Workstation Health and Fitness for RSI

Written by Gerard Bulger


Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) is now a major industrial disease affecting millions of people aroundrepparttar world. RSI includes conditions such as carpel tunnel syndrome, tenosynovitis and tendinitis - often collectively referred to as upper limb disorders, musculoskeletal disorders, occupational overuse syndrome (OOS), computer related injuries or cumulative trauma disorders, or CTD. Oftenrepparttar 113949 posotion of workstations andrepparttar 113950 design ofrepparttar 113951 pc and accessories can affect how our health and safety.

1. Workstation Ergonomics

A well designed workstation is essential to maintaining good posture and reducingrepparttar 113952 risk of lower back pain and other computer related injuries.

2. Ergonomic Keyboards and Mice

There are quite a few ergonomically designed keyboards and mice available. The Microsoft Natural Keyboard is one example. This keyboard splitsrepparttar 113953 keys into two panels - one for each hand, and angles each panel so thatrepparttar 113954 hands sit naturally onrepparttar 113955 keyboard, rather than requiring them to be twisted into an unnatural position which isrepparttar 113956 case with normal keyboards. Many mice are now designed to fit neatly into either hand, and can often have a scrolling wheel, which can make scrolling through documents easier and less stressful than using scroll bars.

These ergonomic devices are generally more expensive than standard designs, but can be well worthrepparttar 113957 investment. 3. Ergonomic Use of Keyboards and Mice

The computer mouse was originally designed to make using a computer easier - it is much easier to point at a picture and click than to learn a relatively complicated series of keystrokes. However, research has shown that using a mouse is a significant cause of repetitive strain injury. Especially ifrepparttar 113958 mouse is located atrepparttar 113959 same level and torepparttar 113960 side ofrepparttar 113961 keyboard - it's usual location. This requires extending your arm which introduces significant tensions and stresses in your arm, shoulder and neck.

The best position for your mouse is on a raised platform slightly aboverepparttar 113962 numeric keypad on your computer. Also, if you reducerepparttar 113963 speed ofrepparttar 113964 mouse andrepparttar 113965 number of clicks you have to make you can greatly reducerepparttar 113966 muscle tension in your arm and hand. Additionally, you can swaprepparttar 113967 primary and secondary mouse buttons (the left and right buttons), to changerepparttar 113968 mouse from being right handed to left handed. Using your left hand - or right hand if you are left handed - can take some getting used to, but can be very helpful if you are suffering from any aches and pains in one hand. Regularly alternating between left and right hands can also give your arms and hands a rest, thus minimizingrepparttar 113969 risk of developing any RSI condition. You can swaprepparttar 113970 mouse buttons usingrepparttar 113971 Mouse applet inrepparttar 113972 Windows Control Panel - or directly fromrepparttar 113973 Stress Buster context menu - with fewer mouse clicks and/or key strokes.

To reducerepparttar 113974 mouse speed, openrepparttar 113975 Mouse applet inrepparttar 113976 Windows Control Panel, selectrepparttar 113977 tab Pointer Options and moverepparttar 113978 pointer speed slider torepparttar 113979 left to slow. Click OK.

To reducerepparttar 113980 number of clicks you have to make, openrepparttar 113981 My Computer icon, then select Tools, Folder Options, and then under Click Items As Follows, choose Single-click to open an item.

If you can you should avoid usingrepparttar 113982 mouse as much as possible. Most actions and commands can be carried out using keyboard shortcuts instead ofrepparttar 113983 mouse. For example, to reducerepparttar 113984 number of clicks you have to make with your mouse - as described above, you could userepparttar 113985 following keyboard shortcuts:

1. Pressrepparttar 113986 button on your keyboard to openrepparttar 113987 Windows Start Menu. 2. Userepparttar 113988 arrow keys to select My Computer (orrepparttar 113989 alternative name you may have given to your computer), and then press Enter or Return. This will open an explorer window for your computer. 3. Hold downrepparttar 113990 Alt key and press "T" to openrepparttar 113991 Tools menu, then press "O" to open Folder Options. 4. In Folder Options, hold downrepparttar 113992 Alt key, and press "S". This will selectrepparttar 113993 option Single-click to open an item. 5. Press Enter or Return to closerepparttar 113994 Folder Options dialog.

Is Your Cell Phone Safe?

Written by Loring A. Windblad


This compilation of information is Copyright March 2005 by http://www.organicgreens.us and Loring Windblad;repparttar basic information is Copyright 8 March 2005 by Molly Wood and CNET. The reference for this article isrepparttar 113948 author’s personal knowledge and experience working inrepparttar 113949 Communications Field for more than 25 years plus allrepparttar 113950 cited references in Molly’s article. This article may be freely copied and used on other web sites only if it is copied complete with all links and text, including this header, intact and unchanged except for minor improvements such as misspellings and typos.

So you have a cell phone? But, you aren’t one ofrepparttar 113951 people who blithely goes cruising downrepparttar 113952 highway and 10-15 miles overrepparttar 113953 speed limit, talking on your cell and blissfully unaware ofrepparttar 113954 people around you and what they might be doing? Does it matter that you only use your cell phone “Safely”? Is there such a thing as “Safe use of Cell Phones?”

When you readrepparttar 113955 following article by Molly Wood, copyright Molly Wood and CNET, March 8, 2005, you will come to understand some ofrepparttar 113956 hidden dangers inherent in our modern cell phone use.

And yes, this same problem is inherent inrepparttar 113957 “cordless” phones we now use to have “walkabout” capabilities in our homes while we chat onrepparttar 113958 phone. We can keep on preparing our meals, working inrepparttar 113959 kitchen, working at odds ‘n ends aroundrepparttar 113960 house and just carryingrepparttar 113961 cordless phone with us. It broadcasts on RF frequencies inrepparttar 113962 VHF and UHF ranges which are as harmful asrepparttar 113963 Microwave frequencies onrepparttar 113964 Cell Phone.

The danger lies in “being that physically close” torepparttar 113965 radiating source….i.e., right up against our ears.

At any rate, for an enlightening look at this potentially very serious health problem, make sure that you follow allrepparttar 113966 links and readrepparttar 113967 source material that went to validaterepparttar 113968 article. Molly has done her homework on this one, and this article alone validates her beingrepparttar 113969 Senior Editor at Ziff-Davis’ CNET. Molly isrepparttar 113970 editor ofrepparttar 113971 feature recurring article “Anchordesk”.

Read her article, followrepparttar 113972 links and readrepparttar 113973 supporting information, and then make up your own mind as torepparttar 113974 safety or danger of Cell Phones. For my part, my mind is already made up….they’re inherently extremely dangerous. While you are checkingrepparttar 113975 sources out make certain you also checkrepparttar 113976 very last reference given –repparttar 113977 cell-phone radiation chart – it will be eye-opening.

The cell phone industry: Big Tobacco 2.0? By Molly Wood, senior editor, CNET.com Tuesday, March 8, 2005

So, there's this incredibly popular product that has widespread consumer use and a massive marketing presence. Nearly everyone uses it, and it has very high social acceptance, even though some people find it annoying when it's used in public. It's highly habit-forming; people who userepparttar 113978 product on a regular basis find it almost impossible to live without.

Unfortunately, studies start to appear showing thatrepparttar 113979 product might be harmful to its users--even cancer-causing. The product's manufacturers denyrepparttar 113980 presence of any danger and even spend millions of dollars trying to discreditrepparttar 113981 research that points to problems. Then, an insider emerges, seemingly with proof thatrepparttar 113982 product could be dangerous. The industry agrees to publish warning data aboutrepparttar 113983 product, but continues to maintain thatrepparttar 113984 product itself is safe for use. Lawsuits againstrepparttar 113985 product's manufacturers are filed, but all are dismissed. Industry analysts know that any case that does succeed could start a domino effect of future lawsuits, which keepsrepparttar 113986 industry determined to maintain thatrepparttar 113987 product is harmless, despite increasing evidence torepparttar 113988 contrary.

Sound familiar?

Well, put down your lighter, I'm talking about cell phones. I've already maintained that I don't likerepparttar 113989 cell phone industry's iron-clad control over phone releases and pricing, its ever-lengthening contracts, andrepparttar 113990 annoying habit it has of crippling Bluetooth phones so that I can't use themrepparttar 113991 way I want to. But it takes only a few minutes of looking intorepparttar 113992 cell phone radiation quagmire before I start to think, man, these guys have Big Tobacco 2.0 written all over them. Actually, I'm notrepparttar 113993 first to think of it, but a recent article inrepparttar 113994 University of Washington alumni magazine indicates thatrepparttar 113995 behaviors aren't going away, even asrepparttar 113996 potentially damning research continues to mount.

OK, I knowrepparttar 113997 obvious differences: I'm sure cell phone manufacturers are not deliberately making their products more addictive, for example – although they are, of course, always offering new and improved services and ever-increasing buckets of minutes, which can't help but encourage us to use our phones more and more frequently. But, just as Big Tobacco did,repparttar 113998 cell phone industry seems bound and determined to thwart and deny any suggestion that its product might be dangerous.

Cont'd on page 2 ==>
 
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