

Despite the poor ergonomic design of laptop computers and their “on the go” use, there are some safety guidelines you can follow to avoid musculoskeletal discomfort and injury:

v  Use a comfortable chair with no arm rests so you can easily move your arms.

v  If you’re using your lap for your work surface, raise the screen height by using a footrest or placing a pillow under your laptop.

v  Keep your elbows level with or slightly higher than the keyboard with your wrists in a neutral position (not bent).

v  Do not pound the keys on the keyboard—with laptops, the touch is often lighter and the keyboard bed is shallow.

v  When looking down at the screen, do not bend your neck and head forward to see. Tuck in your chin to look down, keeping your head and neck “balanced” over your spine.

v  Take frequent, short rest breaks from the cramped quarters and poor posture inherent with laptop use.

 

Finally, a laptop is often heavy so you should avoid carrying one with a handle. Use a bag with a padded shoulder strap, remove unnecessary accessories to lighten your load, and switch the laptop bag from shoulder to shoulder to relieve the weight. Better yet, use a laptop bag with wheels or a wheeled luggage cart and roll your computer with you!

At Ergonomicworks we know that every individual has specific needs for their work environment, so the customer service we provide is 100% focused on you! Allow our team to help you too.

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