Posture, Ergonomics & RSI

Posture Prescription
RSI Repetitive Strain Injury
RSI Indicators
Sitting Right
Exercises you can do at your desk
The ever increasing number of patients visiting our hospital with
posture and occupational related problems has got our alarm bells
ringing to act in time to help you prevent potential work related
musculoskeletal disorders, especially those working in the field of
Information and Technology.
Harmony at work
Ergonomics is all about improving compatibility between your body
and an activity. The result is increased comfort and efficiency. The law
of ergonomics is not restrained only to job related activities but
applying the same principles you can make any given task less taxing
physically and mentally.
Posture Prescription
Posture is the position in which you hold your body upright against
gravity while standing, sitting or lying down. Good posture involves
training your body to stand, walk, sit and lie in positions where the
least strain is placed on supporting muscles and ligaments during
movement or weight-bearing activities. Proper posture:
1. Keeps bones and joints in the correct alignment so that muscles
are being used properly.
2. Helps decrease the abnormal wearing of joint surfaces that could
result in arthritis.
3. Decreases the stress on the ligaments holding the joints of the
spine together.
4. Prevents the spine from becoming fixed in abnormal positions.
5. Prevents fatigue because muscles are being used more
efficiently, allowing the body to use less energy.
6. Prevents strain or overuse problems.

7. Prevents backache and muscular pain.

8. Contributes to a good appearance.
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RSI Repetitive Strain Injury
A repetitive strain injury (RSI), also called repetitive stress injury,
cumulative trauma disorder or occupational overuse syndrome, is any
of a loose group of conditions from overuse of the computer, guitar,
knife or similar motion or tool. It is an occupational overuse syndrome
affecting muscles, tendons and nerves in the arms and upper back;
hence it is also known as work related upper limb disorder or WRULD.
The medically accepted condition in which it occurs is when muscles in
these areas are kept tense for very long periods of time, due to poor
posture and/or repetitive motions.
It is most common among assembly line and computer workers. Good
posture, ergonomics and limiting time in stressful working conditions
can help prevent or halt the progress of the disorder. Stretches,
strengthening exercises, massages and biofeedback training to reduce
neck and shoulder muscle tension can help heal existing disorders
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RSI Indicators
RSI conditions have many varied symptoms. The following may
indicate the onset of an RSI.

Recurring pain or soreness in neck, shoulders, upper back,

wrists or hands.
Tingling, numbness, coldness or loss of sensation.
Loss of grip strength, lack of endurance, weakness, fatigue.
Muscles in the arms and shoulders feel hard and wiry when
palpated.
Pain or numbness while lying in bed. Often early stage RSI
sufferers mistakenly think they are lying on their arms in an
awkward position cutting off circulation.
Symptoms may be caused by apparently unrelated areas for
example hand numbness may be caused by a nerve being pinched
near the shoulder. In the initial stages of RSI, an area may be in quite
bad condition but not feel painful unless it is massaged, or feel weak

unless a long endurance exercise is performed. Therefore all areas of

the upper body are considered when evaluating an RSI condition.
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Sitting Right
At the start of day you would probably be sitting right, that is on your
sitting bones (the bony pressure points which you will feel if you sit on
your palms), and as the day progresses you will notice that you are
virtually sitting on your coccyx the tail bone. This happens because
the muscles fatigue and forces you to slump down.
Solution:
Never sit for more than 45 minutes at a stretch. Micro breaks are what
I call them. Whenever you notice that you tend to slide down your
seat, you body is actually telling you to move, walk, stretch!!
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Exercises you can do at your desk
Here are some exercises you can do at your desk during rest breaks.
You need not to do all of them and the order in which you do them
does not matter. Each exercise results in feeling some stretch. Hold
each stretch 15 to 30 seconds and repeat three times. The number of
repetitions and duration of each exercise are guidelines. BE SURE that,
as you do the exercises, you feel only a gentle stretch and no pain. If
you begin to feel pain, reduce the number of repetitions, shorten the
time you hold the position, or do not do the exercise.
1. Hold both hands out in front of you and stretch them for a few
seconds.

Hold both hands out in front of you and curl your fingers and
thumbs under at the first knuckle and hold for a few seconds,
splaying the fingers until you feel a gentle stretch.

With your arms out straight in front of you, raise your right hand
so your palm is facing away from you and place the palm of the
left hand on the fingers of the right. Press the fingers toward you
with the left hand until you feel a gentle stretch. Change hands
and repeat.

With your arms out straight in front of you, drop the right hand
down and bend at the wrist. Place the left hand on the knuckles
of the right and press toward you until you feel a gentle stretch
in the top of the wrist of the right hand. Change hands and
repeat.

Hold your right hand in front of you, palm up, and use your left
hand to massage your right. Massage the inside and outside of
the hand and between the fingers. Change hands and repeat.
With your arms straight in front of you, lace your fingers
together. Then turn your hands down and over so your palms are
facing away from you and press until your arms are straight.
2. Tilt your head to one side and hold for a few seconds until you
feel a stretch in the side of your neck. Repeat on the other side.

3. Place your palms on your shoulder tips and rotate your elbows
clockwise and anti clockwise.
Hold your palms and stretch out your arms behind.