How To Avoid Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)

Posted by Paul Goddard

January 26, 2010

People often tell me that they have RSI (repetitive strain injury) and want to know which mouse I’d recommend to relieve their systems. I only wish that things were this simple to get an instant cure.

RSI or Repetitive Strain Injury is an all encompassing term that covers a multitude of symptoms and conditions, but isn’t a diagnosis in itself. It’s more of a general term like “sports injury” which could mean a bump on the head or sprained ankle.

Most ailments will be greeted with default advice of take 2 paracetemol and stay in bed, regardless of what it is. It’s a method for finding out whether your own defence system will deal with the problem and fix the ailment or whether further action is required. It is not uncommon for some doctors to recommend you to stop repeating the activity that is causing the repetitive strain injury as a cure.

For most of us advice that involves a complete career change that excludes use of a computer is unrealistic so in fact there are only two practical options; avoid getting the problem in the first place, or develop a means of managing it so that you can still work on a computer.

RSI is avoidable, and this is obviously the best plan. As anyone has experienced RSI will tell you, it’s painful and has a serious impact on your working life.

The following steps are my suggestions for working on a computer without suffering.

1. Adjust your whole workstation to fit you not the other way around

2. If your equipment is not positioned correctly and you can not adjust it - it is not ergonomic and you will suffer as a result.

3. Start with your posture and invest in a good adjustable chair. It might seem expensive but is less costly than back treatment and much less painful

4. Get your desk to the right height for you - not what your chair will allow. You can do this by inserting small blocks of wood under the feet or saw a bit off its too high (if you share a workspace a height adjustable desk makes life much easier for all)

5. Get a fully adjustable keyboard like the Goldtouch. In fact get a Goldtouch, nothing else comes close. You can read up on why on the internet, just google “Goldtouch keyboard”

6. Get another mouse or even better get two, and keep the one you have. Keep switching between them so that you minimise the repetition. Get different ones, a trackball might feel a bit strange at first but you will get used to it. Vertical mice help a great deal to reduce twisting or pronation in the wrist

7. Get a document holder that can sit over and behind your keyboard. There are lots to choose from, the Microdesk will fit over the Goldtouch and gives lots of space for papers. The key feature is that you want to keep all your work in a straight line head up position

8. Get your monitor at the right height and distance. Monitor arms are really good for this, easy to use with flat screens and free up space on your desk. If you must use a laptop screen then make sure you have a stand to get it the right height and always use an external keyboard and mouse

9. Use RSI Guard - ALWAYS. You are part of the problem because you think it won’t happen to you or you simply can’t be bothered. RSI Guard is simple software that can really help you be more aware of how your behaviour is hurting you.

10. Make changes now. Your body can handle a lot of abuse, but when it gives up - you are in big trouble, and the road back is painful and slow. Some people never recover.

Paul Goddard is an Education Officer at Keytools and a well known RSI expert. He claims that RSI problems are easily preventable and his company, Keytools provides assistive technology for people with RSI including the RSIGuide software for prevention of RSI

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