Study throws light on the ‘Computer syndrome’
P Ram Kumar

Breaking a concrete slab with a jackhammer does not produce the same kind of strain that is being felt these days in the less physical environment of computer world”, says a study conducted by Major Dr S Bakhtiar Choudhary, MD (sports medicine, Switzerland) and consultant at Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad.

Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI) and Cumulative Trauma Disorder (CTD) are the common jargons named after the study that revealed health problems in young professionals. These were known to result from repeated monotonous physical movements specific to computer keying and mouse job. “Sitting for long hours in fixed postures lead to accumulation of blood in large portions of the body (large muscles), and lack of circulation of fresh blood. This is the cause of fatigue without physical work”, reveals the study conducted by Dr Choudhary and his team. In addition to this, faulty ergonomics of workstations pose undue strain on some muscles, which can be avoided by minor corrections.

Dr Choudhary, who is also the director of Apollo College of Physiotherapy here, first made the survey in Hyderabad in 1999. The study revealed that the ailments related to headache and eye strain (48%) and neck and shoulder pains (40%). He says if these conditions are neglected, they are known to reach grade III RSI that makes one impossible to hold a glass of water, button his shirt or hold a hand set. The affected persons may have to leave their profession for many months and even extending to years. The specialist observes that in the past, studies concentrated only on wrist and hands and problems associated with speed typing. His study reveals that the major problem begins at the neck. Much of the blame was on the keyboard rather than the mouse and tack balls. His team selected 15 professionals who were suffering from RSI Grade-II. They were not able to concentrate on work and suffered from severe pain in the neck and weakness. The study was conducted to assess which posture could result in muscle tension and the muscles that were involved. Based on the clinical examination of the subjects, an electromyography study was conducted while they were working on mouse and keyboard in their actual set-up.

Dr Choudhary discloses that trapezius is the big flat muscle of the neck and the shoulder and is most stressed especially while working with the computer mouse. He made these observations while the subjects were working with a wrong posture. The x-rays of neck have shown straightening of the spine, which was considered normal by radiologists. “But these are due to acute muscle tension generated by the neck muscles due to the wrong posture,” he says. He made simple correction in the sitting

posture and studied the EMG tracing again, which revealed significant reduction in muscle tension in trapezius. “This shows that professionals working in wrong postures gradually accumulate muscular stress which may lead to CTD/RSI”.

The early findings suggest a breakthrough in computer ergonomics. The sports medicine specialist says, “It’s easier to correct these faults. It is an indication that a large number of professionals are heading for a major health problem in the near future.” The solution to overcome this problem is that one should have the knowledge about the following:

1. Right posture during working on computers

2. Posture correction exercises

3. Workstation ergonomics

4. Muscle-learning technique i.e. awareness of the muscles that are involved in over working and learning to relax them. Dr Bakhtiar presented his study findings at the National Occupational Health Conference which was held at Delhi recently. This is the sixth consecutive work presented in India.