Workstation Health and Fitness Solutions for RSI
To reduce the mouse speed, open the Mouse applet in the Windows Control Panel, select the tab Pointer Options and move the pointer speed slider to the left to slow. Click OK.
To reduce the number of clicks you have to make, open the 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 using the mouse as much as possible. Most actions and commands can be carried out using keyboard shortcuts instead of the mouse. For example, to reduce the number of clicks you have to make with your mouse - as described above, you could use the following keyboard shortcuts:
1. Press the button on your keyboard to open the Windows Start Menu.
2. Use the arrow keys to select My Computer (or the 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 down the Alt key and press "T" to open the Tools menu, then press "O" to open Folder Options.
4. In Folder Options, hold down the Alt key, and press "S". This will select the option Single-click to open an item.
5. Press Enter or Return to close the Folder Options dialog.
Windows Help provides extensive help on using keyboard shortcuts with Windows. Individual applications such as Microsoft Office also have their own keyboard shortcuts - with the appropriate help. Learning keyboard shortcuts can take some time, but once learnt, using them tends to be faster than using the mouse, and avoids much of the discomfort associated with the mouse. 4. Rest Breaks
All ergonomic experts agree that taking frequent rest breaks is essential to avoid the 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 the tear film and clear any dust from the surface of the eyes. Additionally you should focus on something at a distance - preferably 20 feet or more away - look out of the window if you can - this will relax the muscles inside the 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 the 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 the 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 the 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 the elbow.