Computers Can Cause Pain and Injury

Lots of us-students and adults-spend time setting at the computer doing schoolwork and/or playing games.  Whether the time at the computer is researching and writing a report, surfing the net, or being triumphant over the bad guy, the computer can be hard on our body!  We may be thinking. “How is that? “ 

Sitting for a long time in positions that aren’t natural for our body can strain our hands, wrists, back, and eyes.  This doesn’t happen all at once, but when this happens over an extended period of time, it can result in pain and repetitive stress injuries.

There are ways we can help protect our bodies from pain and injury.

·      An important thing we can do is to sit square on the chair.   To do this we must sit on the center of the chair with our back touching the seat back the whole time.  Be careful to not lean or slouch over the keyboard while typing.  Our legs should bend at the knees with the legs resting on the floor.  If our legs are too short then it is best to use a stool, box, or stack of books to put under our feet.

·      When typing, it is best to sit so that our elbows are bent at 90-degree angles with our wrists straight and close enough so that we don’t have to stretch to reach the keyboard.  If our wrists start to hurt or we start to wake up at night with wrist pain, we may be getting overuse injury (also called carpal tunnel syndrome).

·         If we are using one of our hands to use the mouse, it can help if we use a small wrist rest to support that hand. Another way to help is to use a trackball instead of a mouse. A trackball allows you to use a few fingers, instead of just one, as you move around the computer screen.·      Using the computers results in our eyes doing a lot of work.  When we hove the monitor 18 to 20 inches away, we are helping our eyes.  Also have the monitor at eye level with our forehead.  If it isn’t, it helps to adjust the height of the monitor or our chair.

·      Take breaks!  It’s best for students to take a break every 30 minutes.  Go to the bathroom, get a drink, take a walk, dance in front of the mirror, etc.  When we take the break, it helps to start with our eyes.  Focus on something that is far away like something that is out of a window.  This will give them a rest from the focusing on the computer screen.  To give our body a break, it helps to move our muscles. 

Doctors recommend only 1 to 2 hours of screen time a day.  That includes TV, computer, and computer games. 

Kidshealth.org