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Protect your family from PC-related injury

(ARA) - After a summer full of skinned knees, sunburn and sports-strained muscles, you might expect your family to experience fewer injuries as autumn approaches. But fall likely means you'll be putting in more hours at the office in front of a desktop, and your kids will deal with mountains of homework by firing up their laptops.

That extra computer time could add up to some painful injuries for computer users of all ages, experts say. Long periods of working at a computer - especially if your hands, wrists, arms and back are not properly positioned - can cause injuries that range from carpal tunnel syndrome to tailbone discomfort and even loss of vision.

Giving up your desktop or laptop is out of the question, and many of us find reducing our time online is nearly impossible. If you can't cut back on computer time, how can you avoid computer-related injuries? Prevention is the key, says Aurelia Koby, president of Imak Corp. and an expert on ergonomically designed computer accessories.

"It's important to achieve and sustain an ergonomic, body-friendly position whenever you use a computer," Koby says. "Computer users who find themselves stuck in front of the screen for long hours should also practice simple exercises to help relieve the stress placed on their bodies by repetitive motion and prolonged sitting."

Here are some simple ways to practice healthy computer use this fall.

Sit up straight

The immortal chant of many a mother to her slouching teen is actually healthful advice when you're sitting in front of a computer. Slouching, slumping or allowing your shoulders to roll forward place strain on a number of body parts, including the back, shoulders, arms, neck and even the muscles in your posterior.

Keep your back as straight as possible and your shoulders back and squared when using the PC. Pick a seating situation that facilitates this posture - such as an ergonomically designed chair adjusted to the appropriate level, paired with a comfortable desk. Your keyboard should be positioned at a height that allows you to comfortably rest your elbows at your side, and sets your forearms parallel with the floor at the level of your keyboard.

If your teen or "tween" sits on the floor, bed or beanbag chair when using her laptop, encourage her to sit at a comfortable desk and practice proper posture.

It's all in the wrist

Carpal tunnel syndrome is one of the most common ailments associated with computer use. Improper positioning of the wrist and arm while typing is a leading cause of computer-related pain. If you use a laptop a lot, you're even more likely to experience improper positioning since the closeness of the keyboard to the computer screen and the touchpad make it nearly impossible to achieve healthful hand, wrist and arm position.

To minimize the risk of injury, connect an external mouse to your laptop and use wrist-positioning accessories, like the le Petit Cushion. The small, easily portable mouse cushion is filled with trademarked ergoBeads that provide a gentle, soothing massage to your wrist as you rest your arm on the cushion. Shaped for easy mouse maneuvering, the cushion travels well with your laptop and comfortably supports your wrist and forearm to eliminate stress. At your home PC, you can use a larger cushion, like the Wrist Cushion for Mouse, also with ergoBeads, to provide wrist and arm support.

Those are the breaks

Be sure to take regular breaks, whether you're working on a PC or laptop. Stand up, stretch and go for a walk. If you can't spare the time to leave your desk, swivel your chair away from the computer screen and practice a few simple stretching exercises in your seat.

To minimize eye strain - another common computer-related ailment - frequently look away from the screen and focus on faraway objects. Make sure your primary light source never shines directly in your face or on the computer screen. Eliminate reflections or glare by tilting the monitor or using a glare-reducing filter. The screen should never be too close to your face and should be positioned at eye level or slightly lower.

To learn more about ergonomic computer accessories, visit www.ImakProducts.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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