Skip to main content

Ergonomics: Avoiding Pinched Nerve


As a relevant follow-up to the previous article on 'pinched nerve', I am posting this topic on 'ergonomics'. This will help us all in avoiding work-related injuries like pinched nerve.

Ergonomics is the study of factors affecting the way humans relate to the world around them, with the aim of improving one’s performance, safety, and productivity. Simply put, it looks at the kind of work you do, the tools you use and your whole job environment, to find the best fit between you and your occupational conditions.

Examples of ergonomic changes to your work might include
  • Adjusting the position of your computer keyboard to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome.
  • Being sure that the height of your desk chair allows your feet to rest flat on floor
  • Learning the right way to lift heavy objects to prevent back injuries
  • Using handle coatings or special gloves to suppress vibrations from power tools
No matter what the job is, ergonomics plays an important role in preventing injury and illness, making sure that you are safe, comfortable, and less prone to work-related injuries.

These are some ergonomic suggestions that you might want to adhere to:

Monitors

Take into consideration how the placement and maintenance of the monitor can affect both the eyes and the musculoskeletal system to avoid the development of eye strain, neck pain and shoulder fatigue while using your computer:
  • Make sure the surface of the viewing screen is clean.
  • Adjust brightness and contrast to optimum comfort.
  • Position the monitor directly in front of you to avoid excessive twisting of the neck.
  • Position the monitor approximately 20-26 inches (arm's length) from you.
  • Tilt top of the monitor back 10 to 20 degrees.
  • Position monitors at right angles from windows to reduce glare.
  • Position monitors away from direct lighting which creates excessive glare or use a glare filter over the monitor to reduce glare.
  • The top of the viewing screen should be at eye level when you are sitting in an upright position (NOTE: If you wear corrective glasses, you may need to lower the monitor a couple of inches).

Keyboard and Mouse

Many ergonomic problems associated with computer workstations occur in the forearm, wrist, and hand. Continuous work on the computer exposes soft tissues in these areas to repetition, awkward postures, and forceful exertions.
The following adjustments should be made to your workstation to help prevent the development of an ergonomic problem in the upper extremities:
  • Adjust keyboard height so shoulders can relax and allow arms to rest at sides (an articulating keyboard tray is often necessary to accommodate proper height and distance).
  • Keyboard should be close to the user to avoid excessive extended reaching.
  • Forearms parallel to the floor (approximately 90 degree angle at elbow).
  • Mouse should be placed adjacent to keyboard and at the same height as the keyboard (use articulating keyboard tray if necessary).
  • Avoid extended and elevated reaching for keyboard and mouse. Wrist should be in neutral position (not excessively flexed or extended).
  • Do not rest the hand on the mouse when you are not using it. Rest hands in your lap when not entering data.

Adjusting Your Chair

Contrary to popular belief, sitting, which most people believe is relaxing, is hard on the back. Sitting for long periods of time can cause increased pressure on the intervertebral discs— the springy, shock-absorbing part of the spine. Sitting is also hard on the feet and legs. Gravity tends to pool blood in the legs and feet and create a sluggish return to the heart.

The following recommendations can help increase your comfort while sitting down:
  • "Dynamic sitting", meaning don't stay in one static position for extended periods of time. When performing daily tasks, alternate between sitting and standing.
  • Adjust height of backrest to support the natural inward curvature of the lower back.
    • It may be useful to use a rolled towel or lumbar pad to support the low back.
    • The backrest angle is set so that your hip-torso angle is 90 degrees or greater.
  • Adjust height of chair so feet rest flat on floor (use footrest if necessary).
    • Sit upright in the chair with the low back against the backrest and the shoulders touching the backrest.
    • Thighs should be parallel to the floor and knees at about the same level as the hips.
    • Back of knees should not come in direct contact with the edge of the seat pan (there should be 2-3 inches between the edge of the seat and the back of the knee).
  • Don't use armrests to slouch.
  • Adjust height and/or width of armrests so they allow the user to rest arms at their sides and relax/drop their shoulders while keyboarding.
  • Where armrests are used, elbows and lower arms should rest lightly so as not to cause circulatory or nerve problems.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Abdominal Epilepsy?

The other day, I encountered an uncommon medical diagnosis, abdominal epilepsy. Maybe I was absent when this was taught in med school or maybe it was mentioned but it just didn't register in my memory bank. Anyway, for those colleagues who haven't heard of this as well, here's what I found out about it, so that next time you are faced with a weird abdominal pain, you will think of abdominal epilepsy as a differential. There are many medical causes of abdominal pain; abdominal epilepsy is one of the rare causes. From a medical perspective, the term epilepsy refers not to a single disease, but to a group of symptoms with numerous causes. The common factor in all forms of epilepsy is an excessive electrical excitability of the brain. The increased excitation is called a seizure and may manifest as a partial or total loss of consciousness and muscle spasms or other involuntary movements. Many conditions can produce epilepsy. For example, a genetic predisposition is...
Post a Comment
Read more

"Ganacity"

If there's one word that I will never forget from my AGSB experience, it's "ganacity"! A word frequently mentioned by our FinMan professor. What does it mean? It's a combination of the tagalog word "gana" (appetite, zest) and the english suffix "city" which converts an adjective word into a noun. 'Ganacity' therefore refers to one's state of desire or interest in something. I am sharing this because I feel that my 'ganacity' for what I am doing now is spiralling down, and it is so difficult to reverse it back up or just to keep it at a maintained level. It is becoming a struggle on a day to day basis. I am hoping that night and day will alternate fast so that this battle will end soon.
Post a Comment
Read more

The Beauty of Giving

It is heartwarming to read how people are coming together to help and support all those involved in this war against the corona virus 19. Indeed, the blessing in this crisis is the transparency of people and the willingness to help those in need without a second thought. We have proven once again that we can care beyond ourselves. Hopefully though, this selflessness goes beyond the end of this pandemic. Giving sincerely is powerful not only for the heart but also for the mind and soul. It provides an intrinsic reward that’s far more valuable than the gift.   It’s ‘finding one’s self by losing it in the service of others. As we nest in the comforts of our home, let us continuously find ways to help others in even small and meaningful ways.
2 comments
Read more