Prevent Repetitive Motion Injury

Repetitive motion injuries are injuries to the bones, muscles, or nerves caused by overuse. They are major sources of injury, lost productivity, and physical pain, costing companies, individuals, and governments billions worldwide. Learn how to prevent repetitive motion injuries and save yourself time, pain, and money.

Steps

Preventing Computer-Related Repetitive Motion Injuries

1. Take regular breaks. This is the easiest way to prevent repetitive motion injuries. Repetitive motion injuries (RMIs) occur when a muscle or connective tissue is used too frequently to repair itself. The more you take a break from the repetitive motion, the more time you give yourself to heal.
   • "Microbreaks" should be taken for 30 to 60 seconds for every 10 minutes of computer use. Rest your eyes, neck, hands, and back.
2. Type in a neutral position. Although we might see people typing in a variety of ways, a lot of "natural" positions can cause injury, because typing isn't a natural motion to begin with. A neutral position, also called touch typing, is the best typing method for preventing most office related RMIs.
   • Keep your wrists elevated and off the surface of the desk or keyboard.
   • The keyboard should lay flat on the table. Don’t angle it up.
   • The tips of your fingers should be the only part of your hand touching the keyboard.
3. Sit up straight. Sitting up straight makes it easier to maintain a neutral typing position. It also cuts down on problems with the neck, lower back, and shoulders.
   • Roll your shoulders back.
   • Allow for a slight arch in your lower back.
   • Keep your elbows and knees bent at near-right angles to help maintain the position.
4. Pay attention to monitor placement. If you are using a desktop, the proper placement of your monitor can help prevent eye strain and injuries to the neck and back. Your monitor should be between 20 and 40 inches (50 and 100 cm) from your eye to the screen and positioned directly in front of you.
   • If your monitor is tilted back too far, it can distort objects on the screen and also cause glare from overhead lights, which can lead to eye strain. Do not tilt the screen more that 10 to 20 degrees.
   • Your monitor should not be positioned to high up — the top of the monitor should be at or just below eye level.
5. Consider mouse placement. Your mouse or pointer should be next to the keyboard, not raised above it or placed so far back you have to reach to use it. This places stress on your arm and shoulder. Invest in a mouse wrist rest to support your wrist, and make sure your mouse is positioned so that you can maintain a straight, neutral wrist posture.
   • Replace your mouse with a trackball. Use of a mouse can fatigue your wrist. Consider using a trackball device, which is better designed to fit the hand and doesn't require you to bend the wrist or grip.
6. Compensate for the disadvantages of laptops. Though laptops are excellent for portability, they are not very ergonomically practical. Keyboards are more compact and screens are smaller and fixed, offering fewer options for placement (ideally, your monitor and keyboard should be on different levels) which can affect your posture.
   • To combat these shortcomings, consider a laptop docking station to use at your desk at home or at work, which allows you to plug your laptop into a station with a keyboard, monitor, and mouse. Or, you can purchase a separate full-sized keyboard and mouse and attach them to your laptop, using the laptop as a monitor. The keyboard should be at roughly the same height as your elbows.
7. Use Sticky Keys. Sticky Keys are a Windows accessibility feature that allows a user to activate modifier keys instead of pressing multiple keys at once. This can help to ease the strain of repeated motions.
   • For example, instead of pressing CTRL + C to copy text, the Sticky Key feature would allow the user to press CRTL, which would remain engaged, then press C.
   • The Sticky Keys feature can be turned on by pressing the SHIFT key five times in a row. This will bring up a dialog box that asks if the user wants to turn Sticky Keys on.
8. Adjust your mouse speed. One of the most common computer related RMI's occurs when the tendons on the index and middle fingers become strained due to over-clicking the mouse.
   • Setting the mouse speed to a slower speed means that not as much is demanded from the small muscles and tendons when clicking, reducing the strain.
   • Adjust the mouse speed in Windows by going to Control Panel-->Hardware and Sound-->Mouse-->Mouse Properties-->Pointer Options-->Mouse Speed. Then adjust the mouse speed to a slower setting.
   • Adjust the mouse speed on a Mac by going to System Preferences-->Mouse-->Point and Click. Then adjust the mouse speed to a slower setting.
9. Use keyboard shortcuts. Certain keyboard shortcuts can help minimize computer related RMI, particularly if the RMI is related to using the mouse. There are dozens of different keyboard shortcuts. You can look at a list for Windows [1], and one for Mac here.
10. Enable the Mouse Keys feature. The Mouse Keys feature allows you to use the directional pad on your keyboard as you would a mouse. Since a lot of computer related RSIs come from the clicking of the mouse, using the Mouse Keys feature can help.
    • Activate Mouse Keys in Windows by going to Control Panel-->Ease of Access Center-->Make the Mouse Easier to Use-->Enable Mouse Keys.
    • Activate Mouse Keys in Mac by going to System Preferences-->Accessibility-->Mouse-->Enable Mouse Keys.

Preventing Repetitive Motion Injuries in the Workplace

1. Take time away from the troublesome activity. Repetitive motion injuries (RMIs) occur because of overuse. Muscles and connective tissues don’t have enough time to repair themselves, which leads to strain and eventual injury. So avoid RMIs by allowing yourself ample recovery time.
2. Stretch. Even in the context of manual labor, it is important to stretch a variety of muscle groups to prevent injury. Pay special attention to the muscles that you habitually work.
3. Use the proper equipment. Work equipment that is too large, too small, or non-functional can force your body into unnatural and dangerous stress positions. Make sure that you use proper tools and safety equipment.
   • If you have a job where you have to bend down a great deal, or a job that requires picking up heavy loads, consider a back support/lifting belt. They generally range from $25 – $100 new, and you can find them online, or at any sporting goods or orthopedic store.
4. Vary routines. Akin to taking breaks, varying routines is an excellent way to prevent RMIs. Varying routines is difficult to do at work, but try. It’s usually cheaper to move workers around to different tasks than it is to pay for worker’s compensation.
   • Try to limit twisting motions, repeated wrist motions, long periods where heavy vibrating machinery is hand-held, repetitive motions with the back, and long periods of standing with little to no opportunity to sit, lean, or re-position.
   • If you can't get rotated out of a particular assignment, see if you can get production lines to be slowed down, which helps minimize jerking motions.
5. Lift properly. Use proper lifting techniques all the time, but particularly when you repeat the same motion numerous times a day. Basic lifting techniques include:
   • Keeping a straight back
   • Getting as far underneath a load as is possible
   • Keeping a wide stance
   • Lifting with your legs
   • Don’t twist, jerk, or use partial grips

Preventing Repetitive Motion Injuries in Athletics

1. Warm up and cool down. Warming up and cooling down is one of the best ways to avoid injury, even more so than stretching. All athletes should practice warm-ups, especially athletes that have to make the same motions over and over again, like pitchers, sprinters, or shot-putters.
2. Stretch and massage. If you are undergoing heavy athletic exertion, stretching after the workout might be more beneficial than stretching before a workout, although the evidence is not great either way.
   • Make sure that you rub and massage sore muscles. Foam rollers are great tools for this.
3. Allow adequate recovery time. If you participate in athletics, practice different motions on different days. Separate high intensity cardio, calisthenics and/or lifts, and low intensity cardio into different days. Emphasize different muscle groups on consecutive days.
   • As a part of recovery, make sure to eat a balanced diet high in protein and calcium, which aids in muscle and bone strengthening.

Related Articles

• Prevent Bed Sores
• Prevent Repetitive Motion Injury
• Set Up an Ergonomically Correct Workstation
• Prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

References

See also

• Learn About Asbestos Legislation
• Avoid Germs at the Office
• Lift and Carry a Baby
• Find Alternatives to Sitting in a Desk
• Balance Work and Health
• Do Yoga at Your Computer
• Sue for Asbestos Exposure
• Put on a Cleanroom Suit
• Obtain OSHA Reports
• Measure Work Safety

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