For months, I tried to ignore the dull pain in my right hand that cropped up after a few hours on the computer. Soon, the frequent breaks I took to rub and relax my hand were longer than my work periods. I knew it was Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS), a painful progressive condition caused when the median nerve, which runs from the forearm into the hand, becomes pressed or squeezed at the wrist and causes pain on the palm side of the thumb and fingers.
As a writer, I’ve learned that people in my line of work are at increased risk for CTS, due to long hours at the computer keyboard. Musicians, typists, assembly line workers and occupations that involve heavy labor are also prone to the disorder because of the repetitive motion associated with those tasks.
Smartfish Technologies has introduced a keyboard and mouse designed to assist technology warriors like me. President and CEO Dr. Jack Atzmon, a chiropractor, developed these devices around the concept that movement is essential to preventing CTS. He had treated thousands of patients with hand, wrist, shoulder and back pain and attributed the problem to repetitive and static positions while using mice and keyboards.
“I realized that most of the products designed to relieve stress limit movement by placing the hands and wrists in a fixed position over time,” says Dr. Atzmon. “Since repetitive stress injury is caused by repetition, that’s like putting stop signs in a city without putting brakes on the cars.”
The ErgoMotion Mouse looks and feels like a traditional mouse, but pivots on a raised base to match natural hand and wrist movements. Like most ergonomic keyboards, the Engage Keyboard uses a curved design and separated keyboard to reduce or eliminate the natural stress that comes from typing for long periods. But the most unique feature of this intelligent keyboard is its ability to monitor typing patterns. Fitted with a small motor, it adjusts itself periodically to make sure the hands don’t remain in a fixed state for extended periods of time. The movement is essential to increase flexibility, circulation and alleviate stress and pain, says Dr. Atzmon.
CONNECT THE DOTS
This fact sheet from the National Institutes of Health can help you learn more about carpal tunnel syndrome. This Mayo Clinic video tells you more about the medical treatments for CTS. This tip from Morsel can help prevent CTS.
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