With the advent of computers, the world has further shrunk in size. It is easy to email and chat and get in touch with your dear ones who are not near you. Net banking, online booking of tickets, maintaining statistics, providing of software for safety and security, uses of computers are manifold. Even in developing country like ours, it is very common to have a household PC in most urban houses and even houses in larger towns. Whether it is typing school reports, surfing the net, or playing games, even children are found to be hooked to their monitors. Behind all this, is an industry that is experiencing a boom which is the Information Technology or the IT industry in short.
Gone are the days when youngsters wanted to be doctors or engineers. The in thing today is IT and Management. Every third adult is either in IT or management field. Even those who are not directly related to the developing of software also deal with computers on a daily basis. This trend has definitely helped young professionals not only to get employment, but also fat pay packages. Other perks like trips abroad for overseas- projects, bonuses, etc. are also involved. However, all these benefits do not come without a price. These incentives are also accompanied by occupational health hazards known as repetitive stress injuries (RSI). Almost all these professionals are affected by RSI sooner or later. The extent and intensity of the problem varies depending on duration of improper usage of computers and wrong postures adopted.
So now let us find out what are RSI.
Repetitive Stress Injuries occur from repeated physical movements damaging the tendons, nerves, muscles and joints. The frequent and prolonged use of keyboard and mice, trackballs etc are the main culprits. The thousand of repeated keystrokes and long period of clutching and dragging the mouse accumulates damage to the body. The body has a mechanism to heal itself. But when the stress occurs repeatedly, the body does not have time to recover and a part of it gets irritated. The body reacts to the irritation by increasing the amount of fluid in the area to reduce this stress and friction on the tendons or muscles. This manifests as swelling.
The most well known RSI probably is the Carpel Tunnel Syndrome (CTS).
CARPEL TUNNEL SYNDROME: It occurs when the median nerve is trapped in the tunnels of the bone through which it passes. This occurs due to the swelling inside the narrow tunnel. Since this nerve carries sensory and motor impulses with it, its entrapment results in pain, numbness etc.
TENDONITIS: Swelling and inflammation of the tendons due to stress is known as Tendonitis. Tendons are the structures that connect the muscles to the bone.
CERVICAL AND LUMBAR RADICULOPATHY: There is a cartilaginous disk-like structure between the vertebrae. These help the nerves to pass freely between the vertebrae. When this disk is compressed it results in undue pressure on nerves causing pain. The regions mostly affected are the neck and the lower back. These are referred to as cervical and lumbar respectively and the compression of the nerve root is termed radiculopathy.
Similarly, depending on the organ inflamed other conditions like bursitis, tenosynovitis, trigger finger, De Quervain’s syndrome might also erupt. All these are serious and in advanced cases can cause severe and lasting pain, numbness or permanent disability.
Since RSI affects various organs and people in various professions like sports, music, meat packing etc., the range of symptoms is also quite wide. Pain is usually the first to occur and is of nagging type. This is followed by tightness, stiffness, paresthesia (Abnormal sensations like burning, tingling, pricking, etc. especially at night). Other symptoms may include coldness of the limbs and finally if untreated leads to permanent disability.
Though this is a pressing problem it can be prevented or at least the damage can be minimized.
STEPS THAT CAN BE EMPLOYED:
Correct posture: Always sit erect while working – do not slouch. Use a chair that has lumbar support. Ensure that the shoulders and back are not tensed.
Be gentle: Pounding on the keys or squeezing the mouse too hard will not increase the speed of work, but would definitely damage the wrists. If multi-key operation has to be performed use finger of both hands to press the keys rather than stretching the fingers of the same hand for functions like CTRL + ALT + DEL etc.
Straighten the wrist: While typing ensure that the wrist is not resting on the keyboard and neither is it bent on the upper or lower directions.
Position of the computer: Monitor should be adjusted so that the upper edge of the screen aligns with the forehead of the user or is at a level lower than that. Sit atleast two feet away from the screen.
Protect the eyes: Reduce the glare by reducing the brightness of the monitor or by using anti-glare screens. Increase the font size. This not only helps to relax the eyes but also reduces the effort to hunch forward towards the monitor to read the matter. Also consider using colours like grey, which are easier on the eyes. Relax your eyes by closing them and cup your hands on the eyes without touching them.
Don’t break your neck, take a break: Take breaks at regular intervals, stretch and relax your muscles. Plan your computer work so that you can have adequate relaxation intermittently.
Avoid multi-tasking: In case you need to attend a phone call while working on a computer, stop your work for a few minutes to complete the conversation on the phone. Resume work only after completing your conversation. Do not tuck the phone between the shoulders and the ears. Repeatedly doing this could lead to cervical radiculopathy.
Foot position: Legs should be positioned comfortably. Feet should be flat on the floor or a foot rest, with legs and hips perpendicular with respect to the spine.
Ergonomic gadgets like split keyboard, palm rests, spinal adjustment, arm rest, etc can be used effectively.
These techniques in synergy will surely help reduce damage to the organs. All this is fine, but what if you have already contracted the disorder? RELAX!! There are methods to deal with these problems.
Rest the organ: Give adequate rest to the affected organ. Even the patients of CTS who undergo relief surgery can be back with relapse if they rush to the work too soon.
Explore treatment options: Physiotherapy , fomentation, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) can be used for relief. If these methods fail and the problem persists to the extent of hampering the daily activities, surgical options could be considered.
Ayurveda as an alternative: These disorders may seem to be new on the diaspora of the illness, but occupation relates disorders are explained in ayurvedic texts. These conditions fall under the category of disorders caused by vitiated vata dosha. Muscle strengthening techniques like massages along with fomentation by means of steam of medicinal herbs given through a tube (Nadi sweda) or steamed rice cooked in milk and various herbs (shashtika shali pinda sweda) or by means of poultice made of herbs (Patra pottali) can be used. Sushruta recommends nasya (Administration of specific medicines via the nasal route) in case of disorders affecting hands or shoulders and basti (i.e. Administration of specific medicines via the rectal route) in disorders affecting the lumbar region or legs.
Along with these, oral medication like maharasnadi kwath, yogaraj guggulu, panchatiktha ghrutha guggulu etc. can be administered orally to facilitate recovery. Yoga, which is believed to be one branch of ayurveda, also helps upto a great extent. The yogic postures or asanas would defer from organ to organ, which in itself would be a subject to write upon.
Most important aspect of the treatment is patience and compliance on the part of the patient. Healing can take months or even years depending on the extent of the problem. So don’t give up.
By arrangementwith “Global Ayurveda Magazine”
Dr Purnima Vinod BAMS ( Senior sub editor “Global Ayurveda Magazine”)
