Susan Fulton maintains a great site for users of voice recognition software. She has one page entitled “Goofs to grin at” which is worth checking out if you’re looking for a chuckle. What you say and what VisVoice or Dragon NaturallySpeaking hears aren’t always the same. Visitors have sent in numerous “goofs.” For example, one…
Free RSI Quick Reference Brochures/Handouts
The RSI Program site, maintained by the folks who put together It’s Not Carpal Tunnel Syndrome…, offers brochures on Repetitive Strain Injury in various sizes that you can print off and handout to your employees. They cover proper posture/ergonomics for computer users, some stretches and exercises, and general RSI information. It would probably be a…
Yoga For Combating Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, RSI, Tension, Etc.
All of the RSI-related sites and books I’ve read have recommended stretching, some recommending yoga specifically. The nice thing about yoga is that it incorporates deep breathing with the stretches (The book It’s Not Carpal Tunnel Syndrome! RSI Theory and Therapy for Computer Professionals recommends deep, diaphragmatic (abdominal) breathing to ensure the upper body stays…
Wrist Wand
I found an advertisement for Wrist Wand in the latest edition of ErgoSolutions. It is advertised as a device to stretch your upper body muscles effectively with just one exercise, needing only 20-30 seconds to be effective. This looks like something that may be good to use along with a break reminder program, and the…
Build a Better Office, and They Will Come
The About section of the Fog Creek Software site mentions one of the things they did when they were starting out was to ensure their programmers had a great place to work. Employers that are looking for productivity from workers should take this as an example. Ergonomics and comfort in the workplace may cost more…
“Cold Laser” Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Treatment?
KSL news has an article on something called Cold Laser as a treatment for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Apparently, the Cold Laser can penetrate the tissues of the hand and offer pain relief without drugs or surgery. There is some conflicting data, but the laser supposedly, “increases blood flow, reduces inflammation, and reduces symptoms.” There’s no…
Dragon NaturallySpeaking MS Word Tip
I use Dragon NaturallySpeaking for most of the writing and editing I do in MS Word. When I’m trying to jump to a specific word in the text, for example cat, I’ll say, “select cat”. Somehow, it seems that at least half the time there’s another instance of the word “cat” on the screen, and…
Ergonomics Checklist
The University of Washington (the school that may eventually give me a degree) has an ergonomics checklist online that covers chairs and chair positioning in relation to your desk/monitor, glare, keyboard/mouse positioning, lighting, and tips for preventing repetitive stress injuries. Fairly decent pictures make it easy to understand. The article finishes with a number of…
Ergonomics Event Calendar
Looking for an ergonomics conference to attend? (OK, it’s not exactly a first-class ski or scuba vacation, but if you’re the ergonomist in your office, maybe you can get the boss to pay for it). The Ergonomics Office Training site keeps an up-to-date calendar of ergonomics events that you may want to check out. Hm,…
RSI Risks of Web Browsing
Our fun computer time, spenting surfing the web or gaming, can contribute to repetitive stress injuries as readily as our work time. I have no doubt my Everquest years were a part of what made me an RSI sufferer in the first place (alas, I’ve since given up gaming). I found an interesting study on…
Specialized Ergonomics Editing Services
Did the boss stick you with the job of writing the ergonomics pamphlet for the office? Did your bout with RSI land you the position of part-time ergonomist? Or did you just volunteer to write the Monthly Ergonomics Tips Memo out of the goodness of your heart? If you’re not one of those writer types…
Break Reminder Programs
It’s a good idea to take frequent breaks from the computer during your work day in order to help prevent repetitive stress injuries. Most sources I’ve read have recommended taking a break at least every half hour for 2-3 minutes, with some recommending a break every 15 minutes. There are a number of break reminder…