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Computer
Related Stress Injuries
Preventive Measures & Treatment
Preventive measures
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Instruct your child to sit straight
in the chair. Slouching over the keyboard can place undue stress upon your
child's neck, back, or spine and this can lead to a repetitive stress injury.
In addition, help your child avoid tensing her 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 and 100 degrees) relative
to the spine.
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Tell your child to use a light touch
on the keyboard. Pounding on the keys is only going to hurt her hand and
the keyboard. The keyboard should be placed close to her so that she doesn't
have to reach for the keys. Ideally, your child should maintain a 90-degree
angle between the wrists and the elbows and the upper part of her arms.
Her fingers and wrists should remain level while typing.
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It is important that your child take
frequent breaks every 15 minutes to half an hour in order to rest her eyes,
back, wrists and neck. She can do some stretching exercises, or take a
short walk, or get a drink. Tell her to look away from the computer and
focus on something far away from time to time to prevent eyestrain.
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Set an example by following all the
above rules yourself.
Creating an ergonomically
correct work environment
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Make sure that your child is seated
with her feet flat on the floor or on a footrest, with her legs and hips
perpendicular to the spine.
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The chair she sits on should be adjustable
in terms of height, back angle and armrest.
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The small of the back should be supported
with an adjustable lumbar support.
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Your child should sit about 2 feet from
the computer screen and the top of the monitor should be in line with the
user's forehead.
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The keyboard should be 27 to 29 inches
above the floor.
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Your child's feet should rest comfortably
on the floor. However, a raised footrest is useful to make a short child
sit correctly.
Treatment of Repetitive
Stress Injuries
If your child complains of excessive
fatigue or stiffness in the neck or back or any of these other symptoms,
you should take her to a pediatrician or family doctor.
The doctor may prescribe cold treatments
to reduce swelling and pain and advise rest to reduce irritation and speed
up the healing process. Once the swelling and pain has receded, your child's
doctor may suggest an exercise regime to relax the muscles and prevent
loss of movement in the joint. If the pain is particularly bad, the doctor
may prescribe anti-inflammatory medication.
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