2009 Ergonomic tips of the week

1. Does your mouse creep backwards on your desk during the day? Keep the mouse in line with your keyboard to avoid overreaching. Try using both hands to avoid over use with your dominant hand. Additionally frequent breaks from using your mouse are very important, as is avoiding long clicks.

2. Grab a large rubber band and put it around all your fingertips, cup your hand so your finger tips are touching each other. Now use the force of the rubber band and try and spread your fingers out as wide as possible. Repeat 10 times with each hand 3 to 5 times a day. This will strengthen your inner hand ligaments and tendons.

3. While driving use cruise control if possible and weather permitting. It will take the pressure off the right side of your body, your accelerator and brake pad side.

4. Never overload the top drawers of a filing cabinet; this could cause the cabinet to tip and fall on you when drawer is extended out. Use the lower drawers for heavier files and fill the drawers from the bottom up.

5. Performing prolonged computer work? Force yourself to yawn. This both moistens your eyes and reduces the tension by relaxing and exercising your facial muscles.

6. Avoid sleeping on your hands or with your hands bent at the wrist. We spend approximately one-third of the day asleep so try to sleep with the neck and spine in a neutral position

7. Lump all tasks together by area. For example if you are cleaning the dishes and know that later you have to clean the cupboards, or dry the dishes then do it all until the task have finished. This way you don't lose focus by leaving the kitchen and getting distracted by something else.

8. Use of blue tooth or telephone headsets can reduce neck pain, back pain and headaches in subjects who use the phone and computer simultaneously for a minimum of two hours a day. The freedom afforded by hands free movement gives computer users extra mobility to move from their desks, interrupting the invariable static loads on the body. This allows the person greater comfort and efficiency

9. Head Position - If you look down or do the old' turtle head when looking at your computer, your body needs to engage muscles to support it. Keep your head neutral (not down or up or extended as to be closer to the monitor) and your muscles can relax and store energy for your playtime!

10. Make sure your monitor is at a height that keeps your head from looking down or up while typing or reading

11. Reduce the weight of the laptop bag as much as possible by ensuring only the most needed items are included. Ensure the shoulder straps and handles have adequate padding. Switch shoulders and hands often while carrying the laptop bag or try using a back pack or other bag which has two straps or wheels.

12. You are in charge of how you feel. If it feels awkward it probably is! Adjust your mouse and keyboard so that your elbows may stay by your side. This little adjustment can make a world of difference.

13. Get up and move. As muscles tire, slouching, slumping, and other poor postures become more likely; this in turn puts extra pressure on the neck and back. In order to maintain a relaxed yet supported posture, change positions frequently.

14. Avoid static muscle loading. Reduce both the weight and size of the tool. Do not raise or extend elbows when working with heavy tools. Provide counter balance support devices for larger, heavier tools.

15. Reduce grip force requirements. The greater the effort to maintain control of a hand tool, the higher the potential for injury. A compressible gripping surface rather than hard plastic should be used.

16. The monitor should be below eye level with the focus of attention between 1 and 60 degrees below the horizontal. Your desk or table should be about two inches lower than your elbow. Elbows should be kept at a 90 to 100 degree angle.
17. Use the 20-20-20 rule, When typing take a break every 20 minutes and look at an object at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds
18. Don't hit the keys too hard. Try to develop a light touch, and adjust the keyboard to that end if possible.
What do you mean “to that end if possible”?
19. What difference do a couple of inches make? Lifting a 25-pound item 4 inches away from your body versus close to your body will result in your back working at least 30 percent harder.

20. Using handle coatings or special gloves to suppress vibrations from power tools. Keep power tools balanced and lubricated to minimize vibration. Job rotation-have more than one person performs tasks that involve exposure to hand-arm vibration.

21. LIFTING GET CLOSE TO THE LOAD Get as close to the load as possible— as if you're hugging the object. Having the object close to your body put less force on your low back.

22. MAINTAIN YOUR CURVES. Keep yourself in an upright position while squatting to pick up or to lower heavy objects.

23. TIGHTEN YOUR STOMACH MUSCLES tightening the stomach helps support the spine. Don't hold your breath while tightening the muscles.

24. LIFT WITH YOUR LEGS Your legs are the strongest muscles in your body— so use them. Squat down to lower objects while caring using your legs.

25. PIVOT DON'T TWIST Turn with your feet, not your back. It isn't built for twisting from side to side.

26. Let your legs rest comfortably with your feet flat on the floor or on a footrest. (To test whether your legs are in a good position, try placing a pencil on your knee — the pencil should roll toward your waist, not off of your knee.)

27. Avoid stress on soft tissues. Stress concentrations result from poorly designed tools that exert pressure on the palms or fingers. Examples include short-handled pliers and tools with finger grooves that do not fit the worker's hand.

28. Whenever possible, select tools that use a full-hand power grip rather than a precision finger grip.

29. Avoid sharp edges and pinch points. Select tools that will not cut or pinch the hands even when gloves are not worn.

30. Avoid repetitive trigger-finger actions. Select tools with large switches that can be operated with all four fingers.

31. Cell phone or blackberry text messaging try using the tip of a pencil to give some relief to your thumbs.

32. Finger Stretch
Make a tight fist with your hands and hold for 3 seconds. Open your fists and stretch your fingers out as far as you can. Hold for 8-10 seconds. Repeat this stretch 3 times

33. Wrist Extension Stretch
Place your hands together, palms touching and fingers pointing upward. While keeping hands together, slowly press down until you feel the stretch in your wrists. Hold this position for 5 seconds.

34. Wrist Flexion Stretch
Extend both arms out in front of you. Make a tight fist with both hands and bend the wrists down. Hold this position for 5 seconds.

35. Wrist Rotation
Hold both hands out in front of you, wrists straight, hands open with palms facing down. Slowly rotate the wrists so the hands form circles. Make 5 to 10 circles, and then repeat in the opposite direction

36. Palming (Eye relaxation)
While sitting, cup your hands over your closed eyes, making sure to block out all light. Hold this position for one minute.

37. Thigh Stretch
Stand near a wall or file cabinet for support. Put your left hand on the wall for balance. Bend your right knee back. Grab the foot with your right hand and try to bring it closer to your bottom. Hold for a count of 10. Repeat with the other leg.

38. Calf Stretch
Stand facing a wall. Place both hands on the wall at shoulder height. Move one foot farther from the wall and bend at the knee of the leg closest to the wall. Keep the back straight. Push the heel of the back foot into the floor and lean towards the wall. Don't arch your back. You should feel the stretch in your calf muscle. Hold for a count of 10. Repeat other leg.

39. Ankle Rotation
While sitting, raise your left leg parallel to the floor. Point the toes out in front of you. Then flex the ankle so your toes are pointing up. Next, slowly circle your ankle to the left for one full turn. Reverse direction. Repeat this 3 times with each foot.

40. Adjust seat to allow you to change the forward and back angle of the seat. Forward tilt is often useful in reducing pressure on the discs in your back. Backrest angle can be adjusted by mechanical means or through the use of flexible materials or springs in the chair. This helps to reduce pressure on the discs in your back.

41. A wrist rest should only be used when resting from typing. Do not rest your wrists or palms on it while typing. This causes compression of the tendons and nerve that provide movement and sensation to the hands and fingers, which can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome.

42. When dragging the mouse from side to side, move the whole hand and not just the wrist. Dragging the mouse by resting the palm of the hand on your desk and bending the wrist left and right puts added strain on the tendons and nerve in the carpal tunnel.

43. The screen should be at least 18 to 24 inches from your face - preferably up to 30 inches, if possible. If you do not have the desk space, use a keyboard tray. This forces you to move your chair back in order to pull out the keyboard when typing.

44. Lighting should be bright enough to see text and the screen, but not too bright to cause glare or discomfort. Direct task lighting on the document, not at the display screen. Position the display screen at a right angle to the window so the light doesn't cause screen glare or get in your eyes

45. Use the 20-20-20 rule, When typing take a break every 20 minutes and look at an object at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds

46. Why is it hard to open jars? The muscles used to tighten (clockwise) can exert more force than the muscles used to loosen (counterclockwise).

47. Hand tool handles should be compressible and stay captive in the hand. Otherwise the hands and fingers are subject to pain due to soft tissue damage and reduced blood circulation.

48. The most stressful lifts are those that begin and end at or below knee height and those that begin and end at or above shoulder height.

49. A footrest will not only support your feet; it also helps support your back. It should only be enough to raise your knees too slightly above your hips.

50. Check if your body is properly aligned when typing; align the "B" key on your keyboard with your belly button (only on standard keyboard designs)

51. Do not flex upward. The hand is designed to grip, so most muscle control and joint range is aimed at a downward flex. There's less leverage on an upward flex so the body has to work harder to move that way. The tendons and nerves also have harder leverage points to stretch over.

52. While traveling take stretch breaks. Sitting too long can cause fatigue, backaches, and neck and shoulder stiffness. When traveling by car, give yourself enough time—even if it's just a few minutes—to make stops on long trips to stand up, stretch, and walk around. When traveling by plane, periodically take walks and do stretches (when the seat belt sign is off).

With Special thanks to Jean for your help and review.