Computer-Related Repetitive Stress Injuries

Whether typing a school report or surfing the Internet, kids often spend hours at the computer. So it's important for parents to know about the causes of repetitive stress injuries and how to prevent them.

About Repetitive Stress Injuries

Repetitive stress injuries (RSIs) are conditions caused by placing too much stress on a joint, and they vary in type and severity. Most RSIs are linked to the stress of repetitive motions at the computer or overuse injuries in sports. RSI in kids may occur from heavy computer or video game use, playing musical instruments, or the repetitive motion of sports like tennis.

An RSI occurs when stress is placed on a joint, pulling on the tendons and muscles around the joint. When the stress occurs repeatedly, the body does not have time to recover and becomes irritated. The body reacts to the irritation by increasing the amount of fluid in that area to reduce the stress placed on the tendon or muscle.

Conditions that are the result of RSIs include:

• Carpal tunnel syndrome: swelling inside a narrow "tunnel" formed by bone and ligament in the wrist; the tunnel surrounds nerves that conduct sensory and motor impulses to and from the hand, leading to pain, tingling, and numbness
• Cervical radiculopathy: disk compression in the neck, often caused by repetitive cradling of a phone on the shoulder
• Epicondylitis: elbow soreness often known as "tennis elbow"
• Ganglion cyst: swelling or lump in the wrist resulting from jelly-like substance that has leaked from a joint or tendon sheath
• Reflex sympathetic dystrophy: a condition characterized by dry, swollen hands and loss of muscle control; consistently painful
• Tendonitis: tearing and inflammation of tendons connecting bones to muscles

Fortunately, only a small percentage of kids have RSI. You can help prevent RSI by taking preventive measures and redesigning your home computer environment.

Preventing RSIs

Preventive measures can help kids avoid RSIs altogether:

• Always remind kids to sit up straight. Slouching or crouching over the keyboard can place undue stress upon the neck, back, or spine and lead to an RSI.
• Tell kids to avoid tensing their shoulders.
• Legs should be positioned comfortably and feet should be flat on the floor or on a footrest with the legs and hips perpendicular (between 90-100 degrees) relative to the spine.

Remind kids that pounding on the keyboard is unnecessary and can hurt both them and the keyboard! Using a light touch to type is best. Also, be sure that they don't reach for the keys; if so, the keyboard should be moved closer. Kids should maintain a 90-degree angle between the wrists and elbows and the upper part of the arms. Fingers and wrists should remain level while typing.

Taking frequent breaks is also a important to preventing RSIs. Kids can lose track of time and forget to take breaks, so make sure they rest their eyes, back, wrists, and neck every half hour or so.

Stretching, getting a snack or a drink, or walking or taking a bike ride can help kids avoid future pain. Eye twitching; sore, tired, burning, itching, or dry eyes; blurred or double vision; and increased sensitivity to light are all symptoms of eyestrain, so tell kids to look away from the computer and focus on something far away every once in a while. Proper lighting of the workspace will also help to prevent eyestrain.