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Ergonomics. What’s that?

PERFECT COMPANION A cordless keyboard and mouse ease the strain on your wrists and hands

Two hours of non-stop pounding — shoulders hunched, eyes on the monitor, fingers all over the keypad, the world synched out. Only the project counts. Till a sharp bolt of pain sears down your arm. Before your “Ah!” reaches the next cubicle, three fingers of the left arm have gone numb; your shoulder is on fire. That’s what happened to Anand, 30, programmer. Scans followed. He was paying for his 18x7 affair with the computer.

“Repetitive Motion Disorder,” explained Dr. Phani Raj, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon. “Nearly 80 per cent of RMD patients work in IT. It’s associated with repeated, often forceful movements, usually involving the wrist or the elbow.”

About 3-5 per cent of those with Repetitive Strain Injury join the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) sufferers club if their median nerve, which runs from the forearm to hand, is squeezed at the wrist. Companies like Logitech and Microsoft have been quick to seize the issue by hand. Their ergonomics-friendly accessories now sizzle with a whole new vocabulary in consumer-computer relationship.

“RMDs can be controlled by these appliances as they tend to relax the non-active group of muscles while typing,” said Dr. Phani Raj.

“The devices are aligned to the natural limitations of our body instead of the body contorting itself to the device’s shape.” For example, keeping your hand and wrist at an angle when they are flexed at the elbows eases the strain of continuous work.

So what do we have? Tru-Form Pro by Adesso, contoured with a split-key design, built-in touchpad for wrist support, a host of multimedia keys for “ergonomic comfort.” Goldtouch Keyboard angles/tents up to 30 degree. Aron Zoom22 Ergonomic PS/2 has a Numeric Keypad and a level adjuster. Even mouse-pads have ergo designs.

Microsoft’s Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 “gives your wrists a rest”. Said a medical transcriptionist, “The wave, adjustable legs, padded palm rest, the “ZOOM” button in the middle you can reach without taking hands off home keys or having to “mouse around” — all very user-friendly.”

Reviewers also found Microsoft Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse 3000 Pointing Device, “easy on the wrist perfect for small hands.”

Industrial Design award winner Logitech has a basket to choose from. “A dedicated research team spends hours studying factors that interrupt smooth interaction between the user and his computer,” said Subrotah Biswas, Country Manager, India & SAARC, Logitech. “Consumers try out our “ergonomically enhanced” products and give feedback. Studies of “how” people type led to the birth of Logitech Cordless Desktop Wave. The Wave Keyboard promotes better postures in the wrist and fingers with a built-in, padded wrist rest and a curved alphanumeric key layout. It slopes upward on the outer edges and in the centre, positioning the keys closer to fingers.” The contour cradles fingers, uniform keys make typing easy. The keyboard has three-way adjustable legs. One-touch controls include a number of features. “The primary benefit is, it will reduce wrist extension (and stress), and so hand and forearm discomfort.” Logitech’s Waves (there’s a laser version) get the doc’s nod. “The hilly portion of your palm has no support in conventional keyboards,” he said. “In the new designs, the palm is straight, the wrist angle is rotated internally and elbow muscles are stabilised. The task bar is spacier, so wrists rest free of load.”

A star in the Logitech hamper is the MX Air mouse. It combines three important technologies — free space motion-control, gesture command and wireless — so people can point, select and play media files with a flick of the wrist, said Biswas. Use MX Air, take a stretch-break even while controlling the computer. You can hold it in the most comfortable position.

Mahesh, who constantly looks for comfortable comp tools said, “In theory the gyroscopic mouse is exciting. It has a tracker. But for how long can you hold it? You’ll put it down when your hand gets tired. However, if your computer is connected to the TV, you can watch movies using it like a remote.”

“These devices help maintain good posture to prevent back and neck problems, the scourge of IT professionals,” said Dr. Phani Raj. “Nothing works better than taking care of one’s health. With a good physique comes the ability to withstand day-to-day stress.”

DESIGN IS IN THE DETAIL

Specially-created appliances allow relaxation of non-active muscles

The design is specified to ease the strain of continuous work

Padded palm rests give wrists a respite

Curved alphanumeric key layout positions the keys closer to fingers, reducing wrist extension

Small hands? Don’t worry, there are ergonomically-enhanced devices for you too

USER-COMPUTER BOND

It’s about:

Comfortable hand positions

One-touch commands

One key, multiple functions

Smooth curves that align with the hand

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