Avoiding Repetitive-Stress Injuries: A Writer's Guide Author: Geoff Hart Presenter: Damon Hauser

What is repetitive stress injury? Repetitive-stress injury is an injury that results from overuse of a body part without giving it time to recover. A better term might be "overuse injury".

Who suffers from repetitive stress injury? Writers and editors in particular put in a lot of time at the computer. Programmers and many other office workers probably put in an equal amount of time at the computer.

What kinds of problems arise from repetitive stress injury? The most common problems fall into three categories:  Aches and pains  Hand problems  Eye strain

Preventing repetitive stress injury  Chair  Layout of work area  Mouse and mouse alternatives  Keyboards  Wrist support  Computer monitor

The seat of the problem  The seat and back cushions must comfortably distribute and support your weight  Back rest must be adjustable so it can cradle and support your back  Try a footrest to take weight off the back

Layout of your work area  Make sure your body doesn’t have to make a lot of unnatural movements  Trial and error – try different placements of office equipment to see if it alleviates any discomfort

Mouse alternatives Mice don’t work for everyone Alternatives include:  trackballs  track pads  graphics tablets  keyboards with integrated pointers  keyboards that replace mousing with gestures

Reinventing the keyboard Too much keyboarding can cause carpal tunnel syndrome. Solutions:  Dvorak keyboard  Ergonomic keyboard  “Soft touch” keyboard  Wrist rest

Eye strain  Look away from the keyboard  Try different monitor distances  Get a crisper monitor  Try reading in different font styles and sizes  Get a monitor with higher refresh rates, and less flicker

Conclusion Solutions:  Invest in good tools  Stay in shape  Listen to your body