Computer injuries: how to prevent and treat them

I’m going by train and my seat neighbor avidly types his smartphone. It must be due to professional deformation, but observing the speed with which he presses the screen does not amaze me. Quite the opposite: reminds me of my patients with inflamed thumb tendons. I look up and I find myself surrounded by travelers who, looking for a distraction, working or simply contacting their friends, are engrossed with their machines.

From laptops to tablets, mobile phones and netbooks, everything works in a similar way: small keyboards, awkward positions and speed, lots of speed. Without forgetting those who play in universes and virtual wars.

I discuss this fact with Luis, my consulting partner and with whom we wrote this article together. We both agree that the use of computers at work has generated a new type of injury, but today Injuries from the use of technology have intensified with the various technological devices that we use at all times and places.

Tendinitis, the most common injury

Inserted in the bones, the tendons are responsible for transmitting the force of the muscles to generate movement. They are made of a little elastic tissue and scarcely irrigatedso they always suffer with repetitive activities:

using the computer mouse for hours every day sending a large number of messages through the mobile phone the specific movements of some professions, such as cartoonists, musicians or librarians.

If a tendon is inflamed, the well-known tendinitis, which can affect the thumb, elbow and shoulder tendons (rotator cuff). The same inflammation in the tendon sheath is known as tendosynovitis and has similar symptoms and a similar recovery.

In both cases the degenerative process usually warns, but if there is no experience of having suffered it before, generally the discomfort is not given importance until it turns into pain. A pain that becomes invalidating. Like a chain, the bones, tendons and muscles that go from the fingers of the hand to the cervicals are connected. Thus, certain shoulder discomfort can be clearly linked to bad hand gestures.

Carpal tunnel syndrome

Inflammation of a tendon or other connective tissues can affect the nerves. The most typical and repeated case is that of carpal tunnel syndrome.

The doll It is like a tunnel through which nerves, tendons and other tissues pass. Space is very small and if one of them ignites and takes up more space than it should, others suffer.

There is the medial nerve, which is related to the first three fingers and the thumb. If it is compressed the person feels finger pain, numbness, or tingling. The symptoms of the carpal tunnel are caused by the nerve, although the inflammation that causes it is from another tissue.

It is important to differentiate the types of symptoms:

He pain caused by a nerve it seems to follow a path (they feel like shocks) and can cause a loss of strength.When the problem is in the tendonsthe pain is more localized and worsens with movement.in the muscles“we are wearing it” and if they touch a specific point it is very sharp.

Contractures in the trapezius and cervical

The trapezius and cervical musculature can suffer a contracture when incorrect positions are maintained for a long time.

When typing with the laptop on our knees we tend to lean forward. Thus suffer the trapezius and the rest of the scapular musculature. If we don’t listen to them and don’t change our posture, they will complain and pain will arise. Those touch-sensitive “buttons” emerge and are going to be a nuisance on a day-to-day basis.

The other musculature that suffers with these bad postures is the cervical musculature, especially due to excessive twisting.

The discomfort it causes is usually associated with the cervical vertebrae, but most commonly it is muscular contractures. This is lucky because they are easier to recover.

In this video we tell you how to make an ideal aromatic massage oil to relieve contractures:

The keys to avoid contractures and other computer injuries

Given this scenario, what can we do? Because stopping typing is hard! As the saying goes, “prevention is better than cure” and it is important to be vigilant by following some basic tips:

At what height to place the computer screen. It must be placed in front of the eyes, so that it does not force the neck to be turned or tilted. It should never be at an angle of more than 35º below the eyes. This is often not true, especially in laptops, which are placed on any surface. The person then has to accommodate himself as he can and from there arise many problems related to the trapezoids, exhausted from stretching so much.How to place the arms. The arms should rest at a 90º angle on the work table. Therefore, both the height of the table and the chair should be checked. Often a furniture problem is the cause of tendonitis in the shoulder. Work a couple of centimeters over or under the correct it makes you have to stretch the muscle chain of the arm more.How to sit Of course, you have to try to sit well, rest your back on the backrest and feel your shoulders relaxed. Feet must rest completely on the groundalthough a footrest can be used if necessary.Screen distance and light. It is recommended to place the screen about 55 centimeters from the eyes. You also have to pay attention to the light, so that in no case does it fall directly on the screen and produce annoying reflections.Take breaks. Finally, it is important to take breaks and get up from your work chair at least every two hours. It is time to move the legs, which will pump new blood; to stretch out the arms interlacing the fingers of the hands and taking them towards the ceiling, as well as to look up and try to look towards a distant place, beyond the window.

3 basic mistakes to avoid

When you spend many hours a day typing in front of a computer screen, you have to take into account these other three fundamental aspects that can end up developing muscle or skeletal pain.

Repeat the same movement very often. It is possibly the crux of the matter. Every time the thumb or index finger presses a key, muscles and tendons come into play. If we ask the fingers to perform this movement many times throughout the day, they will eventually be exhausted and will defend themselves. Thus, a muscle will create a defensive contracture, or what is the same, it will lose elasticity, it will become rigid and the tendon that joins it to the bone will begin to suffer an extra sustained tension. These changes may be negligible for us, but not for our tissue, which will begin to inflame, thus complaining about its traumatic situation.Do too much force. When making a movement with the hand, for example manipulating a computer mouse, although it may not seem like it, some force is used. These movements with pressure cause microtrauma that, individually, are not annoying, nor often detectable. The problem arises when many of these small movements are added up and, above all, when no type of recovery exercise that counteracts themnor specific stretches to prevent contractures or a discharge massage, as many athletes do, for example.Maintain a bad posture for a long time. Holding a phone with your shoulder and your head bent, typing on a laptop that rests on your lap or watching a movie on it while lying face down on a bed or sofa… are examples of bad postures that force muscles to overextend. If these abuses are maintained continuously, they become nuisances. Being aware of how we situate ourselves in front of the computer and how and how much we use mobile phones is essential for health.

How to recover in case of injury

If you have not been able to stop in time or if the warnings have been so subtle that you have not even heard, an injury can occur and typing becomes torture. You have to find solutions! Here it suits differentiate muscle problems from tendon and nerve problems. The muscular ones usually have an easier solution.

In this case, it is best a good discharge massage. A manual therapist releases accumulated tension in the muscles and can also help by giving advice on the most appropriate postures and appropriate maintenance exercises.

Tendinitis and nerve problems

Both cases have a common denominator: inflammation of stiff tissue. Here the terrain is more complicated.

One option is to tend to go from least aggressive to most aggressive. On the same level would be the hands of a physiotherapist who provides a good massage Cyriax (deep transverse massage), from an osteopath or an acupuncturist who reduces inflammation and increases blood flow through the use of needles. Combining techniques can also be convenient.

Simple rest and the use of anti-inflammatories rarely repair damaged tissue.. In these cases, it is always recommended to use heat, never ice.

If after a few sessions there is no improvement, more aggressive techniques can be tried: an orthopedist can recommend injections and, as a last option, surgery. This last step must be carefully considered, as it does not always give good results and, on the other hand, it does ensure some very annoying side effects. Recovery from an operated shoulder is long and sometimes never complete, so the decision to have surgery should not be taken lightly.