(This information culled from techinfo.mit.edu -- just telnet to it. A very spiffy service, I must say. -- dwallach) Tendonitis, Anyone? Mary Ellen Bushnell Information Services If the several hazards that confront those who work long hours at a computer, musculoskeletal stress is emerging as perhaps the most threatening. In addition to back and neck injuries, musculoskeletal stress can lead to repetitive strain injuries (RSIs). RSIs - which are often associated with heavy keyboard use - also plague those who work at assembly lines, meatpacking plants, supermarket checkouts, and telephone switchboards. What these workers and computer users have in common are jobs that share an insidious set of features: * Tasks that require small, rapid, repetitive movements * An awkward or fixed body position for a long time * Forceful movements to complete tasks * No time to rest while doing the task Unlike other injuries that occur as a single event, such as turning an ankle, an RSI develops slowly and can affect many parts of the body. Many symptoms may come and go before settling in: aching, tenderness, swelling, pain, cracking, tingling, numbness, loss of strength, loss of joint movement, and diminishing coordination of the injured area. These symptoms can lead to tendonitis, tenosynovitis, ganglionic cysts, and carpal tunnel syndrome. How Does an RSI Occur? Muscles and bones are connected by tendons. When a muscle contracts, the tendons move, sliding over bone and against nerve tissue. For example, the median nerve and the nine tendons that flex your fingers are threaded from the forearm to the hand through the carpal tunnel in the wrist. The tunnel is made of bone and ligament. Repeated bending of the wrist that causes tendons or the synovial sheaths around them to swell can compress the median nerve. The resulting numbness, tingling, or pain indicates a case of carpal tunnel syndrome. Precautions If you detect any of the symptoms described above, seek medical care. But you can save yourself the complications of an RSI, or a back or neck injury, by taking these precautions: * Ensure that youUre correctly positioned at your computer: your forearms parallel to the floor and your wrists flat or supported by a wrist rest; your back supported by an ergonomically designed chair; and your feet flat on the floor or supported by a footrest. * Take a 10-minute break from your work every hour. Get up and move. * Release tension through stretching exercises, repeating each of them five to ten times. - To relax your neck, turn your head slowly from side to side. Alternate tucking in your chin and releasing it to counteract the tendency to strain forward. - Open your chest by stretching your arms out to the side, then raising and lowering them. Lace your fingers behind your head and pull your shoulderblades together, hold for a few seconds, and release. - Stretch and flex your fingers at the joints and knuckles. ?