September/October 1997

What you should know for healthy keyboarding

Keyboard-related reports of pain, numbness or tingling in the upper extremities have been around, experts say, as long as typewriters. However, research related to keyboards and data entry devices has been minimal compared to back disorder studies — $10 million, invested nationwide, compared to $500 million in the last five years.

There are many risk factors for a Repetitive Stress (or Strain) Injury (RSI), including your genetic makeup (bone structure, tendency to arthritis, diabetes or thyroid disease), age, stress, long fingernails (prevent you from curving your fingers as you work) and overusing a muscle or muscle group, generally from repetitive motion.

In the research to date, four hours of keyboard work per day represents the widely accepted benchmark for determining a person's risk level for upper extremity RSIs related to keyboarding. However, what you do while away from work also affects keyboard-related discomfort. Hobbies such as knitting, crocheting, golf, fishing or gardening — all activities involving intensive hand or wrist movement — can wear down and strain hand and wrist tissue.

While keyboard work may not cause RSIs, research has shown that excessive keyboarding can contribute to symptoms. Variety of work and a "natural" posture are the keys to avoid contributing to RSIs.

• Take small breaks, 10- to 30-seconds, every 30 minutes and long breaks every two hours. This means changing positions -- get up and move.
• Wrists should neither twist left or right nor bend up or down.
• Avoid resting wrists on hard edges or on wrist rests while keyboarding.
• You may need to lighten up on your touch to use less force while keyboarding.
• Keep the mouse as close to the keyboard as possible. If you can comfortably use the mouse with either hand, you can try placing it on alternate sides of the keyboard each week. If you don't use the numeric keypad portion of the keyboard, you may want to try a mouse pad that sits over the top of the keyboard. The AliMed Ergonomics and Occupational Health catalog (www.alimed.com or 800-225-2610) has several styles. I am using one now and find it very comfortable.

New studies are just starting to look at all the alternative styles of keyboards. Although some new keyboards do foster better wrist posture, experts note that it is too soon to know whether they will, in fact, reduce RSIs. Recommendations from studies on the regular keyboard do recommend changing the angle of the keyboard to level or raised slightly at the front. I don't have a tray to support tilting my keyboard with the front raised, but I have lowered the feet on the back of my keyboard and find this provides a comfortable position for keyboarding.

References

• "Do Alternative Keyboard Designs Help?", Ergonomics News, May/June 1997.
• Figura, Susannah Zak. "Healthy Keyboarding: What You Should Know." Managing Office Technology, July 1996.
• "For Your Files," Ergonomics News, July/August 1997.
• Nebraska/Iowa Computer Training and Support Association Newsletter, July 1997.
• Ullery, JoAnn and Lichty, Melodie. "Cumulative Trauma Disorder Information." Ergonomics presentation for 1995 Computer Training & Support Conference, Orlando, FL, Oct. 1-4, 1995.

~ Pamela Peters

CIT Information is published by Communications and Information Technology - Computing section, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Newsletter articles may be copied and distributed for nonprofit, educational purposes only and the source must be acknowledged. Direct all correspondence to the editor, Pamela K. Peters (E-mail: pkpeters@unlnotes.unl.edu; Phone: 402/472-5630; FAX: 402/472-5639).

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is an affirmative action - equal opportunity employer.