| by:
Paul Linden, Ph.D.
Chapter
1, pages 3-6:
The Computer Problem
Spending long hours at a computer keyboard can hurt. Many people experience
pain in their eyes, neck, arms, hands, back or legs. Many people experience
stress and anxiety. At best, this reduces concentration and productivity.
At worst, it leads to serious physical damage.
People use computers in many different situations. Some people use the
computer for entertainment and others use computers for work. There are
individuals who use computers at home. There are individuals who work
alone or in small offices. There are people who work in schools, universities
or large companies. And of course children and students use computers
both at home and at school. Everyone who uses computers should pay attention
to issues of work comfort and safety, and parents and teachers should
make sure that the young people in their care do not develop computer-related
injuries.
Computer stress and repetitive motion injuries lead to a tremendous loss
of productivity and a great deal of money being spent on medical treatment
and litigation. People with serious computer-related injuries may have
to stop using computers altogether. Students may find it very hard to
do school work, and people in the workforce may find themselves unemployed
and unemployable.
But life with a computer doesn't have to hurt. It really can be surprisingly
quick and easy to learn how to achieve a safe and comfortable way of working
at your computer. Comfort at Your Computer will show you how to:
work
at your computer in a mentally and physically alert, relaxed and strain-free
manner
set
up your computer workstation so that it enhances your comfort and productivity
organize
a computer-safety program at your school or workplace. By gaining a greater
understanding of the human body and the computer workstation, you will
be able to: * avoid computer stress and injuries
choose
proper workstation equipment
save
money on equipment
reduce
medical bills and lost work time
increase
job satisfaction and productivity.
Comfort at Your Computer will help you find simple, low-cost solutions
that are easy to put into practice and take very little time.
The book presents the material in a personal, experiential format. Even
if your main objective is to set up a computer safety program for your
school or workplace, going through the body awareness exercises yourself
will be the best way to understand the material and learn to teach it
to others.
The best time to deal with computer stress and injuries is before they
happen. Learning about relaxation, postural balance, and proper workstation
setup will help you prevent computer-related problems. But if you are
already experiencing problems, the same techniques for relieving computer
stress will be helpful (along with proper medical treatment) in your recovery
and in preventing future problems.
BODY AWARENESS: A NEW WAY OF THINKING ABOUT THE
PROBLEM
Computer-related injuries result from long hours of holding awkward, strained
positions and from the repetitive movements of pounding keys. Before the
advent of computers, office workers did not sit for hours in one fixed
posture repeating the same few movements over and over again. Even using
a typewriter, which is similar to using a computer, involved many different
movements. Inserting paper, erasing mistakes, filing paper copies and
so on forced typists to vary their movements. Computer users can sit for
hours doing nothing but punching keys and staring at a screen.
Working at a computer for long hours is an intense and strenuous athletic
event. Every athletic activity requires proper physical form and good
equipment. If, for example, you jog with bad form and poor shoes, you
weaken your performance and increase your risks of injury. Neither good
form nor good equipment by itself is enough. In the same way, using a
computer demands effective movement technique and good equipment.
Using effective movement technique means knowing what movements are required
for the safest, most effective performance of the specific sport or task
you are undertaking. Effective movement technique starts with knowing
your body.
You have to know how to use your pelvis, legs and spinal column for sitting;
your arms for typing; your head and eyes for looking at paper copy and
the monitor; and your voice for dictation software. If you use a computer
or video display terminal while standing up, you also need an awareness
of the body mechanics of proper standing.
Proper equipment selection and workstation setup also start with knowing
your body. Your furniture and workstation should support your body in
your unique individual position of comfort. Your equipment must be able
to adapt to your needs rather than forcing you to adapt to it. To pick
out office furniture that fulfills your body's needs, you must know what
your specific needs are.
Recommendations for safe computer-use are often given in terms of statistics
about average body dimensions and general furniture requirements. However,
you can't depend on statistics to tell you what your needs are. You can't
depend on rules about what ought to be comfortable for the average person.
You have to know what your own body actually needs for comfort. Once you
can feel, in your own body and for yourself, when furniture actually does
meet your needs, you will be able to judge when a piece of furniture is
right for you.
Good equipment by itself is not enough. A bad chair will make good, comfortable
sitting posture difficult if not impossible. But even a good chair won't
help much if you are abusing your body through muscular tension and awkward
posture. Sitting right on the wrong chair won't work, and sitting wrong
on the right chair won't make you comfortable either. Effective movement
technique and proper equipment are both necessary in order to use a computer
in comfort.
In this book, I will concentrate on helping you learn how to think and
feel for yourself. You will learn how to feel what will keep you safe
and comfortable as you work at your computer. Once you can feel your body
clearly, you won't sit and work in awkward, dangerous postures and you
won't keep using uncomfortable and dangerous furniture. You will notice
when something is hurtful to your body, and you will do something about
it right away.
Most people have never thought about the need for body awareness training.
Many people feel that if they can walk and talk and do all their other
daily activities, they must already be aware of their bodies and know
how to use them well.
Nothing could be farther from the truth. Many people can cope with ordinary,
non-demanding activities, but hurt themselves as soon as they do something
complicated or strenuous. Even small imbalances that would seem utterly
harmless can, in the long run, add up to significant strain. Since working
at a computer is both complex and strenuous, you need especially good
body awareness and movement. If you don't use your body well, you will
hurt yourself.
Computer stress can be prevented, and body awareness is the key.
Read
Chapter 5: Balancing Your Pelvis and Spinal
Column
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