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Inspect Your Gadget December 22 2006 Xmas presents can be a real pain
We’re talking sore thumbs, stiff shoulders and inflamed elbows among other musco- skeletal injuries. Repetitive strain injuries (RSI) are becoming more and more common among users of popular gadgets. Of course RSI isn’t new. For several years now medical professionals have been aware that anyone working in a job which involved repeating the same movements for hours on end was at risk. But now there are an increasing number of people contracting RSI through leisure pursuits. According to the British RSI awareness group RSI Action, children as young as seven have been affected. The increase in numbers is because we are ‘using more computers for more tasks, workplace stress is increasing, mobile communications are increasing and leisure use of games and iPods are increasing.’ And as technology gets better the problem gets worse. Smaller keypads on mobile phones require more delicate finger movements which can aggravate joints. iPod users’ thumbs are particularly affected and playing with video games consoles for hours on end is another contributory factor in contracting RSI. The likes of Nintendo’s Wii and Sony’s Playstation now come with a health warning reminding users to take frequent breaks and to adopt the proper posture while in use. But the best method of preventing RSI is the simple one of just switching off your gadget and having an old-fashioned rest. A good old post-xmas dinner snooze will actually help you stay healthy!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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They’re the latest and the greatest gadgets around – iPods, mobile phones,
Nintendo Wiis. And when they’re all freshly unwrapped and shiny new you just can’t
wait to see what they can do. But hold on a moment. These hi-tech up-to-the-
minute gizmos can be responsible for some distinctly old-fashioned pain.
