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Published on March 11, 2008

Sitting is not always relaxing, particularly for those who have desk jobs or spend a lot of time sitting in front of a computer. Experts have found that repetitive stress injury, caused by repeated or excessive movement of the shoulders and arms, has become the leading occupational hazard in the computer age.

Chulalongkorn Hospital neurologist Dr Thiravat Hemachudha said many people in their 30s came to see him with pain in their fingers and hands - symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).

Thiravat said the syndrome was common in people who repeatedly moved their fingers in the same pattern for hours. Although CTS is not a new health problem - before computers came to Thailand, Thiravat already had CTS patients - patient demographics had changed.

"At present, many of my CTS patients are office workers who are married to a keyboard and computer mouse," Thiravat said.

He said that in the past, CTS complaints came from those whose work involved excessive use and straining of the wrists, such as hammering, playing tennis or badminton and even housework.

CTS is caused when the median nerve in the carpal tunnel - the channel deep inside the wrist where finger tendons and wrist ligament meet - is under pressure by swollen tissues, ligaments and tendons. When the nerve is under pressure, it causes numbness, a tingling from the palm to the thumb and index and middle fingers and pain in those three fingers and hand up to the forearm, he said.

Many hear of CTS only after being severely afflicted by it. Thiravat said many of his patients used to think physical therapy could help.

"The best way to stop the syndrome is to stop pressuring the median nerve at your wrists. This means you must rest your hands by stopping the movement," he said.

However, since it seems impossible for today's workers to stop the repetitive use of their fingers in the same pattern, Thiravat suggests they adjust the position of their computer mouse and keyboard to allow their arms to rest lightly on a support at about 90 degrees. Hands and wrists should be in a neutral position.

If experiencing pain in the hands and fingers, he said, people should take a break and wear a soft splint on their wrist. For those affected severely, surgery may be needed, he said.

CTS is only one condition of repetitive stress injury. There are several other kinds of physical tax that office workers end up paying.

Chulalongkorn Hospital orthopaedist Dr Adisorn Patradul said many young workers come to him with complaints like neck pain, shoulder pain and thicker fingers.

"Many people aged 30-40 years complain of pain in their neck and shoulders, a condition that in the past occurred mostly in those older than 50. I'm confident that computers play a crucial role in causing the pain," he said.

He said the major cause of neck pain might not be directly related to the repetitive movement of fingers and hands, but rather was due to improper posture, which contracts neck muscles.

Health hazards of computer use are not limited to working people. They also affect children who spend all of their time in front of a computer.

Sasitorn Taptagaporn, a lecturer at Thammasat University's Faculty of Public Health, recently found that 42.1 per cent of 1,954 students aged 7-11 years had musculoskeletal problems. As many as 49.1 per cent of the students had eyesight problems. The students were the subject of her research last year on health and the social impact of computer use among children.

As computer use continues to rise, health experts recommend people try to prevent the problem rather than seek a cure after becoming afflicted by this occupational hazard.

Pennapa Hongthong

The Nation