Computer Related Injuries (CRI)

                        Computer Related Injuries

                     

                                                           The Devil's on your computer.

                            Working long hours on Laptop 

Urban Indians are paying with their health the price of being in computer- intensive jobs. With  schools, colleges, 14 hours shifts call center workers and offices allowing studying and working from  home, prolonged hours of working on computers  and laptops have increases chances of developing an injury due to incorrect posture and strain on muscles. Pain and injuries of shoulders, back, arm, wrist and hand and eye strain have become common complains in Covid times.

It is the fasted growing occupational hazard in India. What makes this epidemic alarming isn't just its prevalence, but how acute the injuries can be.

Computer related injuries (C.R.I)  apart from the loss of your job, many simple activities you take for granted - buttering your bread, holding a teacup or turning a  doorknob - can become impossible.

"While technology can help, it can also hinder."

C.R.I STRIKES NOT JUST

those who work 15 hour days, who have been working for years, are old or arthritic prone.......

....IT AFFECTS EVEN THOSE 

who are young , fit, starting their first computer dependent job. Average age 27.

                                                             Mind the posture   

Introduction

Computer related injuries or (CRI) that affects specific body parts.

Many persons mostly working professionals, have come in with complaints related to carpal tunnel syndrome and tendinitis in hands and wrists, which make movement of the hands, wrists and forearms difficult. Left unattended, there is a possibility that these problems could lead to permanent nerve damage.
Due to extended work hours and lack of exercise, many are developing problems related to muscle pain and injuries to arms and wrists. Around 70% of patients  working on computers for long hours, leading to repetitive movements of the hands. Many patients have also reported neck pain, back pain or other musculoskeletal issues.

Most office spaces are designed in a way that supports long hours at work, but our homes lack those facilities. Poor posture while sitting poses the biggest risk to our back. Slouching while sitting causes slow changes in the soft tissue and stretches spinal discs, making back muscles tired more easily. It is advisable to take support of the backrest with the curve of the lower back cradled.
Likewise, children across all age groups are taking classes and exams online since the lock down, spending hours in front of laptop or smartphone screens at a stretch.
A child of 10-year-old was using a tablet for classes, exams and games for more than 10 hours daily. This put immense strain on his wrist, resulting in wrist tendinitis (inflammation of the tendons around the wrist).
The child was using the tab while sitting in bed. The muscles around one of his wrists were being strained and overused, leading to tendinitis. Child's condition improved after starting sitting on a chair with a laptop on a table in front of him to attend classes.

Those in the age group of 14 to 22 years are complaining of nagging back and neck pain the most, mainly caused by prolonged use of tabs and smartphones for gaming and chatting. Other problems have arisen as well. Some of them are suffering from attention deficit and addiction to online games, while some have suffered cyber bullying. Others have become withdrawn and interact less with friends and family and are showing signs of depression. Disrupted sleep is also affecting a large number of older students.
A chair-table combination for such long-duration engagements and a five-minute break every 40 minutes and between classes to look away from the screen.
We are seeing a sudden rise in patients between 10 and 25 years of age during tele-consultation. I suggest that they use laptops or computers only, not even tabs.
Others have reported of dryness in the eyes or eye strain. They are advised  to use high-quality eye lubricants three to four times a day. “People should also follow the rule of 20 — looking 20 feet away for 20 seconds after every 20 minutes — to rest the eyes,” he added.
People are vulnerable to anxiety and depression and should be more careful at this time. “These are extraordinary times and people should learn to cope with them instead of isolating themselves. Those who have mental health issues should seek consultation on time. 

THE EPIDEMIC THAT IS C.R.I

• C.R.I is the fastest growing type of occupational injury in India.
• In separate surveys of Bangalore and Delhi based IT professionals, 75 % reported musculo - skeletal symptoms of C.R.I.
• 76 % in Delhi reported visual problems.
• The typical C.R.I patient in India  is a 27 year old who is otherwise healthy and active.
•  Over 70 % of C.R.I patients surveyed in Bangalore were initilly misdiagnosed.
• Repetitive Stress Injuries (RS) also occur in  professions not involving computers : manual labors, musicians, teachers, truck drivers, surgeons, farmers, assembly line workers and house wives.
• Children too can sustain RSI and eye problems arising from incurrect use of computers, mobile phone and play stations.
• In the US the occupational health and safety administration (OSHA)  noted that every  third dollar paid in worker compensation went to  RSI patients.

 

                                                                   Follow "rule of 20"

Symptoms

                        

• Computer Vision Syndrome : 

Eye strain, headaches, dry eyes and sensitivity to light.

• Cervical Disc Degeneration : 

Bad posture at the computer strains neck muscles and damages the cartilaginous discs between the upper vertebrae. This can lead to hernia, which pinches the nerves,  causing pain, numbness or loss of muscle control.

• Thoracic Outlet Syndrome : 

The group of disorders is the second most common type of CRI. Nerves and blood vessels that pass into arms from the neck become constricted, leading to pain in chest, neck and arms.

• Tennis Elbow : 

Overuse of the muscles that pull the hand back (as when typing or using the mouse) causes micro tears in the tendons that attach forearm muscles to  the elbow. This can cause mild paralysis and debilitating pain, and impair one's ability to carry heavy objects or drive a car.

• Lumber Disc Degeneration : 

 Wrong sitting posture can lead to a  Slipped Disc -  damage to the disc between the lower vertebrae, which causes symptoms that radiates as far as the toes. This can also put pressure on the sciatic nerve root, which causes the especially painful condition, sciatica.

• Non Localized (C.R.I) : ht.Many victims suffer from chronic , non-localised pain, which often originates in  "Trigger points"- knots of constricted muscles- that cause pain and numbness in other areas of the body.

• Intersection Syndrome :  

Repetitive motions of the wrist and thumb causes an abrasion between the two sets of tendons that control them. The intersection of these tendons, in the forearm just above the wrist, develops a painful inflammation.

• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome : 

Repetitive use of mouse as well as typing , causes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, an inflammation of the nerves and tendons leading through the wrist into the hand. It causes numbness and loss of control in the hands.

• Tenosynovitis - "Trigger Finger" : 

Repetitive overuse causes damage to the tendons that open and close our fingers.Tendons become irritated and inflamed, causing fingers to become stiff, painful and, in severe cases, difficult to strengthen at all.

• Shoulder : Shoulder pain, muscle injury.
• Back : Backache.
• Thumb & Fingers : Numbness, tingling.
• Attention Deficit : 
• Addiction to online games. 

                              

• Cyber bullying. 
• Depression. 
• Anxiety
• Disrupted sleep. 

Areas Most Affected

• Neck and Upper back       60%
• Lower Back                        40%
• Arms & Fingers                  30%    

 “People should also follow the rule of 20 — looking 20 feet away for 20 seconds after every 20 minutes — to rest the eyes,”

                                                                   "Mind the posture" 

      

                                     

  

BLINK, AND IT'S GONE

A few things to remember while sitting before a computer

•  Keep your wrist unsupported while typing. Do not use gel pads as wrist- rests.
• Sit with your back supported against the chairs backrest, and with thighs sloping down slightly so that your hips are higher than your knees.
• If your boss won't do it for you  invest in an agronomic ally sound office chair :  ideally one with a head rest and lumber support. The seat height, and the angle between seat and chair back should be adjustable.
• If you feel a C.R.I. coming  address it early. Learn preventive stretches from a C.R.I expert.
• Make sure a light source or window is not directly reflecting off your screen- for instance, by building a simple shade out of file folders.
• Blink regularly or use a solution to keep your eyes lubricated :running a humidifier in an air conditioned office can also help avoid dry eye symptoms.
• It is better to have your head angled down to your screen than  up having to look up  at a screen reduces blink-rates.
• Follow the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, focus on an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
• Laptops are an inherently  un-ergonomic device as the screen and the keyboard  are attached. When using a laptop at home or office  use an external key board and mouse , and a laptop stand to prop the screen to eye level.
• Ideally your keyboard and laptop should  be placed just above the level of your lap, with your elbow at an angle of 100 degrees.
• Consult an excerpt before using  any medication targeting C.R.I.

Recommended the following Guidelines to parents:

1 . Long hours of work at computer stresses a child's vision. Therefore it is imperative to

• Restrict the use of computer to an hour a day at the very most.
• Ensure that the child takes five minutes break every 20 minutes.
• Insist that the work station is arranged in a child friendly manner : the monitor should be between 19-28 inches away from the child's eye, it should be adjusted to reduce glare, the keyboard should be within easy reach.

2 . Another problem is that computer technology could compromise your child's security. There have been recurrent cases of identity thefts, and worse.. Therefore it is important to 

• Keep the computer in a family room rather than the child's bedroom. This will allow you to supervise his activities on the computer.
•  Educate him on safe online practices, he should not give out identifying information or access objectionable material.
• Get to know his "online Friends" just as you get to know all his other friends.
• Have an open relationship with your child, one of camaraderie and trust, so he shares the experiences and tells you of the services he uses.

3 . In today's world particularly there is an added danger of the virtual replacing the real. The computer could take the place of the neighborhood park. On line friends could replace those of flesh and blood. Face to face social interaction is necessary and healthy. Ensure that your child has a non-virtual social life.

4 . Finally computer cannot be substitute for  walking, exercising, running, playing. Out door activity benefit your child. Encourage him to go on hikes, play in the park or take a walk.

Treatment 

                         

• Improve posture and avoid slouching
• Use a table and a chair to sit and work. Avoid working on bed.  
• Position keyboard correctly and keep mouse at same height.
• Screen should be at eye level at least 20 inches away. 
• Use a chair-table combination for such long-duration engagements. 
• A five-minute break every 40 minutes.
• For dry eyes use eye lubricants three to four times a day.
• Relax your pace of work.
• Move the mouse from right hand to left.
• Ointments and Pranayama to ease the pain.
• Don't allow your condition to progress.
• Install a Anti glare screen shield on the computer.
• Maintain an upright posture.

  

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