1888 PressRelease – In some situations, wrist rests can make mousing more comfortable. However, they do not provide relief for everyone. Read on to learn more about pros and cons. If you have additional question visit our website at www.ergonomicworks.com or contact our Certified Ergonomist at info@ergonomicworks.com.
Many people using wrist rests I can honestly say, that I have never been call in to an office where the staff actually knew how to use their wrist rests. Of course you might say well what is there to know about using a wrist rest. You rest your wrists on them. Seems sensible but actually that’s wrong.
The most important aspect of wrist rests is that they are NOT designed for resting on while keying and using your mouse. What are they for then? They are designed for resting your wrists on when you not keying or using the mouse. The reason is that this creates contact stress on the bottom of your wrists and may also cause excessive bending of the wrists.
PREVENTING CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME:
The muscles that control our fingers are located in the forearm. Tendons connect these forearm muscles to the bones in our fingers and hands. Whenever we move our fingers, the tendons slide back and forth under a band of tissue at the front of our wrist. This band of tissue together with the bones in our wrist forms the carpal tunnel. The carpal tunnel is quite small about the size of a dime. This can be problematic as it doesn’t take much pressure or bend in the wrist to constrict the carpal tunnel.
When tendons slide back and forth through their sheaths, they create a small amount of friction. As with any moving part, with enough friction and tear can occur, causing expansion or swelling. When tendons or their sheaths swell and there is pain or tenderness, it is called “tendonitis “we bend our wrist or apply pressure to the front of the wrist tunnel can constrict. Now the tendons must move back and forth through a smaller opening, thus, creating more friction. With more friction, there is a potential for wear, tear and swelling. If there is enough pressure on the carpal tunnel or swelling (of the tendons or sheaths inside the tunnel) median nerve, which also passes through the tunnel, people can experience a “pins and needles” sensation in the hand (often at night), weakness and reduced range of motion in the wrist.
So what can we do to prevent injuries such as these? There are certain hazards that have been found to contribute to these injuries that include:
– Repetitive hand, wrist or finger movements.
– High force griping or finger pressure.
– Awkward posture of the wrist.
– Direct pressure at the base of the palm or across the front of the wrist.
When more than one of these factors are present, or there is a lengthy exposure to a single hazard, there is a greater potential for injury to develop. To prevent these injuries, we need to try to reduce or eliminate the hazards. Visit our website at Ergonomicworks and speak to our Certified Ergonomist we will help you to reduce and prevent your wrist pain such as Carpal Tunnel.
Benefits of Ergonomicworks services are:
– Improved productivity
– Improved quality of work
– Improved health and safety
– Reduced OSHA fines and Workers’ Compensations
– Lower lost work time
– Lower worker turnover rate
– Increased job satisfaction
– Improved quality of life
Web: www.ergonomicworks.com
Phone: 818-219-6356
Azadeh (Azi) Imandel, Certified Ergonomist