What Is RSI?

It is all too easy to neglect your health while you're busy browsing the Web, using your PC at work or playing games.

Using a computer for more than a few hours a day can put you at risk from RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury).

RSI is used to describe many different types of soft tissue injury including carpel tunnel syndrome and tendinitis. It is usually caused by repetitive motions, poor posture and stress, and has the potential to cause crippling disability and pain.

How To Avoid

For people whose jobs require frequent use of computers it may seem there is no way to avoid this problem, but fortunately there are a few things you can do to try and protect yourself:

Make sure to take regular breaks away from your PC if you can; get up and walk around for a few minutes each hour.

Also, try and alternate between using your keyboard and mouse rather than relying on the mouse for everything. And when you do use your mouse, move with your shoulder rather than putting all the strain on your wrist.

You can buy mouse mats that have gel wrist support. You may also want to look into buying one of the special keyboards available which have been designed to be more comfortable to use.

If you have a joypad you could use a program like JoyToKey to map mouse and keyboard controls to your controller to give your wrist and fingers a change from the same mouse and keyboard positions all the time.

There are many websites such as www.rsihandbook.info which have information on how to avoid or treat RSI.

There is also a useful free program called Workrave that can help prevent RSI. The program reminds you to take breaks at set times as well as letting you set micro-pauses and daily limits.

Workrave even has a series of short exercises for you to carry out, with pictures demonstrating certain actions such as stretching your arms, moving your shoulders and focussing your eyes.