Tendinitis and computers: prevention is power!
The most important thing about wrist tendonitis from using a computer, keyboard, mouse, tablet or mobile phone is prevention. Just think of yourself as a professional athlete. Just as all athletes follow the right rules in training to excel in competitions, you should do the same when typing. There are some practical rules you can apply preventively for your wrists to reduce the pressure on them and prevent them from being injured by flexing them forward or backward.
If you carefully follow the instructions below, you will be able to significantly reduce the risk of wrist injury and the appearance of tendonitis. If, however, you start to feel discomfort or pain in your wrist, do not neglect it. Too many people ignore the pain hoping it will go away and all they achieve is making the tendonitis worse. The most important thing is to catch the problem at its beginning.
Now that you know what to do to prevent and improve wrist tendonitis and what your body mechanics should be like when working on a computer or engaging in mobile devices or various activities, it is important to put the above instructions into practice!
Tips for protecting your wrist while typing
- Sit in the chair with your torso aligned and your buttocks touching the back of the chair.
- Place the monitor at eye level.
- Adjust the height of the chair or the level of the keyboard so that your hands are slightly lower than your elbows.
- With your shoulders relaxed, place your hands in front of the keyboard with your elbows loosely at your sides.
- Keep your hands below elbow level with your wrists straight or slightly bent backward.
- Do not rest your hands on the armrest of the chair while typing.
- Your hands should float slightly, as if playing the piano.
- The mouse should be directly next to the keyboard so that the elbow does not need to move away from the side of the body to reach it. Also, your hand should remain lower than the elbow and you should not put pressure on the wrist when using the mouse.
- Take frequent short breaks. 5 seconds every 30 minutes is enough to stretch and improve posture.
- When using a mobile phone, limit sending messages or send short messages or prefer voice messages.
Additional tips to avoid wrist tendonitis pain
- Applying mild force to the wrist during various activities puts less strain on the tendons.
- Placing soft covers on objects, such as a car steering wheel, can help reduce vibrations to the wrist.
- Using both hands for a task helps distribute the strain on the wrist tendons.
- Applying a cold compress to the wrist at regular intervals helps reduce pain and inflammation.
- Proper wrist position, aligned with the forearm, as in a handshake motion, helps improve tendons.
- The use of bandages such as a wrist glove and a wrist brace is essential for the prevention or relief of annoying symptoms of wrist tendonitis.
Now that you know what to do to prevent and improve wrist tendonitis and what your body mechanics should be like when working on a computer or engaging in mobile devices or various activities, it is important to put the above instructions into practice!
