Windows Help provides extensive help on using keyboard shortcuts with Windows. Individual applications such as Microsoft Office also have their own keyboard shortcuts - with appropriate help. Learning keyboard shortcuts can take some time, but once learnt, using them tends to be faster than using mouse, and avoids much of discomfort associated with mouse. 4. Rest Breaks

All ergonomic experts agree that taking frequent rest breaks is essential to avoid risk of computer related injuries.

You should take frequent "eye breaks" - staring at a computer monitor for long periods causes you to blink less often - resulting in dryer eyes. Every 10 to 15 minutes you should look away from your monitor and blink your eyes rapidly for a few seconds. This will refresh tear film and clear any dust from surface of eyes. Additionally you should focus on something at a distance - preferably 20 feet or more away - look out of window if you can - this will relax muscles inside eye.

You should take frequent short pauses or "micro pauses" - for 10 seconds or so up to a minute - every 10 minutes or thereabouts. You should take regular short breaks - for 5 minutes or more - every hour or so - maybe go for a coffee or a short walk around office, and you should take a long break every two or three hours - for at least 15 minutes, or preferably 30 minutes to an hour. Exactly how long and how frequent your breaks are depends on your own personal preferences and working environment.

5. Stretching Exercises

Regular stretching is an essential part of RSI prevention and recovery, remember that your body is not designed to be sat at a desk for 8 hours a day clicking a mouse. Respect your body and give it movement and range of motion it normally expects.

6. Posture

Good posture is essential to avoid repetitive strain injury and other computer related injuries. Well designed workstation ergonomics can help in maintaining a good posture.

* Make sure that you can reach keyboard with your wrists as flat as possible (not twisted up or down) and straight (not twisted left or right). An ergonomic keyboard can help to keep your wrists straight. * Make sure that your elbow angle is 90 degrees or more to avoid nerve compression at elbow. * Make sure that your upper arm and elbow are as close to body and as relaxed as possible for mouse use - avoid overreaching. Also make sure that your wrist is as straight as possible when mouse is being used. * Make sure that you sit back in chair and that you have good back support - especially lumber support. * Make sure that your feet are flat on floor. Use a foot rest if necessary. * Make sure that your head and neck are as straight as possible . * Make sure that you are relaxed. Forcing yourself to sit up straight can sometimes introduce unhealthy tensions in back muscles.

7. Alternative Input Devices

There are a number of alternative input devices you can use, instead of mouse and keyboard, which you might find helpful. Examples are trackball, a graphics table and pen, a touchpad, and even voice control.

RSI is a very serious health risk, especially with young people who are coming to any industry sector that has continuous use of a PC. You need to take all actions and preventions necessary to help minimize that risk.

A history of bad news For example, in 1994, University of Washington bioengineering professors Henry Lai and Narendra Singh found that DNA in rats' brains was damaged after two hours of exposure to levels of microwave radiation considered safe by government. When Lai and Singh published research, a leaked memo from Motorola's head of global strategy, Norm Sandler talked about ways to minimize damage by undermining their research, with Sandler writing, "I think that we have sufficiently war-gamed Lai/Singh issue." Ouch. Worse, research biologist Jerry Phillips, who was paid by Motorola to conduct similar testing, says he was able to duplicate Lai and Singh's findings, but was then asked not to publish research and was subsequently shunned by company. Motorola says it told Phillips that his findings needed clarification, and industry still maintains that Lai and Singh's results have never been duplicated and can't be considered legitimate.

The biggest Russell Crowe-style insider in this case, though, is Dr. George Carlo, who was hired by Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association to head up a $28 million research program into possible health effects from cellular phones. Unfortunately, he now says his findings show an increased rate of brain cancer deaths, development of tumors, and genetic damage among heavy cell phone users. He wrote this letter of concern to president of AT&T Corporation and later went public with his findings after what he considered to be neglect by industry. He's since broken with industry, become a vocal critic, and coauthored a book called Cell Phones: Invisible Hazards in Wireless Age--so you can tell he's on "cell phones could cause cancer" side of things.

Meanwhile, more studies keep coming, and they seem to be getting worse. A study funded by European Union reported last December that radio waves from mobile phones do, definitively, damage DNA and other cells in body--and that damage extended to next generation of cells. Even though mutated cells are considered a possible cause of cancer, UK National Radiological Protection Board said that since study didn't show that damage definitely led to disease, consumers shouldn't worry too much about findings.

Uh, right. In meantime, report recommended that children use mobile phones only in emergency situations. You know, just in case. How reassuring.

The cell phone industry hasn't commissioned another large-scale study – at least not publicly –since its fateful encounter with Dr. Carlo – and why would they? They're in a catch-22. It's a multibillion dollar industry, and they simply can't afford to find out, definitively, that cell phones are dangerous. Worse, just like tobacco companies, if they start issuing warnings and precautionary tales now, it'll look like they knew all along that radio waves were dangerous, opening them up to major liability claims. They've already dodged one big, big bullet--an $800 million lawsuit against Motorola and cell phone carriers was thrown out in 2002, with judge ruling that there wasn't sufficient evidence for trial. Since then, neurologist Dr. Christopher Newman, who filed lawsuit, has died of brain cancer.

Listen, I use a cell phone, and I'm not trying to scare bejesus out of everyone. But I do use a headset when I'm talking for any long period of time, and I carry that sucker in my purse, not my pocket. (I know you guys don't have that luxury, but reconsider briefcase, OK?) And if you're shopping for a new phone, you might want to check our cell phone radiation chart to see which ones carry a low dose.

In a few more years, we'll either know for sure that cell phones can cause cancer, or we'll know they can't. I just hope we don't find out hard way – through subpoenaed documents from cell phone makers and carriers who've been trying to minimize their damages and maximize their profits for more than a decade.