Quick Tips

Here are some quick tips to feel energized while working at the computer! Implementation and commitment to health and wellness while computing will help you feel relaxed energized and more efficient throughout your work day!


Do:

1. Energize and Exercise!
2. Warm up
3. Workstation is comfortable for your body:
• alignment: body is properly aligned
• placement: all items are within comfortable reach, use all vertical space well
• movement: move comfortably and stretch frequently
4. 20/20 rule: 
every 20 minutes, a 20 second break, 
every hour get up and stretch for 5 min.
5. RSIguard.com For easy exercise reminders!
6. Change your relationship with the computer and mix up the tools you use, try a computer tablet for the mouse, what about a Dictate program? 
7. Drink water and eat well!
8. Become efficient
9. Get help if you are in pain!


Don't:

• Stay stagnant
• Twist, crowd legs and arms
• Keyboard and mouse click without frequent breaks
• Stay silent if you are uncomfortable or in pain
• Forget to eat and stay hydrated

Carpal tunnel tips from Alpine Physical Therapy

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common problem affecting the hand and wrist. Symptoms begin when the median nerve gets squeezed inside the carpal tunnel of the wrist. Any condition that decreases the size of the carpal tunnel or enlarges the tissues inside the tunnel can produce the symptoms of CTS.

This syndrome has received a lot of attention in recent years because of suggestions that it may be linked with occupations that require repeated use of the hands, such as typing on a computer keyboard or doing assembly work. Actually, many people develop this condition regardless of the type of work they do.
If you’re experiencing symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome, I want you to try this super easy and often helpful tip to help ease your symptoms. The next time you’re feeling tingling or pain in your hand and fingers, do this.
Place your hands on your belly. With your other hand, firmly grasp the middle and ring fingers of your sore hand. While securely squeezing your fingers, gently begin to pull your arms apart. You should feel as though you’re two fingers are being stretched out. Hold this stretch for 30 to 60 seconds. You may find that this tactic can help you keep your symptoms at bay. (The picture below shows me self treating my right hand.)

For more information on carpal tunnel syndrome, I invite you to read the document on my clinic website called “A Patient’s Guide to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.” It’s easy to read, has visually appealing graphics, and gives you helpful information on the causes and treatments for this common malady.
Click here to get the rest of this informative document on my clinic website located at www.AlpinePTmissoula.com.

Avoid reaching

Your keyboard and mouse should be at the same level and close together to allow your arms to relax at 90° angles. Avoid reaching for items such as your mouse or your keyboard, or paperwork. Keep things very close together, this allows our arms and hands to work less and rest more!

The walk station

Check out the sit to walk station! http://details-worktools.com/walkstation/

 What a fantastic idea for staying mobile and introducing various work positions for the body while at the computer! This is a workstation that can be used in a sitting position and then transformed to use a treadmill while walking at a maximum speed of 2 mph, all while accomplishing the work you normally do while seated.

“Throughout the day, an individual can move from sitting, to standing, to walking at the push of a button. The only lost time is the time it takes to change from a pair of dress shoes to a casual pair of walking shoes.”

The Four Hour Workweek recommendation

One of the things I like to promote is learning time efficiency and increased productivity. If we can get more things done and stay focused to complete these tasks, we can have more free time, away from the computer enjoying a healthy worklife balance.

There is a fantastic book called “The Four Hour Workweek” by Timothy Ferris. There are some wonderful tips and tools that are very innovative for today's work world and vast worldwide network.

 Here is something from the book that I really like:


Anything that prevents the start to finish completion of a critical task are considered principal interruptions:
1. Time wasters: those things that can be ignored with little or nor consequence. Common time wasters include meetings, discussions, phone calls, web surfing, and e-mail that are unimportant.

2. Time consumers: repetitive tasks or requests that need to be completed but often interrupt high-level work. Here are a few you might know intimately: reading and responding to e-mail, making and returning phone calls, customer service (order status, product assistance etc.), financial or sales reporting, personal errands, all necessary repeated actions and tasks.

3. Empowerment failures: instances where someone needs approval to make something happen. Here are just a few: fixing customer problems (lost shipments, damaged shipments, malfunctions etc.), customer contact, cash expenditures of all types.

Here is a look at a prescription for number one: (I have edited a little bit, and encourage you to buy the book!)

First, limit e-mail consumption and production. This is the great single interruption of the modern world.
Turn off the audible alert if you have one on Outlook or a similar program and turn off automatic send and receive, which delivers e-mail to your inbox as soon as someone sends them.

Check your e-mail twice per day, once at noon or just prior to lunch, and again at 4 PM. 12 PM and 4 PM are times that ensure you'll have the most responses from previously sent e-mails. Never check e-mail first thing in the morning. Instead, complete your most important task before 11 AM, to avoid using lunch or reading e-mail as a postponement excuse.

Before implementing the twice-daily routine, create an e-mail auto response that will train your boss, coworkers, suppliers and clients to be more effective. Speak with your immediate supervisor propose a trial to the approach for one to three days.

A sample might look like this:

Greetings friends,

Due to high workload, I am currently checking and responding to e-mail twice daily at 12 PM Mountain and 4 PM mountain.

If you require urgent assistance that cannot wait until either 12 PM or 4 PM, please contact me via phone at–––––.

Thank you for your understanding this move to more efficiency and effectiveness. It helps me accomplish more to serve you better.

Sincerely,
Your name here

 For more tips, please check out this book, again it is a fantastic tool chocked full of tips and tricks!

Be good to yourself at the computer!

Sitting at the computer all day is just not healthy for our bodies. We were never meant to sit in front of computers for eight hours or more a day. Recognize that we all need to take responsibility for ensuring good health while working. We can do this by eating well, having a proper workstation that supports our body, drinking plenty of water, taking breaks throughout our day and throughout each hour, stretching our bodies, hands, arms, fingers, back, neck, looking away from the computer screen, becoming productive at work and saving time at the computer, and simply being good to ourselves in this way! After all, we only have one body and it helps support us with all of the things that we do each day including work :-)

Reminder: mix up the tools that you use at the computer

Recently there was a question about using a type of mouse that engages the usage of the thumb and if this tool would be helpful to prevent the various repetitive strain injuries.

It is important to recognize that we are still repeating the same motion, maybe utilizing different muscles, but still supporting micro-traumas to muscles and tissues in a new position—in this example using the thumb!

In my own experience, my thumb and the muscle in my palm  right below the thumb became extremely damaged and almost unusable due to using a simple mouse that came with my computer.

To support oneself fully, mix up all of the tools that you are using on a daily basis ensuring different muscles are being utilized throughout the day. Better yet, to learn a Dictate program such as Dragon Dictate found on nuance.com  giving you an incredible opportunity to become hands-free —or balance this usage in tandem with more limited mouse usage.

It is also important to take micro-breaks consistently within an hour. Alpine Physical Therapy recommends taking a 20 second break every 20 min.  to do something for yourself, whether it is a deep breath, or implementing stretching or getting up from your computer.

Try these tips throughout the day!* Reference: End carpal tunnel without surgery, Kate Montgomery

•Hand  circles
• Fist  clinches
• Wrist bends
• Finger bends
• Finger rotations
• Finger pulls
• Handshakes
• Finger spread
• Finger palm touch
• Finger thumb touch
• Finger joint bends
• Finger pinch
ª Palm rub

Also implement the usage of this program called RSIguard.com  available for free download for 45 days that will help you to exercise and remind you to take these breaks!