Ergonomics For Software Personnel

Software professionals contribute a significant proportion to the young workforce of the industry. They often spend long hours, working on computers in awkward positions; have stringent deadlines to meet, and are among the most common group who present in Orthopaedic clinics with symptoms as bizarre as tiredness and inability to concentrate; to specific disorders like Disc Prolapse or Carpal Tunnel syndrome.

There lies a co-relation between the environment they work in, the pressure they endure at workplace, and the psychosomatic disorders, thy suffer from. Even the employing authority have to shell out large proportion of money towards medical liability. Hence, something which helps both the individual and the company, definitely helps in the long run towards curbing the expense graph.

The role of Ergonomics comes to play. It entails modifications in the workplace environment, towards limiting the work associated illness. The common symptoms with which this population present, include Backache, Neck and shoulder pain, Lethargy, Inability to concentrate, Wrist pain and numbness, Thumb pain, Elbow pain etc.

Let us focus on them one by one. Backache may occur either due to acute injury or due to repetitive stress. Acute episodes usually result in a Prolapse Intervertebral Disc syndrome, wherein, patients complain of severe backache with radiation along the thigh and leg. A history of weight lifting may or may not be evident. Repetitive stress in the form of poor posture while sitting affects the muscle tone and produces a dull discomfort.

The modification required is- Adequate back and neck support in the office chair, with hips and knees at 90 degrees, and the spine supported along its entire length with provisions for the lumbar and cervical lordosis curves. Neck pain similarly may arise due to a disc pathology or general loss of muscle tone. It can be corrected by adequate neck extension, intermittent neck stretching and isometric exrcises.

Another common complaint is pain in the wrist or thumb, or strain near the elbow. The wrist pain usually develops due to repetitive stress during typing manouevres while working on a keyboard. It produces compression of the Median nerve (Carpal Tunnel syndrome). The thumb pain may be due to Inflammation of the tendon sheath (De Quervain’s disease). Elbow pain may occur due to Lateral (Tennis Elbow) or Medial Epicondylitis (Golfer’s elbow).
All these symptom complexes may be avoided or treated by modification of the keyboard pad position and the position of the seat arm rest.

Such minor modifications, help the company a great way in reducing the medical cost burden; and keep the employee better motivated at workplace.